I sought the feeling of pain,
So I punctured my ears and nose
And wore golden stars on them
I had dark lines, shapes drawn on my crooks ‘n’ sleeves---
Tiny stars running down my crooks
Dandelions on my sleeves;
That every time sadness knocks
I’d wish on the dandelions that she might vanish
And if she should persist
I’d bore my skin the more
For I love the feeling---
Exploring pain in its various genres;
Like I do the comets and stars
Which I now know in and out
Yeah, I adore the experience, having diverse flavours of pain
Glowing amidst aches running down my spine
Growing to reveal queenly beauty;
Life will sure be proud of me
For her lessons I have well embraced:
Pain is a headmistress to mortals,
Beauty is birthed right amongst thorns
Mama will be glad to see her girl
Shining through punctures hurts and scars.
Sneeze! A little action that involves expelling mucus filled with irritants from the nasal cavities. A little...
Read more"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," the Pastor said in our dialect. I mulled over the implications, the finality of...
Read more'I am lonely'. Suddenly the air becomes too heavy, and your nostrils flare in a struggle to breathe. You see...
Read moreIf Ahmed had known, if only he had known. The morning of the presidential election dawned grey as if in the tentative...
Read moreThe night the first rains came was when I finally found the courage to tell Chike that he was going to be a father...
Read moreWhen Malam Salisu died three months ago, he came back two days later. I saw them bury him, shrouded...
Read moreMaybe not everyone, but after losing somebody dear, most people want their consolers...
Read moreThe year was 1966. The country had just experienced its first coup. The nation was tumbling from its roots...
Read moreAkunna had read every pamphlet on when to do and when not to do. She gathered all the fliers she had
Read moreWhen Obinna died, the big, ugly clock in the sitting room did not stop ticking. It would beat for five more...
Read moreThis window seat is perfect, though dusty it may be, To look outside at wandering souls and think...
Read moreWhen the time came for you to entangle yourself with the affairs of this world, Mummy wasn't ready
Read more