Submitted poem DRY OCEAN Poem by Alozor Michael Ikechukwu · 2013 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 […]
Submitted poem Evening Song Poem by Kwame Dawes and Gwyneth Dawes · 2026 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 […]
Submitted poem Morning Song Poem by Kwame Dawes and Gwyneth Dawes · 2026 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 […]
Submitted poem Daughter Poem by Gwyneth H. C. Dawes · 2026 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. […]
Submitted poem Son Poem by Kwame N. Dawes · 2026 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 […]
Submitted poem To Whom It May Concern Poem by Uncredited · 2026 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 […]
Submitted poem After the Fire Poem by Gideon Adeyeye — 2025 There are things fire cannot destroy. I know because I have lost things I thought would survive me. Plans Friendships. Money Certainty People. Versions of myself I once believed were permanent. Some burned slowly. Some disappeared in one afternoon. Some left smoke in rooms […]
Submitted poem The Man Who Came Home Tired Poem by Gideon Adeyeye — 2024 Every evening, my father came home with the day still hanging from his shoulders. Dust in the folds of his trousers. Sun baked into his skin. His palms carrying the evidence of another argument with survival. He would sit at the […]