Trying
i am now a soldier
i understand why my mother kept the pregnancy.
she was trying to see the blessing that grew in her belly.
this life is a delivery room
where my mother’s voice penetrated the ceiling.
we are all engulfed with memories of pain,
but it becomes a sin if we refuse to push like our mothers did.
i am trying to paint pictures in this poem.
in a way a person sees brokenness,
but finds pleasure pushing feet into it.
this poem is a note.
a wealth of many dreams buried in deep and shallow foundations.
this poem is a trying poem
some lines have refused to stay on the ground,
and others are striving to heal from heartbreak.
in this poem,
i want to scratch myself back to life,
and pour the anointing into my mouth for bravery.
.
Anti-gospel
there is a price to pay to stay alive in Liberia
this country finds pleasure in growing children into disbelieving themselves
and everything a child touches refuses to transform into gold.
a girl tries to breathe excellence
but she never ends up as a headline in our local newspapers.
for boys whose bodies run through our street corners,
it has become a sin to survive.
it is no secret that oxygen is limited to survive the traffic in this country.
this country has taught us to protect ourselves
and dreams hiding in our homes are suffocating.
this country behaves like the mediterranean sea and we are all migrants.
someday, i pray this country will grow itself into something holy.
someday, i pray she finds nothing to kill within our bodies.
and forgives my country’s men of their trespasses.
© Edwin Olu Bestman
Edwin Olu Bestman, poet and engineer, writes from Monrovia, Liberia. He has co-authored several anthologies and the author of two books, Genesis and Raindrops. His works have been featured in Ducor review, WSA, Spillwords, Odd Magazine, African Writer Magazine, Agape Review, Eboquills, Literary Yard, Poetry Nation, Ngiga Review, SIM, Nantygreens, Sipay Magazine, Afritondo, Rising Phoenix Review, AfroRep Journal, Madness Muse Press, Rigorous Magazine, Arts Lounge, Fiery Scribes and elsewhere.
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