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The frozen sun
Placed 10th in the contest 2025 Poetry Marathon Mile 13 by Mark Toney. Contest was judged on September 3rd, 2025~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Afrobeats played in the background,
his sweet breaths drying my sweat.
Palmwine sat on his shaky left palm.
Then he said the nonsense
that drunk men usually mutter—
an alcohol-soaked “I love you.”
He came within arm’s length,
already reeking
of eight calabashes of liquor.
The drink painted his handsomeness
into
a mocking caricature of a clown.
His trembling right hand brushed my chest.
I felt good—
as if the hot tropical sun was frozen,
and my heart raced
to his sheepish smile.
My feet quaked as sweat soaked my shoes.
The ground vibrated under dancing legs,
from the overcrowded clubhouse
minding its own business.
“African Calypso!”
thundered an inebriated fellow,
his chorus landing ten seconds earlier
than the mimed song.
My new guy copied him.
He dragged me to the dance floor.
We were both drunk,
so we both fell over.
Bottles of palmwine broken,
calabashes shattered.
Everything was messed up—
except the Afrobeats,
the only joy that remained.
Copyright ©
Maclawrence Famuyiwa
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