9th october

Lately a soft goodnight is uttered in

Line to drop to tiptoe to

Turning point to 

The bismillahs to

The curve of your eyelashes of

Eyes of all Eyes to

My mother’s grief to

Forced isolationships in

Car rides to

The self inflicts the smokes and the strangers

And the rice bugs and the closed doors

And the ones that open again

Amayo said 

“You don’t have to know what you are”

The elephant is eaten in small bites

The elephant is in the room with us

Be still, it says, Goodnight 

Sshh

Crawl inside my mouth and

Line to drop to tiptoe to rot 

It Keeps

me

quiet 

Line to drop to tiptoe to rot

to coins to back turned to

Till unmanned to

A fist on my spine

Be still, I say

Today I say

“I don’t have to know what I am”

I am learned by

Grief

I am emboldened by

Mess

I remember my

will

And I Will eat you

I will eat you

I will

eat 

you