ROOTS
the madrigal, volume ii
It Will All Come Down
by taiwo hassan
to a large pile of dry leaves
adorned with dust - a mass of misty eyes
& reheated memories.
but before the ground tastes a mix of salt, water
& regret,
i
hit pause breathe remember
ii
to lay me down by a stretched mass
where the wind & water meet- endless, blue.
let the gulls mould a dirge into an ode.
simple things of this life have never found
a home in me, i hope the waves don't carry
that colour too.
iii
on that day, the skies will paint
a smile you never bought - a lost lover - a torn kite, everything
that carries a memory but pain.
iv
i know the trees will hum, let your faces
sing along. don't make your lips chapped,
& melt the weight on your tongue into
a chicken feather.
v
adorn yourself
in orange, green, colours of the
wind, anything but shades that scream
loss.
mourn like a butterfly.
v
i was never a happy man.
never let those six feet of sand, stones
& darkness feels that.
let them receive all of me with
the type of joy i never had.
Taiwo Hassan is a Nigerian student, poet, and writer. His works have appeared in Ice Floe Press, Shallow Tales Review, Second Skin Magazine, Praxis Magazine, and Liminal Transit Review to mention a few. When he's not writing, he's either singing, listening to music, or watching TV series.