Skip to content
Words Rhymes & Rhythm

Words Rhymes & Rhythm

Words Rhymes & Rhythm Publishers

Header Advertise
Menu
  • HOME
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CSR
    • CONTACT US
  • cọ́nscìò
  • FEATURES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
    • ESSAYS
    • INTERVIEWS
    • WRITING TIPS
  • POETRY
  • FICTION
  • SUBMIT
  • NEWS
    • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • PUBLISHING
    • PUBLISHING PACKAGES
    • 7 REASONS WHY
  • DOWNLOAD
  • Home
  • POETRY
  • A HOUSE WITHOUT HOME (a poem by Ayeyemi Taofeek)
POETRY SHORT STORIES

A HOUSE WITHOUT HOME (a poem by Ayeyemi Taofeek)

Ayeyemi TaofeekMarch 31, 2019March 31, 2019

Share

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Read Time:1 Minute, 6 Second
Where is the last path on this map?
Where does it leads?
The end or
the beginning of endlessness?
I'm exhausted cramming
every escape route that leads out
of this chink - a house without home -
such is a life without laughter.

The fleshes of the
tortoiseshell-skinned beads
of my rosary are now
smoothened by workload:
I've been praying for water
to swim me outta this chink,
But I don't know which of its body to hit
for the water to penetrate through.

Life without laughter
is a lantern without fire;
Fire is not all bad,
it breathes light into lamps.
But life without laughter
is a fire sinking into itself,
Digging deep
into
water,
war,
wilderness;
collapsing treasures into ashes.

And when we started learning
how to shape our lips into laughter,
We have to start learning
how to stitch our skins
back into the future,
scar by scar;
For life without laughter
Is a body
wearing inferno under its skin.

But we ought to have been laughing
while the fire blazes;
Because laughter is water,
To laugh is to drink and
drown one's skin into a rill –
playing love-lore to a dancing flower –
fallen by windstorm.

And,
at last,
or at least,
water kills
wind heals;
And there would be
no injury,
no wound,
no scar.
 
To laugh is to drink and drown one's skin into a rill – playing love-lore to a dancing flower –
fallen by windstorm.

About Post Author

Ayeyemi Taofeek

Ayeyemi Taofeek Kehinde fondly called Aswagaawy is the author of "Oro n Bo: Dripping Words" (a poetry collection). He is the First Runner-up of the BPPC September 2017 and February 2018; Winner, PoeticWednesday Anniversary Contest, 2018; First Runner-up of Okigbo Poetry Prize (University of Ibadan, 2016), 4 times winner, PIN Monthly Poetry Challenge among other coveted prizes and awards. He has been published in Authorpedia, The Quills, The Pengician, Tuck Magazine, Inspired Magazine, Peregrine Reads et al. Facebook ID: Ayeyemi Taofeek Aswagaawy
taofeekayeyemi@gmail.com

Related

Tagged home, laughter, Life

Post navigation

Previous

Previous post:

GRIDLOCKS (a poem by Victor Igiri)

Next

Next post:

REMEMBER US THIS WAY (a poem by Emmiasky Ojex)

Say something about this post Cancel reply

Categories

  • Popular
  • Recent
  • Comments
  • May 27, 2014

    CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: FR. ALBERT JUNGERS POETRY PRIZE (#AJPP2014)

  • November 25, 2012

    CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize 2012

  • November 5, 2012

    WOOING REBECCA [for Rebecca Effiong Okon who hates Poetry]

  • May 9, 2013

    I NEED AN AFRICAN WIFE

  • June 13, 2022

    CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST (JUNE/JULY 2022) – ‘YOUR NEW FRONTIER’

  • June 13, 2022

    BPPC: OLAJUWON JOSEPH OLUMIDE WINS BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST APRIL/MAY 2022

  • June 7, 2022

    CALL FOR ENTRIES: ERIATA ORIBHABOR POETRY PRIZE 2022

  • May 30, 2022

    CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ‘IDENTITY’ — CỌ́N-SCÌÒ MAGAZINE ISSUE 2, VOL 1, JULY 2022

  • Ikennaya Nnaka

    TOMORROW BEGINS TODAY (a poem by Olivia Onyekwena)

  • Nola, Maruf Gbadebo

    A DIRGE OF BROKEN THINGS — TOP 20 POEMS OF THE POETIC WEDNESDAYS POETRY CONTEST 2021

  • SALIM YAKUBU AKKO

    CALLIGRAPHY OF DEMONS BY ODU ODE

Recent Posts

  • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST (JUNE/JULY 2022) – ‘YOUR NEW FRONTIER’
  • BPPC: OLAJUWON JOSEPH OLUMIDE WINS BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST APRIL/MAY 2022
  • CALL FOR ENTRIES: ERIATA ORIBHABOR POETRY PRIZE 2022
  • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ‘IDENTITY’ — CỌ́N-SCÌÒ MAGAZINE ISSUE 2, VOL 1, JULY 2022
  • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST (APRIL/MAY 2022) – ‘STOP WAR’

Recent Comments

  • Ikennaya Nnaka on TOMORROW BEGINS TODAY (a poem by Olivia Onyekwena)
  • Nola, Maruf Gbadebo on A DIRGE OF BROKEN THINGS — TOP 20 POEMS OF THE POETIC WEDNESDAYS POETRY CONTEST 2021
  • SALIM YAKUBU AKKO on CALLIGRAPHY OF DEMONS BY ODU ODE
  • Ayinla Oluwaseun Oluwakorede on CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST [AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020] — ‘EXPRESS YOURSELF’
  • Ayomide Abdullahi on DECEMBER BEGINS THE NEW YEAR BY BILLYHADIAT TAOFEEQOH ADEOLA

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
Close
Menu
  • HOME
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CSR
    • CONTACT US
  • cọ́nscìò
  • FEATURES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
    • ESSAYS
    • INTERVIEWS
    • WRITING TIPS
  • POETRY
  • FICTION
  • SUBMIT
  • NEWS
    • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • PUBLISHING
    • PUBLISHING PACKAGES
    • 7 REASONS WHY
  • DOWNLOAD
Social profiles
  • HOME
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CSR
    • CONTACT US
  • cọ́nscìò
  • FEATURES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
    • ESSAYS
    • INTERVIEWS
    • WRITING TIPS
  • POETRY
  • FICTION
  • SUBMIT
  • NEWS
    • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • PUBLISHING
    • PUBLISHING PACKAGES
    • 7 REASONS WHY
  • DOWNLOAD

Related Post

CAGED DOG DOESN’T BITE (a poem by Chime Justice Ndubuisi)

9 Nov 2021

WHAT BRIGHTON SAYS ON A SUMMER EVE & IF LAGOS KNEW (two poems by S. Su’eddie Vershima Agema)

29 Aug 2021

ÈKÒ (a poem by Jamiu Ahmed)

29 Aug 2021

A PORTRAIT OF PORT-HARCOURT(a poem by Nket Godwin)

29 Aug 2021

sọ́kà (a poem by Adedayo Agarau)

29 Aug 2021

MONSIEUR PARISCOPE & FRESCOES: FLORENCE, DECEMBER 1989 (two poems by Kate Meyer)

29 Aug 2021

ABOUT US

Words Rhymes & Rhythm Ltd. (RC 1234112), is a foremost publishing and educational institution that supports and promotes Nigerian writers and writings talents through several initiatives like contests, prizes, and an annual literary festival. Our publishing susbsidiary is AUTHORPEDIA.

CONTRIBUTE

QUICK LINKS

  • CỌ́NSCÌÒ
  • CONTACT US
  • DOWNLOAD E-BOOKS
  • PUBLISHING
  • SUBMIT TO WRR
  • SERVICES
  • HOME
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CSR
    • CONTACT US
  • cọ́nscìò
  • FEATURES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
    • ESSAYS
    • INTERVIEWS
    • WRITING TIPS
  • POETRY
  • FICTION
  • SUBMIT
  • NEWS
    • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • PUBLISHING
    • PUBLISHING PACKAGES
    • 7 REASONS WHY
  • DOWNLOAD
Copyright 2012-2021, Words Rhymes Rhythm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
 

Loading Comments...