By Alobu Emmanuel
Even with the bottle cap tightened,
I do not know how air sneaks in to soften things.
Like rock, I used to be tough—edges all jagged and rough
until I met her eyes & dissolved.
The sweet potato is hard-hearted, but the tuber, too bad,
breaks in the boiling heat of love.
My science student, it is the same chemistry that overwhelms me.
How she sneaked in and softened every bit of me.
How I keep melting under the heat of her gaze.
Dear Therapist, tell me I am not mad. Lately, I have worked
wonders: planting trees, knowing that someone else— not me,
will enjoy their shades. Throwing my lunch to the stray dogs of
St. Paul’s street, even though they’ll never return to say thank you.
It is the way love works, to give oneself in expectation of nothing.
These days, I wait behind when the party’s over to help the slow kid
pluck the balloons & watch his mouth honey into a smile.
Listen, there’s a lot I have learned. You may be teaching in the
classroom, zooming on the highway, fixing the lightbulb, or pruning
the flowers with the anger of the world stored in your chin
then something somewhere suddenly hits you into life, into happiness.
BIO:
Alobu Emmanuel (alias Noble Alobu) is an eco-poet and writer whose works often feel like a warm hug. He is the Chief Editor of Napsite Review, the Director of Business/Partnership for SOKOKA Publishing firm, and a creative website developer/designer (powered by weebly). He was a fellow of the 2023 Sprinng Writing Fellowship. Some of his works are featured in “Poetry Sango-ota”, “Blue Marble Review”, “Brittle Paper”, “Poetry Column NND”, and “HotPot Magazine”. Gazing at flowers, he hopes to one day save the world from something. Email: noblealobu@gmail.com