How To Wreak a City
written by: Ojo Olumide Emmanuel
@OjoOlumideEmma2
what does it take to wreak a city?
strike a match, close your eyes &
watch as condolences shoot themselves
into a movie before your eyes.
in my village, summer is dry.
you could immerse yourself in a river
get out of it & before your legs reach
your neighbourhood, the water has been licked.
i once witnessed some boys who decided to hunt some rodents with fire.
they set a bush aflame,
sticks in hands, ready to chase…
& as the rodents scampered for safety from their holes
they followed their tails with sticks;
a few rodents savoured their tongues that day.
another day, they repeated their ritual
but this time, the spot was close to their neighbourhood.
as the rodents scampered & they scampered behind
they left the burning for a long chase…
the burning grasses extended handshakes to one another
until a wildfire announced itself inside…
again! what does it take to wreak a village?
strike a match, close your eyes &
watch as fire grows in leap & bound like a teenager.
- How To Wreak a City - November 11, 2022
