The world made her the best version for herself
Even when she was seen as just a rare piece of china on her mother’s shelf
STAYING SAFE AS A LOVE LANGUAGE (a poem by Emmanuel Udoma)
No one would have conceived, handshakes and hugs could be death
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
LOCKDOWN (a poem by Taofeeqah Adigun)
Everyone thought it was the end of the world but it wasn’t,
For it came like a thief at night, taking both the holy and unholy.
NOKIA’S DARK MODE; UPDATED VERSION (a poem by Bayowa Ayomide)
We that stayed indoor painted figments of fear over our doorsteps,
We that went outside wore spacesuits on earth,
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,
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?
PUBLIC TEARS (a poem by Osho Tunde)
They drove past me and my brother—
The x and y in an equation
Past our cry for survival
Our hands resting on our waists