Circa 2020 | Onyedikachi Chinedu

Onyedikachi Chinedu

no pealing bells, presents by the hearth’s shadow,
a potful of overcooked rice, a bowl of creamy salads,
wings of chicken browned by the wok’s hot oil;
and, here, the fir is ornamental joy.
rosemary in the flaxen oil, a pungent air.
whose tender, mild virgin-born
do we sing a silent night for?
will my teeth fall on crispy,
seasoned flesh?
no quixotic hugs since the year is governed by plastic warnings.
a table of five and emailed wishes; it’s the year of the mask,
and I go to the morgue for those who aren’t present.
Lindsey Stirling’s Santa Baby blast from the radio station.
Santa Baby, a boyfriend’s kiss, a black Lexus 350,
a stack of books, a gay year.

Onyedikachi Chinedu, @onyedikachined, is a poet living in Nigeria. he has poems forthcoming and published in A Long House, Madness Muse Press, Stone of Madness Press, Cultural Weekly, Lucky Pierre, and elsewhere. he reads for Non.Plus Lit too.

Featured image: Caleb Woods, Unsplash

SAI Sabouke
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Sai Sabouke is a writer living in New Bussa, Nigeria. He’s a dervish who sees Sufism, history and language as formidable tools for society regeneration. His writing has appeared in Praxis Magazine Online and Agbowo. Sabouke loves beans, coffee and dreams of roasting the entrails of vultures.