i redeem their emptiness with food
i.
God indoctrinated me a lesson in the afternoon:
solve, b + h – w =?
that is, boy + hunger… – water =?
interpretation:
a bridge; underneath, the sleeping boy unlearned the colour
of his skin or hometown & slept winter’s blanket a faucet:
solution:
ab + h – w =? that is, [a boy + hunger… – water =?]
= ab + h – w = q + t
that is, [a boy + hunger – water = quivering + thirstiness]
= ab + h – w = q + t ≠ s
that is, [a boy + hunger – water = quivering + thirstiness ≠ survival]
∴ = quietus.
interpretation:
if no drop of water has danced on the boy’s tongue & a scalpel hunger
forgot to collect the cuts on his body before it left a body trembled
& throat became as arid land that means, there is no survival
ii.
this evening’s God gave me a test:
solve, (4b + aw) + (h – w) + (– p) = (p + f) + (h– w)
(four boys + a woman) + (hunger – water) + (– prayer) = (prayer + food) + (happiness – water)
interpretation:
& after solah i perch to break my fast at sunset & a woman her skin
the colour of my thin hair the translucency of running blood in her veins
& her buba garment darting down her shoulders there is a well beside her
neck digs by hunger whisks her four children to me their eyes questing
for home a means of survival is there a way?
solution:
[(4b + aw) + (h – w) + (– p) = (p + f) + (h– w)]
(four boys + a woman) + (hunger – water) + (– prayer) = (prayer + food) + (happiness – water)
4b + aw + h – w – p = p + f + h – w
four boys + a woman + hunger – water – prayer = prayer + food + happiness – water
4b + aw + h – w + w = p + p + f + h
four boys + a woman + hunger – happiness – water + water = prayer + prayer + food =
4b + aw = f + 2p + h
four boys + a woman = two prayers + food
∴ = survival
interpretation:
if a woman & her children whisper few words to the air speak to an unseen
& their look say bless us & Allah will bless you in soliloquy let myself be
trimmed to the size of their fabric: their lips like mine a desert beseeched for
water where there is no peace only what it takes for a body to listen to its soul
& then let every shackle riven with prayer means adhikar will zinge
my tongue subhannah i paint their bodies with water & الطعام flourishing their
teeth alhamdullillahi their mouths propagating the prayer happiness neutralise
their munchies therefore, everything equal to survival God, i do my best & they
survive so, فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ:
& which of the favour of your Lordship would deny?
Contributor’s Bio
Ismail Yusuf Olumoh is a Nigerian creative writer and teacher, a poet, a spoken word artist, a graphics designer, a content creator, and a video editor. His works are published and forthcoming in Nanty Greens, Eboquills, Literary Yard, Fevers of the mind, Poemify Publishers, Festival for poetry, De Curated, Synchronized Chaos, Willi Wash, World Planet Anthology, and others. He writes from Ilorin, Kwara State. When he is not writing, he enjoys reading or cooking. He tweets @icreatives0.
