Hallowed Healing
by Babatunde Olatunji David
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
- Revelation 21:4 (KJV)
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
- Psalms 34:18 (KJV)
for boys that have fallen like dried leaves during harmattan
for marigolds plucked too early from their pedicels & planted on headstones as immortelles
for innocent oaks sent to hell, metamorphosed into coffins obeying the rhythms of undertakers in droves of black
for hearts breaking like clouds pouring tears as the rain
for cheeks seared by streams of volcanic tufa pretending as (hot) tears
for heads with wild thoughts spiraling out of control fleeing from psychiatrists
for souls sleeping on sleepless roads
stranded on the golden river without an obol for the ferryman
for suicide notes breathed into & scribbled to existence shapeshifting to fiery elegies scorching the crest of the tongue of loved ones
for orphans searching for parental love in the mouth of poison bottles
for countries hoisting their flags halfway & national anthems becoming dirges
for spirits shattered & scattered into unknown spaces
for ghosts roaming nothingness & desolate homes
for corpses searching furtively for a coffin to call theirs
for orchards decaying & wilting every season
for bitter songs aligning with sadness humming lyrics of sorrow & grief
for thirsty roads, quenching their thirst with the blood of passengers
for birds reciting dirges & unlearning odes
for flickering lights; fading,
dwindling &
waning in utter darkness
this is a poem kaddish
for the living(dead) tormented into eternal damnation
“may the angels lead them in"
…& by this time tomorrow, yew trees will sprout in sepulchers to feed the air
bones will put on flesh & walk, gyrating to the soothing songs that move through the pillars of the earth
hell will grow cold & heaven will find its place on earth
the sky will give birth to [ ] & one-third of the earth will be coloured with ecstasies that never fades
maybe by then, god(s) will find the world habitable & hospitable
but i don't know if a god can
fit into his creation.
Babatunde Olatunji David is a young Nigerian poet and lover of many genres of literature who writes to stay alive. He writes about life- its complexities, difficulties and intricacies while scribbling about the peculiarity of being a boy-child. He is currently studying Materials Science and Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University. His works have featured in Arkore Arts and he is hoping to publish more soon. He loves listening to emo raps and melodramatic music. Catch him on Facebook @Babatunde Olatunji David and on Twitter @Olatunj11274296.
