BROKEN
broken China plates
litter the floor
as I tiptoe around the shards
to pick up the debris
This is how love shatters
when two people
fall hard from
the illusion of forever
I hold on tightly
my fingers
deep in your skin
You recoil
It's a game we play
always
stretching the limits
of our patience
I'm too into you to see
that hurt is not the visible marks
on the skin
but the scars in the heart that refuse to heal
every night I run my hands
through the
darkness
seeking your body
most days I feel
the walls of our room
cold. empty of purpose
your body absent
you are not sorry
for the broken pieces
you tell me
I wake up to an empty room
litter the floor
as I tiptoe around the shards
to pick up the debris
This is how love shatters
when two people
fall hard from
the illusion of forever
I hold on tightly
my fingers
deep in your skin
You recoil
It's a game we play
always
stretching the limits
of our patience
I'm too into you to see
that hurt is not the visible marks
on the skin
but the scars in the heart that refuse to heal
every night I run my hands
through the
darkness
seeking your body
most days I feel
the walls of our room
cold. empty of purpose
your body absent
you are not sorry
for the broken pieces
you tell me
I wake up to an empty room
MY BODY
The last time
Father saw me
His eyes were swollen
With remorse
He stood there
Moored
To a silent wish
As he watched us leave
The last time I saw him
His eyes were closed
With formalin
His wishes buried with him
Every dust I sprayed was
A prayer
Not for his soul
But for a mine
Every tear a plea
To forget
To forgive
To unburden this memory
The times
I craved
His presence
In every punch
In the embrace
Of the boy
Who dangled his love
To chew me up and
Spit me out like a gum emptied of its mint
In her whispers to fill that
Void
In every
Thrust
My body
Is a journey
Of broken promises
And goodbyes
Father saw me
His eyes were swollen
With remorse
He stood there
Moored
To a silent wish
As he watched us leave
The last time I saw him
His eyes were closed
With formalin
His wishes buried with him
Every dust I sprayed was
A prayer
Not for his soul
But for a mine
Every tear a plea
To forget
To forgive
To unburden this memory
The times
I craved
His presence
In every punch
In the embrace
Of the boy
Who dangled his love
To chew me up and
Spit me out like a gum emptied of its mint
In her whispers to fill that
Void
In every
Thrust
My body
Is a journey
Of broken promises
And goodbyes
BIO:
Victor Enite Abu is a graduate of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, where he studied Horticulture. His works have been published on Brittle Paper, 20.35Africa and the defunct RotesMag. His Twitter handle is@EniteAbu
Victor Enite Abu is a graduate of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, where he studied Horticulture. His works have been published on Brittle Paper, 20.35Africa and the defunct RotesMag. His Twitter handle is@EniteAbu