ifference
but photocopy firmly the stock styles
the journals seek. “Look,
rimes make poems childish”, the
editors shout in their mute replies.
A deep long breath does not douse your
bickering. The ink in your quill
becomes congealed.
Your muse stutters like
Ẹlẹ́ṣin Ọba facing death. You grudgingly
gradually weigh your words
to mimic
those breadth of published
bungalow prose parading
as boudoir poetry.

Chidiebube onye Okohia is a Pushcart-nominated Nigerian writer, poet and artist. He is the author of the chapbook, Of Dark Tides and Darkling Times. A graduate of English from the University of Lagos, some of his works have been published by fresh.ink, Counterclock, Farafina, The Kalahari Review, and elsewhere. He tweets at @o_okohia.