Jaachi Writes

For Boys Like Us I was in Ulasi Road Primary School with Naeto Uche Njie for a video shoot of his spoken word piece. We had just finished the first and second scenes and sat on the school football field to review the video when I suggested a third scene.  Uche desired to feature a boy. Any boy. Just any boy. We scanned the field in search of wandering boys and found a sachet water hawker. His name, Chimaobi. Uche gestured at him to come over. He started towards us, a bowl of his ware on his head, a scowl on his face, dust plastered feet in a worn pair of slipper. Uche engaged him in a conversation in Igbo language. They talked about his education, family, child labour, the boy child, endless hopes and hopeless ends.  "Agara m school na Monday. Ubochi ndi ozo, m ga re pure water". (I go to school on Mondays. On other days, I sell sachet water). I'd pause replying a chat and shift my gaze to his face. I could see he's not satisfied. His voice betrayed him. Poor boy.  W...

POEM 342:  THERE'S A BOY RUNNING DOWN THE ROAD there is a boy running down a dusty road in his tiny arms, a dying dream yawns he pauses for a while, gasping air and biting dust gritting teeth to fight off cold dusting worries off his cloak he takes off again his mind dazed by the blinding lights of hunger bites yet he runs, farther away from what's behind he'd lost what it means to be found and sought what it means to be lost. he runs faster an oasis appears three cactus away he dives in, his thirst to quench muddy waters block his murky sight, what was desired not gotten, not found run along, carry on, his past calls out a boy heeds the nomadic clarion call he hit the tracks with renewed vigor chasing dreams that always run away from him there's a boy running down a dusty road in his tiny arms, a dying dream yawns will he ever get home? #365DaysOfPoetry #Pengician #SSA Enjoyed reading?  Please leave a comment and share with friends. Thank you!  

POEM 315: TO THE BOY CHILD dear boy, tattooed over the heart of every girl are words that read thus: "handle with care" don't bore holes into her skin with your penile eyes: she's more to admire than trips to cloud nine don't flip your tongue to coin sweet words just to get her laid and run away: she's more to you than a pleasure tool don't measure her worth by her curves, nor ever place second place, her worth: she's more, dear boy, than a possession does this sound strange, dear burdened boy? you shoulda known: but now you do,  be human again, be not a stone #BoysAreNotStones #BoyChildDay #November11 #Pengician #SSA Enjoyed reading? Please leave a comment and share with friends. Thank you!  

POEM 314: BE FORMLESS his emotions are scattered stars,  dangling from cloudless skies, forming their own constellation, light years away from the norms that feed the stereotypes, threatening to engulf him, in the arms of presumed masculinity, he, like the rest, whose lips, have been sealed, from uttering words emotion laden, lest 'weakness' becloud his manliness this, my boy, is how for forebears pocketed genuine blushes, bottled up physiological bruises, built biceps over broken hearts, and drowned pain in bottles of beer, but boy, you could be none of those be yours your very own temptation, fall deeply into your essence and pay no heed to boxed opinions of you, pull out of the square holes, and roll about, carefree in love? blush, if you can and when you hurt, let the faucet of tears run freely down your cheeks, no, not in the rain, under the glaring eyes of sun rays boy, like water, air, fire, be formless, the world would adjust to you be you #BoysAreNotStones #365DaysOfPo...