by Victory Osarumwense
Mama told me
Not to wear my love for you on my chest
That I should bury it between my thighs
Tucked between layers upon layers of
Fabric, belt, jean, panties before skin…
Something hidden,
That would call you to dig up
That I should make you thirsty
To find my love for you buried beneath the surface of myself.
But they call me obstinate
Cause I wore it shamelessly on my neck as a scarf,
Easy to reach for and pull away.
Easy to spot from a distance.
Something you’d lay hold of without sweat.
But they call me lazy
For I couldn’t find the strength to dig between the layers of myself to hide it.
You call my name
and a miracle of a smile appears on my forehead.
Then I remember,
and pray beneath my breath that you don’t see-
That my eyes want to explore the depths of your soul.
You ask me a question
Then I remember again,
that I should bury it far away for you to dig up.
So I give you a cold stare,
mumble words that do not really answer your question and walk away.
I walk away in hope,
That you’d follow and find the love held in my palm,
I wanted to bury it.