Kene’s heart was thumping. After over an hour, they had not moved even a quarter of a mile. He prayed in desperation, ‘Lord, please don’t let me miss this flight. What will I do… Let the traffic move… Let the plane be delayed. Flights are delayed all the time, and sometimes, cancelled…’
SHOOTING PLAYS (a poem by Tochukwu Precious Eze)
they say some men, hearing the shooting
had stopped, went out to play
football, and bullets scored against their bodies
STAYING SAFE AS A LOVE LANGUAGE (a poem by Emmanuel Udoma)
No one would have conceived, handshakes and hugs could be death
SPECIAL PROVISIONS (a play by R.C Ofodile)
Money no dey for country now. People can’t even hustle to eat. How can they make new shirts and trousers? Even the city market is closed. I never see that kind thing before.
THE ESCAPE (a short story by Shedrack Opeyemi Akanbi)
Kunle lets the phone fall off his ear. He leaves his mother’s voice vibrating on the mattress. He goes to the fridge but he doesn’t take anything. He rests his head on it instead.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: AN INTERVIEW WITH RASAQ MALIK GBOLAHAN
Nigerian literature is not in the state that it ought to be, given the enormous Nigerian population; we need to do more. We need to develop a conscious policy towards enhancing the results achieved by our books out there in the market across the world.
POETRY IN TIMES OF CORONA: THE DARKROOM (a poem by Olajuwon Joseph Olumide)
death figures drown the eyes. conjectures:
a new cold war of superpowers or theory of conspiracy?
BELLS OF DESTITUTION (a poem by Mozeedat Kehinde Abdulrasak)
Once more, in our sandals of hope
Our weary feet will stand firm and tall
Again, the trees and wind will sing,
Nothing but ecstasy in lyrics of joy
ELEGY FOR A KILLER-VIRUS LOCKING THE WORLD DOWN (a poem by Emmanuel Ojeikhodion)
Somewhere around, a sneeze only wreaked out from a
man’s throat & everyone faded away like smoke.
CONVERSATION WITH MY GRANDMOTHER & DEATH SENTENCE (two poems by Blessing Omeiza Ojo)
We remain in our homes,
like prisoners in their cells,
because there’s no promise
of aseptic air,
no promise of safe strolls,