orange sun
carrying strapped baby
a silhouette
mamas toil
in the cornfield
a buka—
hanging around
Alumajiri
night-air strangers
become acquaintances
first harmattan
dusty winds pull moisture away
scaling skin
honeydew melon
ripens to a crack
community cemetery
lowering the weight slowly
coneflowers
dogs curled beneath
the longhouse
street football
the data of children —
out of school
the boatman shouts
go astern
wares on display
a jammed sidewalk
August break
vendors rattle
gourd water jugs
in transit
making space for my feet
kẹkẹ napep
an old man
stumbles
Lagos street market
a new culinary skill
cassava leaves
night market lanterns
smell of kerosene
Lagos rush hour
the digital signage display
a bread seller
no rest stops
for the hungry
lockdown —
hoping for material relief
crowd surge
offerings at the temple
lit wicks in oil lamps
.
Author: Uchechukwu Onyedikam / Christina Chin
Genre: Renga
Picture Nick Victor
.