Foetus
The fluid existing around the foetus in
the womb contains
bacon fat, limes, and
bat piss.
CRYING FOETUS
Hearing through the ears of my mother’s skin;
the voice of confusions rushing like waters on the earth; am coming to stay.
Crying in the womb of my mother; tears becomes my milk;
I Cried for my endangered life hearing;
From my mother’s complains; complains of hardship and,
unsafe world awaiting me.
As the river flow on the rock and the waterfall cry ; advising me to stay,
She cried for God’s provision when I come.
In my helplessness, the womb pushed me out into this world of endless sorrows.
I am crying for the sorrowful life am coming to live, and endured.
Crying for the danger of rape;
if am female; and, if am male, struggle continues till I return.
When I remembered my turning around in the womb,
Which one is better; to return, or to face reality of the pains;
The pains to pay my father’s debts, pains to renovate his old building;
Or the pains to cope with heartless Leaders.
Stop crying, said my afterbirth; return, if you can’t cope.
- Pastor Alfred Brown.
And now I’ve alive
Thump Thump Thump
I’m alive
And it’s amazing
Thump Thump Thump
It’s warm
It’s soft
I’m surrounded by love
And it goes Thump Thump Thump
I drift... I listen and sleep
Day after day
I hear Thump Thump Thump
It’s the sound of being loved
It’s the sound of happiness
Thump Thump Thump
It’s like a drum
Beating to the rhythm
Of my growth
It’s telling a story in code
Thump Thump Thump
Day after day
I drift… I listen and sleep
As I grow stronger
Thump Thump Thump
It’s my link to the Creator
It’s the chant of angels
It’s a prayer and a promise
Thump Thump Thump
It’s time
Something is happening
It’s cold and bright
I gasp for my first breath
Then I hear silence
And more silence
I don’t understand
Then I feel warmth again
And there it is
Finally I hear it
That familiar Thump Thump Thump
Thump Thump Thump
I am whole again
Against my mother’s breast
Thump Thump Thump
AP: 3rd place 2020
A lone female warthog
Laden with fetus
Strayed the quiet suburb
In search of food.
Later its offspring were rearing
Their fragile heads from a
Shallow tunnel where it had
Sought refuge when nature caught with it,
There it would wait for several suns,
Till its babies were strong enough,
It would lead them back to the jungle.
That same afternoon,
A young woman in the western
Populous suburb
Strangled her new born baby to death,
Stashed it in a sewer tunnel;
The men of law apprehended her,
Led her to the jungle
On charges of infanticide.
Oh Almighty,
You created my mind, body and soul;
Gave them perfect proportion and order;
You taught me speech and intelligence;
In my forties, I remain a foetus
In three shades and stages of darkness
Without your Light;
Almighty, won't You shine your Light on me;
Make me a model like Abraham:
An oft-repenting champion like David:
Grant me beauty like you gave to Joseph:
Make me enhanced and powerful like Jesus:
Endow me with resolution like Muhammad:
Peace and blessings be upon them all.
Breathe your Spirit into me constantly,
Let not my desires and decisions
Distort my beauty into discord:
Without your Handhold and Light,
I am nothing but a foetus
In three shades of darkness.
pulling the curtain
of life they blend
to the pink flesh
crouching kneeling
jumping in frenzy
different perspectives of
confusing contorted figures
of inherent loneliness
polished
birds are flying forgetting
their directions
poison in golden chalices
chariots of sun sinking
in the heart of the
muddy earth
we are preparing the crib
for the aborted foetus
Come what may
I will survive
Despite her illness
Oh god not, I hope, my fault
I listen to her breathing
I listen to her heart
I feel she is so strong
Perhaps she feels my love for her
I’m sure it gives her strength
I know I feel her love for me
She seems to near despair
Maybe a kick will cheer her up
Hallo what’s up?
Something pushes me
Out of the dark
Into the light
It’s cold and dry
Who are these giants?
How dare they lay their hands on me
They’ve smacked me!
I cough
I squall with rage
What can I do? I am so small and helpless
And then they put me with my mother
I lay upon her breast
I hear that much remembered heart
That heart which was mine those long dark months
I am content
Where’s my thumb?
I can sleep now
A scrap of life, a tiny spark
Awoke
I feel so weird
“Where am I? This is nice.
So warm. So dark and moist.
What is that noise I hear?
A steady thumping noise
Dear God it is my mother.
Oh Mummy dear
I am here
Inside you. Can’t you hear?
Where are we going Mummy dear?
To Auntie who?
Oh Annabelle. That’s nice, you have a sweetie
Oh good we’re going home.
Have you had your sweetie yet?
Oh yes I can feel it
Oh Mummy what have you done?
I feel so sleepy
Why can’t you hear me?
What have you done?
Please stop it, please stop, Please stop it, please please…”
Why kill me, Daddy dear?
Just a blob I’ll grow apace
Why don’t you love me, Daddy dear?
Perhaps you’ll love me, Daddy dear
Mummy says you’re not too base
Why kill me, Daddy dear?
I feel, I hear. Inside her I am here
Soon I’ll have a face
why don’t you love me, Daddy dear?
Six more months and I appear
I feel, I hear, it’s warm in this my place
Why kill me, Daddy dear?
Oh, Daddy dear what is to fear?
I don’t have much, just my space
why don’t you love me, Daddy dear?
I have appeared! I am here!
A little girl am I. So full of grace
Why kill me, Daddy dear?
Why don’t you love me, Daddy dear?
All things considered,
I saw it coming,
temperature'd risen
I felt such famine.
I watched you passing,
eyes filled with chores,
and hated fasting,
craved for your shores.
My being, swollen,
dreamed of embraces,
your love, delivered,
in secret places.
Humour my cravings
my love deliver,
out of your savings
in lust and fever.
Oh! Now I know the cruelty of man
Who leads and kills by his own bad hand,
And enjoys himself in such a game.
Friend, truly his life is very lame.
As I speak, I am just a month old,
But ma wants to leave me in the cold.
Many a concoction has she drunk
To have me killed as if I were wrong.
Despite my age in my mother’s womb
I know that I am quite in a tomb,
And quite well acquainted with man’s sin
More than an adult knows hardly seen.
How I weep as I have been deformed!
How I wish that the world be informed
Of my mum’s sin and lascivity,
And her many thoughts calamity!
Now I weep, and weep for my young life,
If I will be strong to stand and strive
As another concoction flows in,
Bringing with it a shower of man’s sin.
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