Wild
there should be a heavy influence of music here, yell out loud when you catch the vibe
i get off the bus with my head high
settled curls on my head label me as the shit
i threaten my roommates with prank calls
our surreal love stinks up the whole apartment
we laugh over a bowl of rice
the daily bread the lord provides as empty calories
i shower and sing with Beethoven
behind, i renege on my claim to not gorge on these exotic things
i am stuck home and dealing
the bastards upstairs are playing cards and yelling gringo at intervals
after a long day, my mouth releases contracted Os
too tired of faking it, i only dive after unsaid words
there are some soiled laundries to do:
thousands of expletives for people asking me to speak louder
i rinse and dry my tongue, a daily night routine
a clean tongue communes directly with the heart
i say a frightening prayer and name my hell
she masquerades as a small town swallowing soldiers
i fall asleep only to see my neighbors
in a dream shooting—attacking this peace i cannot afford
there is no rest here
we’ve come shaped by the hardship at home
when i say beat me and then release me
fear the wild that has found home in me
Notes:
Audio poem read by Chiamaka Anita Onyenekwe.
Source:
Poetry
(February 2023)
