A Little Echo in Dance of Shadows
Papa’s laughter used to be sunshine, spilling through guava trees,
mama’s voice, the river’s song, cool on burnt-brick days.
Now, the sun screams in twisted metal, the river choked with red.
Shadows with teeth ate their laughter, drank mama’s song dry.
My world used to be a polychrome, ripples of laughter, beads of sunlight,
now it’s a broken mirror, jagged edges reflecting screams.
Guava tastes like ash, the river sings songs of rust.
Papa’s smile, a wilted flower, mama’s eyes, empty bird cages.
The sun bleeds into night, stars turn to cold eyes, watching
My tears paint the earth red, a canvas of endless dusk.
Papa, mama, the river, the sun, all swallowed by the dark.
Guavas fall, unheard, on cracked earth.
The shadows dance, and I, a little echo, lost in their laughter.
No dawn breaks over this shattered mirror.
Only the shadows, forever, and the taste of ash on my tongue.
……………
Poetry: Nwodo Divine
Image: Catalin Pop Unsplash cropped