Photograph by Ayo Akinyemi, from the series Eripa.
& because i have no courage to speak about this
i’ll fold myself into paper planes i’ll let this melancholic memory propel into my sister to the very first day her body was sliced into smaller chops for juice the very first day her blood glowed like lemon in a cocktail drink & it wasn’t the one for cakes
that night when the lights were off & her voice thundered fire & momma wasn’t at home but us i saw myself a saviour running with water to go save the day instead the fire was my momma’s boyfriend a snake crawling & hissing into my sister that night i think we all set the house on fire just to forget but my sister still fights in her dreams
