'The Sojourn' and 'Toucan Toucan', by Anayo Dioha
THE SOJOURN
One by one into Darkness we emerged
Welcomed by the stars, the moon, and the sun.
The trees inform the birds;
Birds sing their jubilations.
By the seaside the sands await.
Sahara looks on as a scorpion looks forward to a sole.
Within free confinement a palm locates a bare back
And two lips lock.
Then spirals an epidemic of becomings:
Fish becomes food; foot becomes tool;
Arms, weapons; empty, plenty; day, night;
Night, day; young, old; females, males; vice versa...
And missiles become missives.
And days become weeks which become months....
Which become memories.
Which become nothing. Nothing!
And the cannons go off and,
One by one into the Light we’re immersed.
TOUCAN TOUCAN
Toucan Toucan, such wonder in the sky!
Savannah’s star, such dazzle, such feat!
Such daring beak, and such enchanting eyes.
Such polished plumage, marbles can’t compete.
Such feast of colours–rainbow on a bird!
Toucan Toucan, I long to learn your tone.
Beak too heavy or muffled still in mask?
Oh, I heard the bang. Did you lose your own?
Come, let’s play a game: the old hide-and-seek.
Oh, there between us hangs a no-fly zone.
Nice to meet you, pal. ‘ve got to go now. But,
Are you a boy, a girl, or both or none?
Anayo Dioha is an Igbo-born Nigerian writer and lawyer. His poems have appeared in The New Verse News, Queen's Quarterly, The Literary Cocktail Magazine and others. He is a PhD researcher at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University. You may find him on Instagram via @drichdesk