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Nkechinyere Olofin Poem
Triad of Illusions
I. Illusion of Freedom
In air we fall free, bound
by earth that holds us captive.
We live by cycles -
day, night
cold, hot
rain, sun
love, hate
the seasons.
Gravity humbles us and
freedom is an illusion
II. Illusion of Wisdom
We lie in all honesty for
kernels of truth hurt
our ego.
We deny a God whose
air we breathe
whose image we wear and
spirit we bear
and judge ourselves thinkers.
The universe confounds us;
wisdom is an illusion
III. Illusion of Equality
Race is a front runner. More
subtle poisons wreak havoc.
Colorism and ethnicism
kill more dreams than
color; fight is misguided.
For independence we reap guilt
and blood-stained hands are
the prize of liberty.
For every right won, we do more wrong.
When will understanding come?
Equality is an illusion -
the end that may someday end us.
Copyright © Nkechinyere Olofin | Year Posted 2020
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Details |
Nkechinyere Olofin Poem
she tossed and turned
she was missing something
but what?
the night was long already
and the clock didn’t tell
how long before morning
she tossed and turned
in limbo for twenty-seven
she’d be damned
if she went one extra
without an account
to give her kinsmen
she tossed and turned
over dreams long gone bad
she’d found strange
comfort with sorrow
this could easily be
her tomb unless awakened
she tossed and turned
a pinch might do some good
when she cried in her sleep
salvation lay
in the gracious slap of
a friend’s water and whip
she neither tossed nor turned
her eyes knew better than to close
the hands of a friend
weren’t always gentle
but this last piece of hell
was beaten out of her
or was it?
Copyright © Nkechinyere Olofin | Year Posted 2019
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