There are places life burnt into ashes in my heart
And I was told to stare up to see through the passage of light
To see through the blessing of bliss
And the bustling moment of nature
I have lived in rooms, I wish I did not live
Rooms that etched misery into the heart
Rooms that teach a boy the meaning of brokeness
I'm a lifeline of survival, without a cue
To tell me the pros and cons of my journey
So, I emptied myself on roads holding the footfalls of men
Holding a swab against the fires burning their flesh
Every night, I tried not to visit these rooms --- silos of grief,
A grief that turned men into mad beasts eating their own shadows
A grief that digs its way into my eyes to prick tears out of me
A grief that slashes away life force, portion after portion
I can't run away from my body
So, I tried quelling the haunting memories from my cerebrum
Sometimes, I disguise into a smile and hide my sad moments
In the corners behind my cheeks
Sometimes, I pick the tears in my eyes with a handkerchief
Some memories live within
That is, it's another oxygen, another metaphor of life
I heard that fires do not burn, but shape
The rusty part of one's body into gold
So, I tried cocooning my body into a basin of warm waters.
Aderohunmu abdulrokeeb Adedayo is a poet and a writer who hails from Ogun state, Nigeria. He believes that poetry heals. When he is not writing he's busy reading his books or surfing the internet. He's jovial and loves the presence of little children. His works have featured in voice lux journal and elsewhere