My daughter — Uncredited (Citizen)

In the warm embrace of a wood fire
our mama tells a tale of a tomboy
who becomes the chief
of some never-never world of
folktales…
My daughter dew-eyed declares
with devastating assurance,
‘I will be the emir of Nigeria.’
Solid silence. Grind of mental gears
poor harried mama hems and haws
then ups and bolts at the healthy yell
of a thumb-sucking gentleman
in the lone bamboo-bed.
Baba….?’
I shivered inside feeling tiny
then flash of inspiration
illuminates my being
‘you could be a commissioner dear!’
A snived a sniff a storm in the offing.
‘Well’ you could be a V-C love!
Soul-scalding shower of hot tears
on my hands, I goit my teeth and
whisper
but not the ’emir’ of Nigeria!
With a card-sharp’s flourish
I flash my acer:
‘America has no female emir
China has no female emir
Russia has no female emir
Japan has no female emir
France has no female emir
Saudi-Arabia has no female emir
Iran has no female emir
Therefore Nigeria cannot have a
female emir
Liquid eyes grind into me
I lower mine to the embers
Searching for answers
Bug-bitten I go outside
Where the tranquil moon looks on
wryly.