Amina Poem by Ikechukwu Ogbuike

What do I care if I am a destitute?
If only I can drink a little of your truth.
Being in the presence of such a grace
Is all the armor I need to take on my fate.
You, may be ephemeral
But you, never were known to be neutral.
The downtrodden
Was your brethren
Persecution
Drew your ire to execution.
I sigh
With jealousy for the pleasure of your thighs
I am not so much in love as I am in hope
Love will come someday but you,
I will not always be there to behold.
You were born at a time that is desert
But you have turned out an oasis of harvest
The juice of maledom became puerile
By the time they were borne you were gone
Now I who ride with the natives of the Futajalon
Look to your very distant eyes for the coming of the promised dawn
Even though the climates have become tranquil
The story of your conquests continue to make their rounds in the nightly ritual of keeping the children still
I dare not ask you to look at my face
If only doing so would bring a plague of blessings my way
But I am greedy only for your laughter
That bubbles like a spring refreshing my soul long after
If simply I could catch your wind just a little
My journey would not have been needless or so fickle
Am still at sea, also wandering the plains of the Savannah
Hoping to see you, looking for a clue, forever serenading the mother who gave us the manna.
Your name Amina
Reminds me of the joy of a smile
Sometimes I wish it could be frozen into a sapphire
For the kings and nobles and commoners that will forfeit all for what they desire.