Laughter in The Dust
written by: Kingsley Ikenna Ugwu
Take me back to when laughter was endless
When my dreams were bigger than my fears
My love, endless
My fears enveloped by fierce
Stilled by my Mama’s cares
In the slum, where the earth is my stage
Where I am my own actor and audience
Sitting under the Udala tree
Pitching my dreams with a mind so free
To the weaver birds that are no prey
And the cool breeze that I couldn’t see
In the days when clouds would spill their tears
I danced below the rain, zero fears
Each drop, a playful sofa on my skin
Where worries couldn’t fit in
My feet stamped puddles, soft and sweet
No floods, no hurt, just joy, no beat
Beneath the rusty roofs and leaky thatches
The sun and moon peep into my abode with ease
With smiles that reassure my hope
Smiles that thin the dawn and thicken the dusk
And we became the tempest’s laughter,
Zero worries for tomorrow
Just the beauty of now
Reaching the crest without a fall
The anthills stood like castles tall,
Guarding my secrets in chambers unseen
The sun rays gaze like promises untold
I wove my dreams into the fabrics of wind
Echoing my hopes to the vast and listening sky.
In harmattan’s mist, I traced the future
With dust as my paint, pastel streaks on the canvas of a dream
Sculpting my dreams into realms
In the dust, my laughter reaches the heavens.
With echoes of love, joy and peace
Footprints of my childhood, like whispers in the sand,
Filled with cracks on the wall
Memories of yesteryears
Eternal immortal memories
Mama’s arms nested like the universe
Where storms dared not intrude
Mama’s love, a boundless sea
Her words, a healing for my unspoken fears
Her love, a lamp to my feet
My innocence, unfurled
Lives untouched, unbroken, untamed and pure
Crafting dreams in my carefree age
Real dreams, dreams bigger than my village
But we’re like a phoenix in a cage
Dreams may linger, yet unrealized
Their seeds are sown, eternal yield
- Laughter in The Dust - May 30, 2025
