If you know, you know.
I didn't plan for this to happen
Losing you will hurt. We both know you're going to leave
Oh no. This is a disaster.
Visions of a future streaked in pain and pleasure all in the right measure
Everything. That's what you are to me
You feel the same way, don't you?
Only you . That's what I want. Just you
Understand. Please. Unbreak me
I have no explanations for my absence. I'm sorry.
It's been a while I did this
Clothed my words in the obscurity that poetry provides
Coded words
Double meanings
Can I still do this
Let me inspire your heart with words I write even if they feel wrong
They feel like empty whispers fighting hurricanes
Feeble
But you can hear them
Can't you?
My art
That one shoe that you abandon
But it's the most comfortable you own
And no matter how many times you promise to get rid of them
You can't
Because it's been through everything with you
And the holes in it are proof of the battles you fought with it
Even though it's battle weary
It's still a part of you
That's how I feel like right n ow
Like I'm rambling
But I'm not.
I want to write something iconic
From the very depths of my soul
But even if I peel off all these layers
Will it be enough?
Is it ever enough ?
Years of talking
Shouting
Crying
It hurts
It really hurts
That even though people have dedicated their lives to the hope that some other life can be saved ; some other life will be saved
Their death meant that some of the warmth and sunshine seeped out of the world
And left the cold behind
Unfeeling
No emotions
Death and hunger
Horror asunder
Is this war?
No.
It is simply a reflection
Of you
And of me
Because everytime we talk
We stop
And every time we shed a tear
We wipe
Because every time
We forget
We move on
We delight in our own joys
We forget others sorrow
Because we believe that it can't be us
It won't be us
It won't be our mom that is shot in a church while she worships
It won't be our sister that is raped because she wants an education
It won't be our dad that gets blown up
It won't be us that face the Horror
But it is you
And it is me
We wield a weapon by holding a shield
Our sympathy is forced
We just want to hide
Hiding won't kill the war inside
It will only bring more reflections.
Win the war in you
End the war in the world
Stop fucking hiding.
I'm guilty too
And so are you.
A poem called me
It said to me :
are my words what you feel ?
Truly you or what you want the world to see ?
And I answered :
Only you knows the true meaning behind my veiled words
For I am you and you are me.
I wrote this in honour of today
For women all over the world
Kindred spirits
For international Women's day.
Enjoy.
Olori.
I want to write an ode to you
For all that you are now
For all that you will be
For the hurt
For the pain
For all they say
You caused the fall
Spoke to the serpent , connived with the snake
Pulled him down from grace
Smeared him in mud, made his back ache from all the toiling
They refuse to bear the tales of your own suffering
Of how you now had to bleed every month ,just so he could sow his seed
Just so it could grow
They never told the tales of the harrowing pain
Back breaking labour
To bear him sons
To give him heirs
And if you gave him one of your kind, a mirror of you
Your replica
She was scorned similar to devil's spawn.
You were a worthless gift in their eyes
Worthless gift to be given to men of worth
To plant the garden of their lives
Be the jewel they showed to others
Jewel that was coal in his eyes
You planted the roses. You made his life beautiful
Eternal service
Not to be seen , nor be heard
But the goodness you brought to his life,
Ah those tales must be shared.
Just a pawn in their chess game
Your beauty a curse
Men fought to own you
Possess you
Subdue you
Trophy , prize
Helen of Troy
Will this be your lot, had you been a son, had you been a boy
Sold
You were sold
For gold , mere gold
You were worth more than that
But no, papa needed the chieftancy title
Needed that feather on his hat
So he didn't care where you went or got sent
Harrowing days on that ship
Recoiled at his touch
Remember the laughter
Whipped
Called crazy
But you remained free even in your slavery.
He hurt you
But it was your fault
You showed your body
He defiled you
But you were a conquest
He laughed, sinned but remained right
"Listen to me" you cried, not a sympathetic ear, no one in sight
You hated the injustice of it all
But you caused this
It was your fault
Your fault he was drunk
Your fault he was your uncle
Your fault he came into your room by 2 am
Your lot I life was smoke in your eyes
Soot blackened hands
Life of servitude
School was not for you
Your job was in the kitchen
a glorified cook
He hit you
You took your tool
Stabbed him
It was just a knife
You killed him
But you die a thousand deaths for that one
Over and over and over again
But now
The time has come
Your glory is shining
They still Try to press you Down
But like the phenomenal woman you are
You rise
Their words can't bring you down
They call you bitter
But you don't need them to sweeten your life
You revel in the greatness of your feminity
Mother
Sister
Daughter
Star.
Keep shining Olori
Keep shining queen.
Keep shining.
Even without your bedazzled crown
Keep shining.
Girl.
I can hear my heartbeat behind my throat.
It's louder than the guns
Louder than thunder.
Louder than anything.
Funny how I never heard this sound before
My heart was always faithful to me, beating to keep me alive
Now I fear it will be the death of me
Death is alluring
This fear is worse than anything you can scare me with.
Now or ever
Look at me thinking of the future
Will I make it out of this hole ?
Will my heart ever beat quietly?
Terrorist.
I want to die
Ironic, you say
I have the power to end lives
But It is I who does not want to die
You see ,you judge me
You don't know me
But you judge me
I can see that half sneer on your face
Lips down turned
Eyes piercing
I can hear you thinking, " who does he think he is fooling ?"
Let me tell you this
The man behind the weapon is most powerless
I was not given an option
I was not given a choice
Since I don't own my life, can I own my death?
Soldier
Bravery is my bane
Courage my forte
Funny how I lack both
Pull the trigger you say
I see only mist
Every where is gray
I can't see
I. Don't. Want. To. Kill.
Who am I to hurt anybody? Who am I to judge
To show what is good ? To say what is bad ?
I'm a dirty sinner
Can I give life?
Why is it my job to take it then?
I think I just pulled the trigger.
I have killed.
Terrorist
It's nice to feel a bullet break into your skull
To feel life slipping away
To feel peace.
Ah.
Soldier
I hate the sight of blood
My hands are stained , even though I haven't touched the blood
I am soiled.
I'm a coward .
Girl.
He's dead.
I am Alive.
Everywhere is quiet
I still hear just my heart.
O daughter of mama Africa
Daughter that wants to sink in her mother's roots and wear ankara
Daughter that wants to show the world her new Africa
Her Africa of natural hair, properly twisted and curled
Her Africa of uber traditional dishes , snapped for the gram of course
Her Africa of waistbands made of corals and Chimamanda
Her Africa of activism on twitter, her new Africa of finding her voice
Her Africa of woman power , ' say no to male domination' and feminism
Her Africa that's drenched in her new found sexuality
Her Africa that has suddenly become so cool. She has to make it cool
Tell me O daughter of mama Africa
Do you mock your mother so?
Do you say that the Africa of mothers past is old ?
Africa is in you.
Let Africa shine forth
Africa doesn't need your proclamation; she's already a wild voice singing
Do you seek to curb mama Africa ?
Make her look more presentable? Her dishes more delectable?
O daughter, Africa is fine wine
It only gets better with age
Africa does not need your faux approval as you seek to dress her in robes that don't belong to her
Africa is a Queen. Dressed in rags or robes, she remains a Queen
Bound by chains or free, she's still the most wonderful sight to see
O daughter of mama Africa
You don't need to prove to the world that you're African, I see you trying frantically to make Africa the new cool
Africa isn't a trend, she's a never dying friend.
Always in you.
