Sick Earth

The earth has lost her crown;

Empty towns,

empty streets, crowded houses,

silent footfalls...

 

An ailment punctured the earth like -

flying reeds and colossal volcanoes.

Strokes her into shambles and confusion.

Contingency after contingency.

 

We bought grief with the coins produced

in the mints of our mistakes and couldn’t help

but run like a toad in broad daylight.

Everything is dust, even power.

 

 ___

Nwaoha Chibuzor Anthony is an Igbo-born poet whose poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Headline poetry and press, 20:35 Africa Anthology, African writer, Kalahari review, Art Lounge, Nantygreens, Konya shasrumi, Eboquilis, Praxis Magazine, Afritondo, Eunoia review & elsewhere. He lives in Orlu, a sleepy city in the Southeastern part of Nigeria. He is currently on an MBBS programme in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Nwaoha is on Twitter @heisamaverick