but for now, let the stormy earth take charge of the moment.
In my room, there are silhouettes of things I’m trying to live for–
my room is the only place I act not as a fugitive in this country.
I’ve taught my legs how to rebel against the soil of the land.
/how do you picture yourself happy in a country like this?/
My body is morphing into a road stretched across this country
Some parts of me scamper towards the North– the abattoir
Where the fates of over 200 girls were buried before vanishing.
Another part of me is sailing across the ocean, seeking refuge
From lands innocent of my origin. I don’t want to believe
that our mothers deserve the blame. Is it nothing to call love
when a mother burns out of comfort just to give her child life, but
a country wring out the soul of the child from his body? My body is telegraphing
Seeking asylum in the ruins of this country. I’m still longing for home.
A castle of hope is sinking inside of me. I wish there will be a time
when nothing will know my name or my origin. I’m claustrophobic.
If I ever see God in my dream, I think I’m damn sure of what to ask him.
Abioye Samuel Akorede is a Nigerian poet & an undergraduate student of the University of Jos, Nigeria. His works have appeared on Literary Platforms such as Kalahari Review, Parousia, Sparrow’s Trombone, Praxis Magazine, Ice Floe Mag, The Quills Journal, EroGospel, and so on. In 2020, Abioye’s poem ‘RUNNING OUT OF THE MIRROR’ was longlisted for the Nigerian Students Poetry Prize (NSPP). His poem “A BOY, HIS GOD, AND A COUNTRY” was Longlisted among the TOP 20 of The Nigeria Students Poetry Prize in 2021.