‘after corinthians’ by Iyanuoluwa Adenle

and after you had given thanks tucking in the
soft verses of yourself become another metaphor
for that which was broken for you

for recalling the things you had no words to
call yours
the lost verses of Corinthians your
body
lifted up whole dissolve into another
communion

before eighteen you had perfected the art of
recoiling
in front of a mirror his eyes
her eyes their eyes
in your mother’s house you hide

say you have lost directions to
home say you have
forgotten how to move say to no one
no one should forget to claim what’s
theirs even in a whisper

in the tiny space for gratitude don’t you
ponder on what is not enough you/they touch you

& these days
you ask for a lot of forgiveness & your god stays
amused

From issue #16: autumn/winter 2023

About the Author
Iyanuoluwa Adenle is a poet and essayist from Nigeria. Her works make a conscious attempt to explore the human conditions based on grief, loss, and love. Her works have appeared or are forthcoming in Cosmonauts Review, Blue Earth Review, 20.35 Africa, Olongo, Kissing Dynamite, Lolwe, Onejacar, Empty Mirror, African Writer, Kalahari Review, and elsewhere.