before he died my father told me
i’d make the monster that would kill me
so i know this was someone else’s death
happily chanting into my feet hoping to devour me
in seconds. i recognize the plight smile,
perhaps it thought i was a myopic survivor
of its own kind i don’t mind the hype
he’d been sick for some time now, his death a mercy —
but his memory moved around, refusing to leave even
as the creature pulled out it’s dark song away,
opened one of its mouths and moaned for the other.
the memory remained in us. the thousand times to remember
the rising and falling of the sun.
i’ve outlined all the joys that came for me.
my father was wrong when he forgot how to sing
light song
and was not wrong when he remembered to pray
his last prayer before he died.
and he was right when he said the light shall shine
upon all his children
like the bright stars in the sky
and like the joy that pushed the earth
to wondrousness.
***
Nosakhare Collins graduated from the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. Edo State. Nigeria with a B.Sc (Hons) in Accounting. He is a poet, writer, editor, critic, tutor, Nigerian street documentary photographer, blogger, publisher and accountant. He is the author of a chapbook a pilgrim of songs published by SEVHAGE Publishers, 2018 in Nigeria. Poetry and review have appeared in some National Dailies and International Magazine; Least Bittern Books, Poetry Festival, Litpoint Africa Magazine, Indian Periodical Journal, Writers Space Africa, Antarctica Journal, Sevhage Review, Youth Shade Magazine, Best “New” African Poets Anthology 2018 & 2019, 84 Delicious Bottle of Wine for Wole Soyinka Anthology, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Alabama’s Best Emerging Poet Anthology 2019, OPA Anthology 2020, and Several others. Nosakhare Tweets and Instagrams @nosa_collins, and read all kinds of funny news and write poems on Facebook at Nosakhare Collins.
***
image: Susan Gutterman
Rejection Letters 