‘Words of the Weeper’ by Chii Ọganihu
Convey this message to your mother:
Say, the weaverbird’s egg I caught did not hatch
The birch river’s ford I was crossing overflowed
And the yoyo’s nest I found was torn by mite ants
Say, the antelope has no legs to walk back on
The travellers have lost their eyes and thus the way
The loving adder has shed its last skin
And the children of night will cry again
Say, the owner of the house must guard the house
Let all the walls remain standing and strong
And the gardens planted, and the soil fed
Say, the adder and its mother will cross paths again
From issue #17: spring/summer 2024
About the Author
Chii Ọganihu is a Nigerian writer of poetry and prose fiction. Ọganihu’s poems have appeared in Portland Review and elsewhere. Find her online @ChiiOganihu on Twitter and Instagram.
