Faruk Alfe’s She Is My Abiku was shortlisted for the December 2020 Collins Elesiro Literary Prize.
She is a butterfly without wings
Abiku: the storm racing through winds
Maiden, folding herself in the swirl of time
A damsel eating through the walls of my heart.
She took the white paper out of me
And engraved her memory on it
I call her my Abiku but who falls in love
With the dead if they aren’t dead too?
She’s a sunflower, blooming in darkness
A chameleon that has forgotten how
To take backwards steps to its home
Coming & going is what living is to her.
When I smile, it is a sweet memory of her
Of a time she tried to stay with me, forever
Of time I held her and she smelled like me
Of a time I found shelter under her roof
But she picked the fire in her & set it ablaze
Leaving me with ashes of her presence
A stranger will always remain a stranger
Abiku, gone with the shadows of yesterday
Goddess of deception left me hallowed
Crawled out of my eyes, out of my heart
Stepping in & out is not living, dear flower
Your heart is tired, your soul needs a home
Help us keep this literary blog free! Don’t miss our latest Magazine call for submission. We are dedicated to bringing you the best of new fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. This literary magazine and our prizes are run solely by volunteers. In order to keep doing this, we rely on voluntary donations and sponsorships. Click here to donate.
