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BORDERLINE
Ask a borderline what living entails & he’ll say: Maybe a fragmented soul, pills & a bottle of liquor; Maybe pouring oneself ceaselessly into despair; Maybe hanging like the creaking ceiling fan in one’s bedroom; Maybe wearing one’s jacket inside out because the world remains the same, whether one is harmless or a psychopath, whether one sees everything in black & white or in gray with a handful of subtle primaries. What no one fails to highlight is that sometime, life is that sadistic editor that breaks down the splendiferous arc to dust, & then tells a killing joke. Sometimes it is the publisher urging one to write a story when one has a rock-solid block.
What always remains is wavering voice inside one’s head.
Praise Osawaru is a Nigerian writer, (performance) poet, content developer & entrepreneur-in-training studying at the University of Benin, Nigeria. His writings are influenced by his consciousness of mental health, personal experiences & the desire to heal through words. His works have appeared in Kreative Diadem, Nantygreens, Ngiga Review, SprinNG & Writers Space Africa. He was longlisted for African Writers Award 2019 & shortlisted for The Zi Prize 2019. He won Honorable Mention in the 2019 Kreative Diadem Creative Writing Contest. He is liberal, & enjoys reading books, listening to good music & binge-watching series on Netflix when he isn’t over-worrying about University life. Say hello on Instagram/Twitter: @wordsmithpraise