Poetry By Damilola Omotoyinbo

       Ross Griff CC



Scab

Tell me how sacred your ache is. Show me the chapel of all
that you bemoan. Your body, a labyrinth of beauty
& misery. A scroll holding calligraphy of gripe. 

Like a shawl, pain clings. Gay bird struggles to flap 
its wings at the epicentre of gloom. Slowly, it drowns.

I know what sorrow does to a soul. It chews & spits joy
out the gorge of its throat. They say no moment of bliss
or sadness endures forever. 

But here, season of pain takes turn & the world
revolves unflinchingly, daring you to question it.

Grief, a wanderer who seeks refuge in broken things.
A fugitive draped in the cloak of love—wrapped
in the apron of our desires. 

Point me what grieves your spirit & I will tell you
how deep your love lies. That we only mourn the loss
of what we cherish. When your soul gropes in the dark.
Tilt towards grace.

Dice your pain into a miniature thing that fits a needle
eye. Hem the sleeves of joy. Seek healing on the fingers
of time. Till you become whole. Believe me, healing will find you.

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Damilola Omotoyinbo, Frontier XIX, is a Nigerian Creative Writer. A Fellow of the Ebedi International Writers' Residency. Damilola got the Lolwe Classes Scholarship and was longlisted for 2022 African Writers Awards. She has work published or forthcoming on Brittle paper, Agbowó, Pepper Coast Lit, Afritondo, Better Than Starbucks, Praxis, Nigerian Tribune Newspaper and elsewhere.  Damilola studied Biochemistry, you can say hi to her on IG @ damilola_omotoyinbo or Twitter @creative_riter.
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