Godwin Inyang's Blog, page 23

007

Of course, I
mention the animals for

As I’m leaving the
village I hear their sounds;

I see light stream
outside through a door –

A shadow on the
wall and something she counts:



Two options stare
at me, she’s up early

To cater for those
she loves dearly

Or she’s up because
someone technically

Has lost that touch
– she’d lost him to the telly.



A bicycle swings
from the

Choose to be shiny as a
star

And not grimy than
the tar;

Choose to stay sweeter
than sugar

And not bitter than
vinegar.



Choose NOT to tie
your neck with the noose

As your life you
would stupidly lose.

Writing is like the
sneeze;

The condition is
hard to freeze;

You can only find
release

After episodes of
the long hiss.

3811

‘How many times had
that goat escaped from your hand?’

Whoknowsit angrily
said. Warcryit’s laugh was bland.



‘Well, we better
find it or else …’ ‘Let’s check the market,’

Whoknowsit said, ‘but
if I see that goat just bet …’



Warcryit cut in: ‘Just
how I feel. I’d kill it!’

They pattered off on
the stony surface of the street,



The noise receding
as the market was serene.

With

With the rains setting in, long-distance farming became a
gamble. Eka Atim had a not-too-cheering outcome today.

The sun dimmed, trees reeled and
the wind whooshed through leaves. Across the sky sturdier birds glided
leisurely.

The women called one another,
carried their loads and hurried along the tracks to the village. Sad though Eka
Atim was, a thrill ran through her body as she met a

Tailor had owed until he was no longer creditworthy. Mama
Pam’s conviviality had faded to a grimace and brief greeting – the only polite
way she could hint payment for things bought on credit for weeks was long
overdue. He understood, then curtailed his visits to the kiosk.

Tailor suppressed the urge for a
cigarette since morning but gradually the feeling was intensifying. He had jobs
that

May we rest a bit and pray for decent rain

All the seeds we’d sown to water and make them grow

Yielding in due time dividends to our greatest gain.

DR FIXIT (excerpts from Volume Eight)



3779

The surroundings of the theatre were a park

Dotted with benches where their butts the fans did
stack



While eating and chatting to wait for apt time

Every actor would step on stage to mouth every line.



My friend and I walked in as filing in were fans

But we were ushered inside through a special entrance



Where we first met the boss and

3742

The trek to the remote mountains and back

Had well extricated me from the track



Of infatuation I got bogged down with memory

Of Loveit who clearly I lost to the nunnery



But the one thing remaining now was a ticket

I'd planned to give her – it was the last thicket



I got myself still entangled; who would merit it?

On a clean slate I'd started my new love tweet



But something

3766

‘”But I was bent to make the bullies live with the ants;

And snake to realize a new duke ruled the kingdom of plants;



“And that he was doing that with no fuss or rant

And equality, justice, peace and love to all he’d grant.”



A rapturous ovation went from the hall

And the happy sound this time no one could stall.



When the theatre boss tried to hush the soldier ants

So I