FOR BOYS WHO ARE ADAMS OF PAIN

by Jaachi Anyatonwu

Abia, Nigeria

life, for adam, was cliché, like a bed

of roses & lilies

of dates & raspberries

of honey & raisins

until a talking serpent

wrestled his love object

from his mortal arms

after the fall & earth cursed,

in adam was born a man of sorrow & pain

this legacy he passed down to us:

adams of pain, who

till parched lands

& water barren seeds with tears

drill shallow wells where we bury our bodies

in the unclean waters of stagnant dreams

& float away from stereotypes we didn't invent

we are adams, first in the human race,

running against time - never stopping to catch our breath

because ours is the sceptre of responsibilities

& a crown of masculinity strapped to heads -

heads that ache & yearn for a break

we are adams embroidered with hearts that don't break,

clothed with bodies that don't bleed,

blessed with deep voices that sing the melody of agony

to the delight of self-same object that birthed adam's agony

 
 

Jaachi Anyatonwu

Jaachi Anyatonwu is a poet, editor, and publisher living in the suburbs of Aba. He is the author of numerous poetry chapbooks and collections, and the Editor-In-Chief of Poemify Publishers Inc. Jaachi is passionate about discovering new voices and mentoring emerging poets. He is also a fierce advocate for the boy child and sexually molested. Author of many poems and non-fiction books: Diary Of A Broken Poet, Sweetness, Scriptophobia, Creating Lead Generating eBooks, Self-Publishing Successfully and Poemify. His publications include anthologies, self-help manuals and creative writing aides. Currently working as an Editor for Libracin Natural Med., Poemify Publishers Inc. and Daachiver Inc.