Simultaneous Equation w\Bliss as a False Variable

By Muheez Olawale

x + y = bloom — equation 1
x – y = gloom — equation 2

Using Substitution Method
x = bloom – y — equation 3

Substitute bliss – y for x in equation 2 where bloom = bliss
x – y = gloom
bloom – y – y = gloom
bloom -2y = gloom
-2y = gloom – bloom

Collect like terms

in the cradle of my fatherland, the only
walkable path where bloom isn’t the square root
of gloom is the lips curled up in a smile.
when dark clouds crawl into the crevices of our
palms in torrents of saltwaters, we wash our faces,
sniffle, “thanks. I’m fine”, & smile.

Therefore, y = smile.

Substitute smile for y in equation 1
x + smile = bliss
x = bloom – smile

when life throws too much lemons at us, & we
drown in lemon juice, shall saltwaters trail
citrus and blood in our veins?
when life throws enough rocks at us, & the
castle we build morphs into a dungeon,
shall darkness not dim the bioluminescence
of any firefly igniting hope in our eyes?
our hearts shall fail to rhythmise our thoughts,
our eyelids too leaded to let light in,
our lips, twin arks, flooded with mucus &
tears, too heavy to arch itself out of our ache.

x = ache

Check:
ache + smile = bloom = bliss
ache – smile = gloom

Special notes:
in this equation we’ve learnt to mask ache
with a smile. watch me shield this grim face
with a grin. perceived bliss, deceptive as iblis.

BIO:
Muheez Olawale is a Nigerian creative with a passion for storytelling. His poem won the Chief of Army Staff Literary Competition 2024. He was the first runner-up, A.S Abugi National Prize for Short Story. He has works published or forthcoming in Brittle Paper, The Kalahari Review, The Hooghly Review, Afrocritik, Copihue Poetry, Akpata Mag, The Muse, Akewi, and elsewhere. He tweets and grams @_muheezolawale.