A PAGE FROM THE PAST
Let me tell you a short story
Let me take you back in time
One evening in the middle of June
In a small town that bred me
It rained cats and dogs
Apparently little snails too
The wind howled outside our hut
Endless series of successive wails
Our roof groaned and creaked
Against the relentless force of nature
The candles flickered desperately
The door shook violently against its hinges
Our world was enveloped by a certain darkness
A darkness so palpable it was almost felt
Mama shivered gently on the cold mat
Her heart pumped madly; her feet grew cold
A soft sob, a single tear, a quiet sniff
That cold evening, mama cried
While father’s body; at least what’s left
Got soaked six feet beneath the soil
That wet night, we tossed and turned
Our empty stomachs growled in concert
Our worlds felt smaller; our hopes slowly shrank
Our candles soon burnt out; sleep yet came
Many cold evenings we’ve had since
Some a lil’ better, some a lil’ worse
Some a lil’ warmer, some a lil’ colder
Some I still remember, some in oblivion lost
Listen, I’m afraid you’d look at me differently
Yea, I’m scared it’ll wound my pride
I’m terrified of what it’d do to your view of me
If I bared for you, just a page from the past
©Adeyoju Ademola Adewuyi Call/Whatsapp (08136593482)