Yesterday

Empty canoe,  she's s gone.

They told me you left 

With the rough waves of the handsome;

They said you fell asleep

 Riding on the strong shaft 

Of his stony ridges and troughs.

And, that you laughed 

At the song I sang for you.

It was yesterday, 

After I had swam through the arctic, 

Searching for your face, 

Your enfant smile.

It was after the rain 

That I, drenched and dripping, 

Heard the news

And, read the note you left.

"look foward," you wrote, 

Your face blank 

As the harmattan cloud.

And I cried and laughed.

Then, it soon began to pour,

 The mist shroulding my gaze 

At your back.

Yet,

I went through time,

 Backwards, laughing 

And crying, 

searching for nothing but, 

your smiles, your carefree laughter

 With your hairy head, 

Thrown backwards.

I saw nothing but your fair skin, 

Your arrow-eyes, 

Your dimples and your pink heart, 

Beating in synchrony with mine.

Now, how can I let go of that? 

How can I fold before that little 

Bad news?

Dark sky, scares the children 

and a moonless night keeps them quiet.

Men, fold before death 

and a tree is cut by iron. 

But, not me; not my love for you, 

for death will not defile it.

And though, the news rip 

My soul apart, and

 The memories burn my head and, 

The thought 

Of your laughter when I sang 

For you, wet my eyes,

My quest to die for you, 

Brings only, strenght 

and courage 

And a royal fierceness, 

To my mangled arms.

NAUTH, Nnewi 

25th february, 2014