Poem in which I am a dead fig
by Jonathan Endurance
i was ploughing the yard bending like
a hunched dog. the cloud wrinkled
by the hands of darkness. thunder unzipped the
dress and i am under the rain sailing imaginary boat
sorry i have to begin this way. i was a farmer's son
when i first learnt the earth has teeth as dark
as the devil's flesh. how one day in the field
my father touched my shoulder to remind me
of our dead mother. he said son, the earth has teeth
fleshed out of a toothless mouth. it has no edge
yet spins us like coin into the air. in this small garden
i am learning to weed trees while my father's ghost
perches on the oak branches. my tears irrigating
the soul is a concerto before the monarch butterflies
how i carry their names like burning candle wax on
my skin. the fire burning at the side blade
of my tongue cocks my throat into the sound
of a gun. i carry the continent on my shoulder,
shift the seas and fishes off their place.
in my eyes the ocean builds a bridge of gridlock.
in the dream i kiss the garden
by its feet, watch its flowers scream of the fire in
my mouth. a violent cloud opens up on the lilies
as i kneel to watch father journey among seagulls.
a hunched dog. the cloud wrinkled
by the hands of darkness. thunder unzipped the
dress and i am under the rain sailing imaginary boat
sorry i have to begin this way. i was a farmer's son
when i first learnt the earth has teeth as dark
as the devil's flesh. how one day in the field
my father touched my shoulder to remind me
of our dead mother. he said son, the earth has teeth
fleshed out of a toothless mouth. it has no edge
yet spins us like coin into the air. in this small garden
i am learning to weed trees while my father's ghost
perches on the oak branches. my tears irrigating
the soul is a concerto before the monarch butterflies
how i carry their names like burning candle wax on
my skin. the fire burning at the side blade
of my tongue cocks my throat into the sound
of a gun. i carry the continent on my shoulder,
shift the seas and fishes off their place.
in my eyes the ocean builds a bridge of gridlock.
in the dream i kiss the garden
by its feet, watch its flowers scream of the fire in
my mouth. a violent cloud opens up on the lilies
as i kneel to watch father journey among seagulls.
Jonathan Endurance is a Nigerian poet whose work has appeared in or forthcoming in Rattle, Eunoia Review, The Rising Phoenix Review, Indolent Books, The Ellis Review, Ghost City Review, Canvas Literary Journal, Brittle Paper, and elsewhere. In 2016, he was a joint winner of the maiden edition of Calabar Festival Poetry Competition. His unpublished poem won UNESCO Sponsored Prize for the 14th edition of Castello di Duino Poetry Competition, ITALY. Say hello on Twitter @joepoet_