Olalekan Ajayi Poet Free verse

Bliss and Abyss

When I consider this tug-of-war that lingers 
And for which neither camp will forsake 
Even for the sake of avowed earthly love
I see disinterred before my weary eyes
The folly of the wise and bravery of the coward
Where bliss and abyss eternally duel 
Where in some cases adoration at first sight
Turns into fight at the slightest provocation
And love and hate choke each other’s throats
I see men cringe at being called equals
And women go to war to be called equals 
Both recruit ignorant foot soldiers 
In vain pursuit of ephemeral vanities 
Ignorant that these mortal titles will mean nothing
When and where souls enter retirement
They hurl words as hard as stones
For a cause more passionate than religion 
And a tradition foreign to their ancestors 
Pride-sink souls fuel arguments that foul the air 
Unable to find the compass to each other’s minds
The woman asserts that the man is a mean despot 
Her soul despises him and his voice makes her spew
And he claims she is the tyrannical weaker sex 
Glances of fury and murmurs shoot darts at him 
And a ten-fold anger burns in his heart for her
Both are the objects of each other’s scorn
For which they engage heavy artillery to tarnish
She uses her garden and mouth as weapons
And he, the unknown mistress to fan 
The embers of her jealousy 
She mobilises hosts of female trumpeters
Waving banners of hate
He gathers a legion of male drummers
Seeking to proclaim the woman’s 
Contempt for the Holy books
The man sees, as Divine, his right to be head
The woman her undeniable right to be heard
At the height of passionate ignorant arguments 
Where there is no balm to calm frayed nerves
None of these hearts can vow to purity of purpose
Yet, alone at night, far away from opposing camps
That fuel this vicious and dubious battle 
There rest the exhausted stoic woman and enduring man
Seeking fraternity of the loins before dawn breaks 
When they return to the folly of contention
The next generation shall validate what I write:
When foolishness from all eyes evaporate
The mortal warriors from both cliques will realise what
Has been there since Eden that
Spirits and souls have no sexes

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Ugwu Kelvin November 20, 2020 at 2:54 AM Yesterday, I learnt of a man who shot his wife and himself all along. I felt bad, and I wondered, 'how love turned sour'. Unfortunately, the problems of Africa leaves one with a bitter taste through and through.