Modern life
We live under each other’s watch,
sifting news of each others downfall,
our ears, glued to the neighbour’s wall
to pick the tiniest vibrations of their pain.
To conceal our own sorrows and worries,
we wear the best of jewellery and fabric,
the tingling of our itchy feet we contain
with bulging eyes, hailing to pop out.
We drive the best of luxury cars,
a new ride on the street, our heart jolts.
We live on credit to prove a fortune
that far eludes us, light miles away.
The name of the game is blame,
finding fault for all that’s wrong-
‘twas this, ‘twas that; never accepting
the recompense our folly, enrolled.
In love, we deceive ourselves
with passionate kisses in public places,
yet, every morning we re-enact,
the wrestlemania of previous night.
Hopping from one bed to the other,
we live a bit of ourselves behind,
never worrying about the repercussions
till the woes of our secrets escape the open door.
© Abolaji Lawal, 2009
Angus
To a dog in a home, life’s worth living, many times over.
He’s always chasing shadows, barking hard at them,
If I could I would, I tried to stop him, many a time.
But he never stops. He hops and jumps; on two legs he stands,
raised, to catch the shadow of the souring eagle.
Together, we run for the ball, the club to my caddie,
a race in the sun. I reach for the ball just before he grapples for its shadow.
Our early morning walks, an adventure-
I lead the way in the woods, he settles into my shade, formed by the early sun.
The neighbour’s scooter casts for him, a bewildering image.
Every zoom of the scooter at lunch, he barks, restless.
He chases for a mile, for two, beyond the foot bridge.
I guess he’ll never stop, until some day the impossible happens -
Till Angus catches a shadow and traps it in his claws,
he will lay a chase, across the green parks of Beggerwood;
until I learn from my four legged friend, that nothing is impossible,
Until I choose never to give up; pick up my wedge and chip the ball again.
© Abolaji Lawal, 2009
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