DRY OCEAN Water flows uphill, past Meaningful nothing’s gate Washing Happy City’s wall dead Planting gloom in its stead. The land in happy ignorance Dances to sadness’ enchanting tunes Dry waters penetrates Calm’s soil Poking with scrawny fingers it’s bed so fertile. Finding Joy’s seat, takes it, bed Of Happiness, rapes her dead Oh! Success’ […]
EVENING SONG My heart is closest to youin this bright hourof eveningMy heart rememberspulling streamers of laughterthrough sorrowsUntil I know I see youwhirled above hard siltentwining me with God * EDITOR’S NOTE Source: ArchiviNG (Nigeria Magazine, 1 January 1987). The source lists Kwame Dawes and Gwyneth Dawes without assigning individual authorship; this archival presentation retains […]
MORNING SONG (For Aba) My heart is closest to youin this dark hourof morningMy heart rememberspulling threads of memorythrough shadowsUntil I think I see youcurled under soft quiltdreaming of me and God* EDITOR’S NOTE Source: ArchiviNG (Nigeria Magazine, 1 January 1987). The source lists Kwame Dawes and Gwyneth Dawes without assigning individual authorship; this archival […]
DAUGHTER There were no drumsno call upon the spirits,no dance, no adinkras swirledno antiphonal songsno damirifas heardno goat was killed,no libations poured,no celebrations for thepassing of the soul.Away from the village ofher kin,on caribbean shoreswhere two once played the tune,she sang alone. Gwyneth H. C. Dawes EDITOR’S NOTE Source: ArchiviNG (Nigeria Magazine, 1 January 1987). […]
SON (For Kwame) “And she sang mournfullyher voice shaking deeply,regret mixing remorse,sorrow with recollection.She trembled,the whole room trembled,the door criedthe chairs bent slowlylooking for himhoping for himnot seeing him.Then we all went asidesplintered points to a circlelinked by a single cord:sorrow, like the gray cloudsand we wept alonetogether**” Kwame N. Dawes EDITOR’S NOTE Source: ArchiviNG […]
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN “The back is bared!”“Aha!” Then shoot!”“Beat!”“Mock!”“Jeer!”“Destroy and pull the hair!” You wrote the stage directionsin a plot of script;collected royalties;danced its liesacross a dim-litcryptedcyclorama Hungry claws applaudedlaudedcalled for moreencores;manacled leeredyou bowed Did you not read the Scroll?The writing on the wall?Hear the prophet’s call? Ask not for whom the curtains […]
INVITATION come into my parlour,said the spiderto the fly;never mind the cobwebs,just come in and don’tbe shy;find a wealth of gourmetto suit your palate’schoice;let not my smile deter youor the silence of the noiseface it —this is heaven,leave the air’s thick fog,and rest;enter my conditioned netto bask indelicatesse come into my parlour,said the spiderto the […]
Ololade Akinlabi Of a road I know,Where poverty breeds richness,‘Baba rere, baba ke…’Trample over me and take the right of easement. Of a road I know,Where people laugh out their Cries.Attempt to kill oneself is a suicide,Having a helping hand is a murder.Frustration is not by choiceBut a factor that simplifies destiny. Of a road […]
HighOnWord We met at a placeThat was to be a crossroadWhere men meet, greet and wavehoping to meet again,Maybe once, maybe twice a lifetime.We met there and stopped there.We laughed; we fought, fought andlaughed, butcould not go beyond.I looked back and returnedShe did the same and returnedBut the roads met again,where men meet, greet and […]