One More Bottle (For Yvonne) Poem by Echezonachukwu Nduka

Gaily, we walked into Rockview and made the
Ambiance ours; the still air welcomed our laughter
And cameras saved no space for new pictures.


The call for the waiter on bow tie was accompanied
By soft oldies that save the DJ's tongue for a lager per day.
No beer cheers a buffoon for a lifetime; we knew.


The waiter soon arrived and stories embraced
the cold evening; soothed by foams that form liquor.
Those lights on Wetheral road played pranks on your
Eyes as one bulb emerged as two. A peck answered the
Request for one more bottle and the DJ slammed a song.


But who stole those whispers from the muse led by Guinness
And set ablaze by Snapp and punctuated dance steps?
Salsa knows no cure for hangovers. To Latin Americans, all lovers are tipsy,
Save for a few on telemundo.
Salsa brews perfect beers. They claim dance steps that suit their rhythms.


One more bottle.
You danced to the tune of aloneness
Embraced by night's slight touch, no song sufficed.


One more bottle.

Dreadlocks aroused memories that will fight
Fate's taste and courage; passions birth new differentials.
If there's Kente in Ghana, there's one more textile in Akwete.
Hands will weave, monies will buy and bodies will wear.
Are there no red carpets in dreamland?


One more bottle.
The DJ will face your wrath.
And again, no song will suffice.