Poetry

Reuters photo

By

Uduak Uwah

His ‘Silly Mistake’

I usually don’t give my heart over to be used

By the political marionettes who churn out the news

Nor by the poorly cooked wormwood they produce

But somehow this particular case got my soul bruised

He realized his ‘silly mistake’ and begged to be forgiven

Just like any of us would do after a family rule has been broken

But this is what happens when the rule isn’t that of your own family

Especially when the ‘Devil’ himself is the head of that particular family

Now where is that orphan called Justice?

What are your amputated arms going to do about this?

I wish I could just get my heart completely seared

And carry on with my life like I never really cared

For the burden of these swollen hearts is just too heavy to bear

May the Comforter also remember to bottle up our tears

Life’s Natural Cake

The one risk everyone wants to take

To grab a bite of life’s natural cake

One cake, different tastes

When you give in and when you remain chaste

Why eat what is barely baked?

With a flavor so poorly faked?

There is more than enough

Do not pick from the trough

Did you get pushed to the wall?

Did you give your all?

You can’t have your cake and eat it

You can only give your cake to truly have it

Bake with the right ingredients

So you can serve with full confidence

The Liquor Labeled “Fame”

A sparkling red wine

A product of ripe vine

Dressed in silver

Adorned with gold

Friend to the liver

Best served old

Inviting the lips and the tongue

Inebriating the old and the young

Tiny sips as you dine

The heart skips in joy

Gulped down at a time

A man becomes a boy

Blurry vision

Obscured reason

A wardrobe of mere rags

The deception on the price tag

The addiction in the applause

As seductive as intercourse

Wildness so hard to tame

The liquor labeled “fame”

Uduak Uwah

Uduak Uwah is an emerging Nigerian poet, essayist, lyricist, and songwriter. Based in Calabar, Nigeria’s first capital and its number one tourist destination, Uduak, also known as Whill, employs gripping rhythm and rhyme to convey truths pertaining to various aspects of everyday living in stirring poetic language. He has an ever expanding archive of song demos and lyrics to his credit. And you can find him at www.facebook.com/whilltree.