the night is here again,
my body is perfumed with a cologne of thoughts,

of grief, & of grief still –
the rain of the eyelashes is falling lightly

 lightly on my cheeks
it’s 10:39 PM already & my brother – a sleepy-snorer

is calling mother with a whistle in his nostrils
how do i tell him the sound produced by his nostrils

add salt to my wound?
how do i find peace without this shower

at the edge of my eyelids?
what does a fireplace symbolize?

a place where two hearts gather for comfort

or an example of two bodies searching

for warmth and survival through a bitter cold?
this is me asking and trying to run away from the voices within
I don’t want to run anymore,

open the pages of mother’s most beautifying moment

and sing me to sleep

Nigerian born Naphtali Festus Adda is an undergraduate, a creative writer, a poet and a photographer who is interested in capturing weird moments with his camera. His works have appeared on online literary platforms and magazines such as praxis magazine, ACEworld Publications, Atunis Poetry Magazine, and Intelar club cradle.