PSALMUEL BENJAMIN
Letter To Poetry
Dear poetry,
Apologies. I know I’ve been inhumane. I kept you
Mute. Sellotaped your lips [my book]. Your yells
Ricocheted into your throat like a bullet against a
Bulwark, hot! It reverberated like a Gong. I rained
A library on you like stones on Achan. For that’s
How best I could bury you. I caped the heap with
My big Bible like a Rose on a casket and smiled.
All I saw was a poet who buried his magical
Madness manual – a scripture wherein grief, with
Menace, sucks him head to toe. But an orifice is
Always given. Just one. Where he thrusts his wrist
And scribbles his darkness – his only defence – one
That airs his plight. What miracle, what healing is
There in the explanation of vexation &
Simultaneous generation of grief? When your book
Is another whip, you read yourself “ladies are
Medical madness mongers” & you weep again into
Yesterday. So, do you blame this boy for digesting
The grains of the Lord’s prayer? For being a mega-
Phone – emitting the gospel?
But lo, I pick up my Papyrus again like an addict –
Too addicted for a break to break off, dip it in the
Great pool in me. A libation. An apology that the
Attrition of words don’t seize my sleep for a
Penalty. Dear poetry, you’ve written yourself into
An anthology in me. Vacation isn’t your revenge. I
know. My fear is how this Mississippi will break
Through me – a needle eye.
Yours poe(m)tically,
A poet.
Psalmuel Benjamin is a poet, spoken words minister and writer from Nigeria. He’s in his early twenties. His poems and articles can be found in CC, Afrocritik, Mixed Mag, Nanty Greens, Arts Lounge, Pop the Culture pill, Agape review, Fieryscribe review, and many others. He is the author of “It’s Just A Day” – a forthcoming book. Aside from writing he teaches, draws, paints, and edits videos. He’s the vice president of the Godly steps Family. He’s a finalist in the POF4 Essay competition. He is a lover of beans. Say hi to him on facebook: Benjamin-Psalmuel Oluwasheun. Twitter: Psalmuelbenjam1