We remember you, martyr of the wind / a desire we couldn't rescue.
Memory lash…
We remember you – a stick:
Marlboro,
Target, Mars;
Dead Sea now;
We remember you, martyr of the wind,
A desire we couldn’t rescue.
You were the flame
We dragged in
And exhaled,
A bale of smoke then,
Robbed by the wind;
A memory stub now.
Where are you, now;
On whose Mars?
Where does the flame smoke go,
Riding on wild winds?
Which abode does the carbon keep,
That flew in the carbon craft?
Is it the one flying in the
Green leaf going down the gullet…
Ahmed Maiwada is a Nigerian poet and writer. He’s the author of the novel Musdoki (2010) and four poetry collections including his latest We’re fish (2017).
“The Flame We Dragged In” is culled from We’re fish © Ahmed Maiwada 2017, and is republished under permission from the author.
Afapinen 