Faidaro Tesleem
We were _from childhood_ taught a
word to earth our faith, our fears &
our wants. In Shaa Allah; meaning if
God wants. Hope is another parasitic
demon that feeds on its host, it kills.
In Shaa Allah, this war will be over and
our husbands would be returned, unharmed.
A mother awaits her martyred son on the
same ground at which fate parted them.
In Shaa Allah, someday, anytime soon, I’d
see my son & again, kiss his forehead.
On this arid land, peace would come to stay
& In Shaa Allah, nothing would e’er exist to
chase it out. In Shaa Allah, this volcano would
stop & we all shall live to tell its tales, In Shaa Allah.
In Shaa Allah, birds would, again, dance
joyfully above our roofs. May the sounds of
flutes and drums that tell about emergence
of joy be revived, again. In Shaa Allah.
We’ll lift the lamp of solace & may it flutter
through the four edges of the world. In Shaa Allah.
Fadairo Tesleem is a young Nigerian poet who writes from Ilorin, Kwara state. He is a teacher, a poetry coach and a literary critic, as well as a member of the Association Of Nigerian Authors. His poems are published or forthcoming in Fiery Scribe Review, Pangolin Review, Queer Toronto literary magazine, Arts Lounge, Best of Africa, & a host of other publications. He tweets @Olakunle.
