By the way
Beware those who promise heaven:
They may take your earth
and will stealthily pluck your heart
just to steal your hearth.
Beware the shiny object:
it might not be gold
even when it looks gorgeous
it might just be cold.
Day and night are duplicates
don’t believe your eyes:
fraternal twins are not replicates
one of them is ice.
That which soars up
Down will return
Lálá tó ròkè
Ilẹ̀ ló ń bọ̀.
Artist: Moyo Okediji Title: The Tongue Is Sharper Than the Sword Medium: acrylic on canvas. Date:…
There is no fear except the one we make up.
The fear we harbor is us.
On this planet, there is nothing to lose.
To My Unborn Child Learn to listen Between the lines. Words are nothing but mesmerizing sounds The word “water”Is not wet.
Captive No More
1
What you are reading is not poetry. It is not fiction. It is my true family history.
I am an ascendant from slavery. Yes.
It means I am a descendant of enslaved bodies. Yes.
Inside me, they locked iron collars,
leg fetters, and hand lockers. Yes.
Yes. Does it sound weird? Yes.
Slavery was real in Africa. Yes
Africa was the Ground Zero of slavery. Yes.
YORÙBÁ DÌDE
Ọmọ Yorùbá ẹ dìde
Dìde, dìde, dìde.
Ẹyin Yorùbá ẹ dìde
Dìde, dìde, dìde.
Gbogbo Yorùbá ẹ dìde
Dìde, dìde, dìde.
Ọjọ́ ti pé, ẹ dìde
Dìde, dìde, dìde.
Ẹ má sùn mọ́, ẹ dìde
Dìde, dìde, dìde.
Iṣẹ́ ti yá, ẹ dìde
Dìde, dìde, dìde.
Èrù ò bà wá, ẹ dìde
Dìde, dìde, dìde.
Àyà ò fò wá, ẹ dìde