Lit eZine Vol 2 | p-13 | POETRY | Words of Pain – Manic Sylph Writes… Poetry & Thoughts by Mona Soorma

SHORT POEMS

WORDS OF PAIN
by Olufemi Afariogun

Rome burning illustration — *Image by* *geralt*

WHERE ARE THE GODS WHEN WE ARE GONE?

Rome is burning.
Legs are running.
Scared and worried minds are seeking sanatorium.

Hope is dying.
Sanity is wearing.
The white-garmented town exists now in the sackcloth.

Sights are fainting. 
The Night is darkened.
The little light is not enough to illuminate the dull deep.

Hope is Gone.
Strength is Gone.
Do to us what you can; men have lost what it takes to fight.

Time ticking away- Cancer — *Image by Leeloo Thefirst*

THE FIGHT WE LOST

Cancer came back; when I thought it was gone, it came back stronger, feasting on our strength and dreams.

I stopped calculating our time in days and switched to seconds, despite being poor in mathematics.
I sold my cores, our essence, and my pessimism for a penny just for one more breath to breathe.

My position attracts pity, and the sour worries of men like London attract the World Economy.

I thought I was strong, but my strength was gone; I shed tears like the spring off the cliff at Ikogusi.
I am sorry, my Love; I did promise you the opposite of what you're fighting with me.

It is not your battle, yet you picked up a bow, an arrow, and a two-edged sword, looking fierce like the goddess from up north.

Once again, I am sorry for what I lost. You're more of a fighter than I am. Live this life without me; I will always be with you like the morning dew, like the evening's moon.

Connect with Olufemi Afariogun on Twitter

Olufemi Afariogun is a graduate of communication from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic and is
currently a student at Crescent University, Abeokuta. He is a Christian writer, a content and
creative writer, and a poet. He is from Nigeria and staying in the city of Lagos.
He is currently an intern at a tech company, where he works as a content creator and social
media manager. He started writing poems in his second year of high school. Despite his
interest in poetry, he has not published any of my work in a notable outlet.
Though he reads his poems to my friends, and family and shares parts on my social media
accounts. He is now with the confidence to share his works with fellow creatives,
communities, and several publication outlets.
His poetic voice is central to Love, Growth, Healing, Truth, and Activism. To give people
hope and strength to carry on and live life.