One scalding hot shower,
Two boiled eggs with instant noodles,
Three more boxes to stuff with our memories,
Grandma is coming over by four.
Aunty is five months pregnant,
Six cousins teary eyed, begging me not to leave,
Our priest comes over by seven,
We say our final goodbyes by eight.
Nine people sleeping in this house tonight,
Ten boxes lined up in a row,
By eleven, i’m still fast asleep in my anxiety,
It’s twelve,
And i’m awake,
Alone,
And never been more afraid to go.
Weyinmi Barrow is an aspiring novelist and poet. Born and raised in Abuja, Nigeria, and consequently moving to Trinidad and Tobago, she channels the feeling of everyday and extraordinary experiences into her writing. She is sixteen years old and loves reading in her spare time.