I Was Blind

I was blind

And you were my Seeing Eye dog

But you wandered off

To eat a juicy bone

And I was

The sugar in your tea

But you were hot water

Crumbling me

We were actors

Rehearsing a scene backstage

But when the curtains drew

Another took my place

You were a building

I, the scaffolding

That must be done away with

When ‘building’ must progress

But

Wasn't it yesterday?

That we tossed names for

Our babies unborn

I burst your pimples

I cleaned your toe nails

A fortnight ago

I did your dishes

On weekdays

And your laundry

Each Saturday

But you

Being the Seeing Eye dog that you are

Saw a juicy bone

And wandered off

Dear sisters

I warn you by the harsh harmattan winds

By the confluence of River Niger and River Benue

Don’t do like wife

When you are not yet wife

Don’t cook like wife

When you are not yet wife

Don’t spend like wife

Sleep like wife

Think you are wife

When you are not yet wife

But I was blind

Sweet sugar in his tea

And he, hot water

Crumbled me

One night I departed into the city

To seek the one my soul loves

Dispel of him the hoax

Cast upon him

To say to him,Return oh thou my love

I have made super

But no, it is not our last

Punched the feather pillow to shape

Sewn all the holes in the blanket

But the police men caught me

You are under arrest

Why are plying these streets

When all the street lamps are dead?

I seek the one I love

I said

And they laughed me to scorn

And detained me till morning

But I was blind

And you my Seeing Eye dog

You spotted that juicy bone

And ran away from me

Dear sisters

I warn you

By the scorching sun of the tropics

By the rainy nights of July

Do not kiss too long

With your eyes still shut

But I was blind

Scaffolding to ‘work in progress’

That is cut into pieces

And used for firewood.