In my sleep,
I saw the family tree,
men with waterproof bodies
engulfed in the fire combat
till their bodies quenched the fire
& their ashes became the pathway
for every boy in my clan.
I try to dissolve this in my prayers,
but it keeps refolding into me,
& banging in my head not be a calamity;
to strip off this chastity in me
& wear my father’s premature body.
I want to kneel on my genealogy’s male altar,
to plead forgiveness if I be a calamity:
No longer my father’s son because
I desire not to be desecrated
of this holiness they yearn to ooze out of me,
and not to metamorphose into ashes.
And also to say:
“Forgive me, Papa
for building this poem
to quench the fire before it engulfs me.”
Victor Obukata is a young Nigerian writer of Urhobo descent. He is a Christian and a lover of literature, currently studying law at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT). His works have appeared in various literary magazines such as The Beatnik Cowboy, AfterPast Review, Arts Lounge Magazine, Kalahari Review, African Writer Magazine, and elsewhere. He was longlisted for the 2024 Sprinng annual poetry contest. He is a member of the Hilltop Creative Arts Foundation. He is also a member of the Northern Writers Forum. You can connect with him on Facebook @ Victor E Obukata and Instagram @ Victor. E. Obukata.
Cover photo credit: Peter de Vink