IQUO ABASI
1 – IN THE WEB
Fears of yesterday
Rush forth in a contemptuous rage
Like bits of glass in a kaleidoscope
Each piece a fiery recognition
As our past fears turn to today’s reality
Like a spider
In its own intricate weaving
This web of never ending corruption is made more rigid
With each futile breakaway attempt
Stranded
We grope in the dark
Uncertain of our ailments
Even more uncertain of the cure
Lost
In this labyrinth of would be heroes
Seeking to outwit us with old tricks in a new age
Disdain rankles, but we are not mocked
Though the dance varies
The tune remains
As poor denizens rejoice at
The emptiness of a tuneless song
Dangling on the precipice of never becoming a melody.
2 – CLEANSING
Time is that appealing intersection;
the diverging stretch
between the pain of becoming
and the joy of ripeness
and the pain was
puss filled…
fungus infested
the bane of our strife
celebrated on a vengeful grill
marinating in its own oils;
anger, lack, fear, lethargy
reminiscence is a sore made raw anew by
constant gnawing at the past
the past is… a dagger twist in our psyche
it is boko fanatics ripping the fabric of our calm
… it is the rape of the Delta
Birthing damaged flora and fauna
…it is empty stomachs and diseased children
time is the diverging distance;
the stake at which we
uncloak ourselves of the grime;
burn yesterday’ wrongs
watch it go up in flames of forgiveness
disappear amid fumes of cooperation
then we can embrace the hope whose
pinnacle radiates a promise for tomorrow
Let us together
rise from the vermin
in the glimpse of dusk
before the embrace of dawn
we will yet find that
distant spark
we will yet effervesce in the
vibration of mother nature
that growth demands of us
let us resuscitate not
lest our vision be benighted
for time is the appealing distance
between the pain of becoming and
the joy of our prime
Iquo Diana Abasi Eke is a performance poet and writer who renders her words to the accompaniment of instruments such as traditional drums, flute and /or strings. She has performed on various platforms including The Lagos Black Heritage festival, WORDSLAM, The Lagos Poetry Festival, and Poetry Potter.