Three shepherd boys
lead their sheep
one after another
to the Benue for a bath.
They are naked,
taking instructions.
Another set of boys
plough a small patch
by the riverbank,
preparing the ground
for vegetables,
channelling the river
with hoes and mattocks.
At Wurukum market,
by the Makurdi–Enugu highway,
two mad women usher us
into the search for jumbo mangoes
and cashew.
Terne mixes and matches the pile,
testing weight, colour, faith,
until he is sure
we have chosen sweetness.
The Benue is the bride of the Niger.
The Niger, father
to whom all waters return—
the Benue,
the Sokoto.
Servio Gbadamosi is a multiple award-winning poet, editor, publisher, and scholar. Winner of the Association of Nigerian Authors Prize for Poetry (2015), among other laurels, Servio is the founder and Managing Editor of Noirledge Publishing, a groundbreaking publishing house known for its commitment to promoting African literature and elevating both emerging and established voices across various genres. His latest poetry collection, Entropy, is available in the market for sale.
