i
to be depressed is a sin in this nation where it’s name equals
depression. the white’s man disease it is!
& my heart weeps out:
ii.
i pledge
to depression my county
to be drained, famished
& broken
to serve with all my sweat
& sanity…
iii.
mama found me this time withering away
in the corner of my room
like a flower deprived of water.
she sprinkled some smile on my sad face.
But mom, it’s autumn here
let the leaves fall.
iv.
a conversation with the therapist:
what is the colour of your depression?
— simply the colour a rainbow would bleed
when perforated
is that why you cut yourself again?
— what do you do when you’re tired?
see my blood is tired
it needs fresh air rest
o-okay. But you just have to live…
— how do you expect me to live
when i’ve died a long time ago
even before the first breathe? Or
who can return ashes to wood? Or
who can return glass splinters to mirror?
v.
because to be depressed is a sin,
stretched is my withered hands towards Heaven :
Lord i come to you a sinner
& i humbly repent for trying to take
what’s not mine — for being ungrateful for life.
if yours truly I am, you can please have me now.
Writer’s Bio: Sodiq Oyekanmi is a Nigerian poet and a student of the University of Ibadan, where he currently studies Theatre Arts.
He enjoys writing poetry as he sees this as a creative outlet that enables him to reflect the world around him. He is hopeless romantic. His works have appeared on Echelon Review, and other literary blogs
He is currently working on his first poetry chapbook.
You can find him on Facebook at Sodïq Oyèkànmí.
