Adesua, the bush lamp oil that refuses to dry

Your mild beams, sun dry leaves to life

You are the opening of new foliage

The happy song of chirping birds

Overfed with milky grains

Adesua, daughter of my natal earth

 

I will sing your name like a minstrel

Draw the woodpecker out of door

Chant the forest’s core and my kindred

With the juggling drums of my love

 

You that burnt your fingers for me

You that lie with empty stomach just for me to eat

The first cock crow met you at the stream

With a beaker of water for me

 

Adesua, pristine foliage of roosting sun

The Osier that beams in my nights

Tramping in the forest of thorns

I would sing you a lullaby if you were a child

 

Who will say the antelope has a better shawl

Or the dappled leopard with chameleon skin

Which changes with the sunny rills from the raw

Than your melanin like water, rinse on the reaps

 

Adesua, my hilltop sunflower

Dancing in resplendent twirls

No broken seed, no bursting powder

Nor the surreal sun that wilts on the hill

 

I will seek you beyond the shadow of the aging moon

Our love shall bloom from the depth

I’ll bathe you with coconut water and rinse your hue

 

Written by : Michael Afenfia

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62 Comments

  1. Leo February 2, 2018 at 3:47 pm - Reply

    Epic.

  2. Blessing February 3, 2018 at 7:14 am - Reply

    Wow, amazing! Poetry at its best. I’m feeling like Adesua now. Haha! This is very beautiful!!!!

  3. Unique February 3, 2018 at 8:04 am - Reply

    Wow!

  4. Annie February 3, 2018 at 9:45 am - Reply

    just wow

  5. Sixtus February 3, 2018 at 10:32 am - Reply

    This poem is extraordinary. Joseph, the way you bring characters to life with words is second to none. Don’t ever stop writing Man!

  6. stefani February 3, 2018 at 12:46 pm - Reply

    🔥🔥nice one

  7. stefani February 3, 2018 at 12:47 pm - Reply

    nice one

  8. Newman February 3, 2018 at 1:13 pm - Reply

    Wonderful piece

  9. Ruth February 3, 2018 at 1:17 pm - Reply

    You can’t stop amazing me can you?
    Excellent piece!

  10. Emmanuel February 3, 2018 at 3:18 pm - Reply

    wonderful piece

  11. Mathias February 3, 2018 at 4:11 pm - Reply

    Lovely…
    It’s great 👍

  12. Joseph February 4, 2018 at 3:17 am - Reply

    Good, good!

  13. Grace February 4, 2018 at 1:23 pm - Reply

    Wow! Great!

  14. Jude February 4, 2018 at 1:23 pm - Reply

    Wow! This is lovely.. Big ups

  15. paul February 4, 2018 at 2:46 pm - Reply

    when I read this piece I marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such intelligence unto men. nice one bro.

  16. Joseph February 4, 2018 at 3:45 pm - Reply

    wow! nice piece!

  17. blessing February 4, 2018 at 6:15 pm - Reply

    This is real good!

    thumbs up bro!

  18. Memphis February 4, 2018 at 6:22 pm - Reply

    Nice story

  19. Atolagbe February 4, 2018 at 11:29 pm - Reply

    wow! awesome bro… this is creativity!!!

  20. Steve February 5, 2018 at 2:58 am - Reply

    nice one

  21. Chiamaka February 5, 2018 at 11:19 am - Reply

    So wonderful.. Nice one

  22. Joshua February 5, 2018 at 11:39 am - Reply

    Wow, this top notch!!! Go Joseph, go!!

  23. Kelvin February 5, 2018 at 12:46 pm - Reply

    Awesome piece bro..ur choice of words are superb

  24. Wanogho Darlington February 5, 2018 at 1:05 pm - Reply

    Wow, wow, wow!!! I’m blown away!!

  25. Tope February 5, 2018 at 5:17 pm - Reply

    Beautiful.

  26. Esther February 5, 2018 at 9:50 pm - Reply

    This is really beautiful and well written. The narration is perfect. I love how you narrated your imagination to reality.

  27. EstherR February 5, 2018 at 9:52 pm - Reply

    😘😘😘😘
    I imagined Susu

  28. Gideon February 6, 2018 at 2:15 am - Reply

    A finely crafted piece, one that leaves Adesua melting into rainbow colours. Nice one, Joseph. Nice one.

  29. Loislane February 6, 2018 at 7:47 am - Reply

    Beautiful, beautiful!! This is the most beautiful poem I’ve seen in a while. Well done!

  30. David February 6, 2018 at 7:52 am - Reply

    Wonderful, wonderful.

  31. Nwokedi John Obiora February 6, 2018 at 8:02 am - Reply

    Nice poem

  32. Enunwa TONITO Bethel February 6, 2018 at 8:05 am - Reply

    Beautiful, beautiful poem. I’m awe stricken. Keep writing!

  33. Ojieh Emmanuel February 6, 2018 at 8:13 am - Reply

    Absolutely beautiful

  34. Best February 6, 2018 at 8:27 am - Reply

    Mehn..this poem is what I’ll term world class.

  35. Francis February 6, 2018 at 8:44 am - Reply

    Te amo.!!!! Perfect

  36. GODSTIME February 6, 2018 at 8:56 am - Reply

    Beautiful!!! Totally brilliant! You’re my favorite writer now!

  37. AFEMIKHE JOACHIM February 6, 2018 at 9:35 am - Reply

    Whoa! This poem. oh, this poem!!! I’m so in love

  38. Francis Ngozi mordi February 6, 2018 at 9:39 am - Reply

    Beautiful poem
    You’re amazing young poet.

  39. Success February 6, 2018 at 10:58 am - Reply

    Beautifully written

  40. Nosarumen February 7, 2018 at 12:58 am - Reply

    This is completely amazing. I love it

  41. Eluromma Divine February 7, 2018 at 11:34 am - Reply

    I’m yet to recover from your amazing story and here I am, gasping at another masterpiece. I’ll be on the lookout for you bro. You’re a fine writer, you came almost ready-made. Keep writing, always.

  42. Adetunji Victor February 7, 2018 at 11:54 am - Reply

    Nice poem. Real good!

  43. Adetunji Victor February 7, 2018 at 11:55 am - Reply

    Poetry at its best.

  44. Harrison February 7, 2018 at 12:32 pm - Reply

    Wow, wow, wow!! Great poem. Love at its best!

  45. Alex Inoma February 7, 2018 at 1:13 pm - Reply

    Wow, amazing!!! Good poem, great poet!

  46. Isaac Doyin February 8, 2018 at 7:00 am - Reply

    Wow, wonderful! It’s rare seeing people who combine prose and poetry effortlessly and here you are, doing it well. Wonderful poem bro.

  47. Uche February 8, 2018 at 7:20 am - Reply

    Amazing poem. Keep writing.

  48. Nathaniel February 8, 2018 at 7:28 am - Reply

    Great poem!! I’m totally amazed! I could feel Adesua melting on seeing these words.

  49. Okori February 8, 2018 at 7:53 am - Reply

    Good!!! You’re truly an amazing writer. Oh, how well you command words!

  50. Ahmed Mariam February 8, 2018 at 8:30 am - Reply

    Good poem. This is simply extraordinary. I hope you own a chapbook someday.

  51. Ese monday February 8, 2018 at 10:04 am - Reply

    Powerful!!!! I’ve no words, none at all. You’re amazing.

  52. Felix isaac jnr February 8, 2018 at 9:08 pm - Reply

    Wonderful peice

  53. Nkechi Ikwuka February 8, 2018 at 9:13 pm - Reply

    This is great! Born to write! Never relent!

  54. Matthew Oniovosa February 9, 2018 at 9:05 am - Reply

    Oh, my word!! This is so beautiful!!!

  55. Oribhabor praise February 9, 2018 at 10:23 am - Reply

    So much beauty in such Short lines.

  56. Emerald February 9, 2018 at 10:24 am - Reply

    Beautiful, Man. Really, really beautiful!!!

  57. mayne February 9, 2018 at 10:50 am - Reply

    I am marvelled. This is by far the best poem on love I’ve read this year. Wow!

  58. Oaihimire Clive February 11, 2018 at 9:42 am - Reply

    This is awesome!!

  59. Emmanuel Akpabio February 11, 2018 at 5:25 pm - Reply

    great piece!

  60. Akra February 12, 2018 at 12:54 pm - Reply

    Beautiful!!!

  61. Ibrahim February 12, 2018 at 2:23 pm - Reply

    Wonderfully written!!!! So much love in between carefully crafted lines. Well done!

  62. Elect Alenkhe February 12, 2018 at 11:19 pm - Reply

    This is pure beauty

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