‘How we Spell Home’ is a gripping poem about the chaos and unrest in the poet’s home country. What else should a poet do when all the synonyms of ‘home’ she knows are words that unsettle her? Trapped in this poem, are many stories of insurgency and violence that victims did not get a chance to tell. Ogwiji tells this story in lines and in verses.
– Editorial Team
There’s a heap of charcoaling lyrics at the fireplace.
My father said it is the remains of a burning song,
The one which caught fire in a boy’s mouth,
When he stood on the assembly ground
And sang our national anthem.
These days, mom sits by the fire and counts the smoke
Until her eyes become two rivers, Benue and Niger-
Where death rows its boat with a grin and a gun,
From which the blood-stained bullets came .
My brother’s shrieks slices through the thick darkness
And mum whispers, “the way they spell ‘hell’
‘bombs’, ‘bullets’, ‘swords’ and ‘fire’
Is the way we now spell ‘home’”
About The Author
E. Ogwiji is a Nigerian creative writer and Agriculturist who has lived most of her life in Benue State, Nigeria which has been violently attacked by the nomadic Fulani herdsmen. Her writings have appeared in the Upper Room Devotional, Writers Space Africa, Gyroscope Review, among others.
Photo Credit: Pexels.com

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15 hours ago
Our #MCM for the week is Saddiq Dzukogi @SaddiqDzukogi. His collection of poems, “Your Crib, My Qibla”, has earned rave reviews since its recent publication.
Award-winning poet, Ilya Kaminsky, describes it as a “stunning, memorable book”!
@UnivNebPress
"...
You had your voice,
yet silence was your outburst ..."
In this #poem, Ojo Emmanuel writes about loss, grief, and the long painful journey to healing. It is a sad, sensational poem & worth the #read.
https://eboquills.com/2021/02/27/one-poem-by-nigerian-poet-ojo-emmanuel/
#poetrycommunity #poets #WritingCommunity
Creativity and simplicity cohabiting in one literary piece, quite a rarity these days!
We loved this story, @ewoe_nam
We still do 👏🏾👏🏾
I am happy to announce that my story has found a home with @eboquills🥳 https://eboquills.com/2021/02/23/brach-and-ara-a-short-story-by-ghanaian-writer-ewoenam-kukah/
Kindly read, comment and share☺️😘.
Terrific web-site you’ve got in here.