take away the grief and the guilt, there’s only
so much this mouth can take, so much these lips
can carry.
i sing, i strain this throat till tears replace these lyrics
& pain become all that’s left of a simple melody, a
missed note. i talk, butterflies sprout out of my
belly, painting pictures that love once thrived, once died,
here.
i’m no stranger to disappointments, not anymore. i heard
you on the phone last night, your hushes soft as a night’s breeze,
but still, nothing but thunder struck these skies.
there’s only a few secrets a broken ear can’t crack.
i’ve thrived in the darkest of rooms, found light in this hollow
of a skin. even the sun cowers at the sight of what’s between
this ribcage.
Odemakin Taiwo Hassan is a Nigerian student, poet and writer. His works have appeared in Best New African Poets Anthology, Liminal Transit Review, Praxis Magazine and Iman Magazine to mention a few. When he’s not writing, he’s either listening to music or watching TV series.