There is a melody
In the song of a mad man who lost his lover
To the romance of broken bottles
He sings with the old woman’s tongue:
You can’t know the beauty of a face
By kissing a woman in the dark
You can’t know the height of a kiss
By standing atop Mount Everest
You can’t know the depth of a love
By swimming into the deep sea
A kiss from my woman in the moonlight universe is romantic
Like the smell of air at rainfall
Before the falling of dry leaves
Like the quietness in caves
Before the chirping of flying birds
Like the last striking note
Before the end of a fading song
A kiss from my woman in the moonlight universe is wild
Like the patches on the trouser of an urchin
From his grandmother’s old curtain
Like the writings of a mad genius
From his scattered algebraic equations
Like the creaking of metallic beds
Before the tearing of weary mattresses
Listen to this mad man
For there is a melody
In the song of a mad man who lost his lover
To the romance of broken bottles
Wazani Adamu Ijarafu (20th century) Nigeria
Source: African Writer
Wow, it is an honor to find that someone somewhere is liking my poems. Thank you
ReplyDeleteEven more if an honour to have your appreciation!
DeleteBruce, so What are your favorite lines from this poem of mine?
ReplyDeleteThat's hard to answer because the whole poem is so good! I love the imagery you use to convey the power of emotion, for example
DeleteIn the song of a mad man who lost his lover / To the romance of broken bottles
and
You can’t know the height of a kiss / By standing atop Mount Everest
the smell of air at rainfall / Before the falling of dry leaves
is also so evocative.
It's just a wonderful pome - thank you!
Thank you for that response. I'd be visiting your blog at intervals, to read several of the nice poems you've been sharing with the world
ReplyDelete