The road ahead is a forbidden way
leading to a discotheque for lost boys.
You are trying to say home, but I mistake
it for run, & so I leave.
The road ahead is a forbidden way
leading to a discotheque for lost boys.
You are trying to say home, but I mistake
it for run, & so I leave.
This body is Biafra. I want to be Ojukwu. I want to secede this flesh. Let me break out.
I go into every accident—headfirst.
the cesspit claimed by frogs is an ancestral heirloom.
You wake up, your mouth is too heavy
To say the morning prayer. Your knees
Are too weak to kiss the cold floor.
What is this tingling sensation in my stomach? Your name,
hibiscus in my mouth. Your voice, a star in the night
of my body. This love scintillates the orchid of my core.
The craft of poetry writing is rooted in the pursuit of one’s voice, an elusive element that can be found within oneself, whether it be deep within the vocal cords or buried within the pits of one’s impressions.
Our December 2023 Issue “Migration” is out! Dive into the pages, lose yourself in the verses, and let the stories guide you across the diverse landscapes of Migration. We hope you find not just a reflection of yourselves, but a glimpse into the vast panorama of the human spirit in motion.
why will a boy call home
the mouth of a snake
and tilt to a direction
that water leads to?
One day I will write a poem about the tears,
That stain my face throughout the years.
The 2023 Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize crowns its champions! Ifiokobong Etuk’s soaring “A Revolution Thinks Itself A Bird” claims first place, Olalekan Daniel Kehinde’s haunting “Apocalypse” takes second, and Nnadi Samuel’s powerful “Rerouting” secures third. Together, they share a thrilling N100,000 cash prize, their verses echoing through the Nigerian literary landscape.