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<pre class="wp-block-verse"><em>AbẹÌòkúta Ìlú ẸÌgbá 
Ìlú Líá¹£àbí Agbòǹgbò-Àkàlà</em>

I
green taxis rocky views sparse roads 
a boy is a desert, yearning for rain, for home. 
my heart melts into the wheels of this bus, then my legs 
&; body, teach me how to tame this pace. 

<em>Ìlú Lámá»Ìdí, ojúlówó Balógun
Ìlú orí òkè òun pẹÌtẹÌlẹÌ</em>

II
nothing wears cracks here except old houses and 
unbroken hearts. i taste the dust on these roads &; 
a weird mix of pain and nostalgia latch on to my 
tongue. this city moulded me too, in ways too many to mention. 

<em>Ìlú Ajíbóyèdé tó fá»má» ráº¹Ì túńláº¹Ì á¹£e 
Ìlú á¹¢ódẹkẹÌ, á»mỠẸfúwá»Ì, aká»ni àtàtà</em> 

III
look at this skin, can you see the different places I house? 
Mother once told me home is where some memories 
come to roost and others find wings. journey into me, 
this body holds more than untarred roads. 

<em>Ìlú A-rò-bí-ológbò-ẹgàn, ojúlówó á»dẹ
Ìlú àwá»n àgbà-á»Ìjáº¹Ì nínú iá¹£áº¹Ì ìdájá»Ì 

</em>
IV
i want to drown myself in Ebenezer Obey's songs, 
in the damp smell of rich earth after a rainfall, in
the sour taste of tamarind and almonds. bring back
those moments, times worries didn't nest on my palms. 

<em>Ìlú tẸÌgbàá Aké tí n á¹£án nà ìlá»síwájú 
Ìlú tẸÌgbàá Òwu tí ń sáré ìgbéga</em>

V
my mother's hands still smell like cocoa butter, 
like unbroken prayers, noisy markets, quenched qualms,
her eyes settle on mine and once again, i'm reminded
of this city. how in it, many of my firsts float. 

<em>
Ibi tẸÌgbàá Àgùrá tí ń fá»n rere ìdàgbàsókè 
BẹÌáº¹Ì lẸÌgbàá Òkè-á»Ìnà ò yéé polongo ìtẹÌsíwájú</em>

VI
tell me not to see myself in this river. 
i cross the bridge at Láfenwá and my legs still wobble 
at its sight, as if to say it’s a mirror and this body, a mass
of elements, endless, thick, flowing, brown. 

<em>ẸÌgbá Ìbarà ò sì dẹkùn aáyán ìtúǹlùúá¹£e
Ìlú tí gbogbo ẸÌgbá tí ń fìfẹÌlò
Ìlú abáº¹Ì òkúta, abáº¹Ì Olúmá» à-bẹÌ-lá»Ìrá»Ì</em>

VII
graves sleep here, and cadavers i never got to name.
poems that never found their bearings, far places
in familiar faces, windows that are also doors
&; songs my lips never learned to carry all flow in this city, 
all are this city. 

AbẹÌòkúta Ìlú ẸÌgbá 
Ìlú Líá¹£àbí Agbòǹgbò-Àkàlà
Ìlú Lámá»Ìdí, ojúlówó Balógun
Ìlú orí òkè òun pẹÌtẹÌlẹÌ
Ìlú Ajíbóyèdé tó fá»má» ráº¹Ì túńláº¹Ì á¹£e 
Ìlú á¹¢ódẹkẹÌ, á»mỠẸfúwá»Ì, aká»ni àtàtà 
Ìlú A-rò-bí-ológbò-ẹgàn, ojúlówó á»dẹ
Ìlú àwá»n àgbà-á»Ìjáº¹Ì nínú iá¹£áº¹Ì ìdájá»Ì 
Ìlú tẸÌgbàá Aké tí n á¹£án nà ìlá»síwájú 
Ìlú tẸÌgbàá Òwu tí ń sáré ìgbéga
Ibi tẸÌgbàá Àgùrá tí ń fá»n rere ìdàgbàsókè 
BẹÌáº¹Ì lẸÌgbàá Òkè-á»Ìnà ò yéé polongo ìtẹÌsíwájú
ẸÌgbá Ìbarà ò sì dẹkùn aáyán ìtúǹlùúá¹£e
Ìlú tí gbogbo ẸÌgbá tí ń fìfẹÌlò
Ìlú abáº¹Ì òkúta, abáº¹Ì Olúmá» à-bẹÌ-lá»Ìrá»Ì

<em>The Yorùbá eulogy for the city of AbẹÌòkúta. </em>


Ebenezer Obey: – A popular gospel musician in Nigeria
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A BOY’S CITY (a poem by Odemakin Taiwo Hassan)
