Onyema Writes

I am your shadow Following you wherever you lead Like a sheep to the abattoir I am your fragrance Emitting airs of lust and desire Like a king’s cologne I am your soul Separated only in body Like a newly married couple I am your ola Steady on your neck, wrists, and ankles Shining like the gifts of the Queen of Sheba But suddenly the air of love cracks Smells of despair, desolation and gloom Fill the air, creating Vast images of nothing. Now, you no longer say “I am” Your speech filled with “I was” Said with great conviction That could crack an egg. Leading me all this way my love, Why abandon me to wallow In the wilderness of love? Dying gradually, in no haste but slow? Why turn all my love to lust The soothing touches of my palms to spikes? Mon amour, pourquoi tu me laisser comme ce Prend avec toi ma sante?

For those who live enough to be role models For those who stayed enough to the end For the brothers who remained through to course For the ladies who hung unto hopelessness To the achievers, drawing success from the waters of failure To the riders of mothers' backs who paid them so I salute you I raise my hands in your praise. To the heroes past And heroes present To the heroes of tomorrow May your ways be smooth. Now, to the haters Life's hope graters Who serve lemon and expect oranges Who love our pains And hate our gains To them suckers... May you see the deep sea And look back to a furnace behind May you step on spikes With your blood running like sweat... For the hypocrites Who smile before us and bite behind us. May your eyes see a huge wall And your back endless oceans For we've creeped out of the tunnel, Are you for us or fuck us?

The room was already tensed. Chima tried to deny being responsible but his face betrayed him. Within him, he knows Oburuoma has been faithful to him for the one year they have dated. But this. How can he accept now, after all he did to ensure this never happened. 'I don't care!' he said in a rage. 'If you like cry all day’ 'Chi,' Oburuoma called Chima, for that's what she fondly called him. 'Chi,' she called again, 'how can you say this? Have you forgotten so soon how you refused to use a condom, saying you don't enjoy it without a condom?' This time Chima was quiet, his mind flowing in a sea of thoughts. 'Have you forgotten?' Oburuoma continued. 'Instead of you to calm down and let's think of what to do...' This touched him, but he didn't say anything. He was still pacing around the room thinking. He remembered how one of his friends, Gozie, had boasted that the best girls to date on campus wer...