By Odia Ofeimun
We have met by chance: it becomes destiny!
all of us, related, beyond flesh, to our very bones
before marvellous tales on Facebook, Twitter
and the wider web upraise power and laughter
with the insight of hearts flowing to heart
in birthday dress, naked to touch and fullness
in the drop of water that makes us human,
siblings before we are friends at all, near or far.
It’s the reason of state for your birthday wishes,
brimming every cup, all the cups to hand,
as if by magic that runneth over, soul-to-soul
commanding beauty, imperishable goodness,
owned by all and none, because always there
waiting until we learn to await its power
to defend common morality as a shared neck
of the wood melting gems into breath of life.
So I awake to your birthday gifts, and grand dreams
to be put to work, beyond the Ides of March,
I rise, yes rising, to strike out afresh for the road
I know you will always be there, assured interflow,
memories stamping highways through dense forests
into a future we must travel together, without cavil,
locked in the drop of water that makes us human,
siblings before we are friends at all, near or far.
This season of blood curdling innocence and drought,
I pledge water pitchers of thanks for your goodwill:
that your roads may never hunger under any sky
your filaments reaching out to diverse ends?
may they never abscond from roots that go deep
inside us; where ever and however far you travel,
may you pluck fruits abundant in such great marvel
turned ordinary by sharing that shakes worlds to rectitude
Get more stuff like this
Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox.