A Boy’s Cry for a Map to Freedom

Is there a place a boy is not the stereotypic
cliché for an alien? of his human side not
sent on exile—a torn off page on him being a being.
a place a boy is not a grave of decayed emotions
a place a boy’s mouth is not a mortuary where
his voice is mortified.
a place a boy can tell a boy I love you
without being seen as a flag bearer
of a rainbow.
a place a boy can admit his fears
or burst into tears and scorn doesn’t appear
a place a boy is not a fruit rushed into ripening
a place a boy is not a volcano embodiment
destroying everything in his path.
a place a boy’s palms can be butterfly wings
and not a swinging pendulum of a church bell.
a place oblivion is not a house for a boy
to make himself feel at home
because he’s tired of paying rent to his reality

Joemario Umana

Joemario Umana is a creative writer and a poet, whose poem “an iroko tree with fiery beards” is forthcoming in the anthology publication of NSPP 2022. His works have drawn literary appreciation to themselves. He is currently pursuing a bachelor degree in the University of Maiduguri, Borno State.