The Market Place
There is a buffet of bodies
Around me
A human parfait of
Old,
Mindless, young
Strange & depraved
People
No one is a stranger to the exchange of bodies,
If you haven't given your arm out in kindness
& gotten nothing in return
You have received something
Strong enough to leave your heart
Begging for love
Here,
With different songs &
Different movements
Anything gotten from haggling
Is hope that discounting
Your worth will fetch
You affection
In a market place
Nobody bends to pick anything
with two legs wide
My mother says
You will see men floating
She says
You might not stand up
With your spine intact
In this place where goods can be sold for bad
Never forget to take your change
Around me
A human parfait of
Old,
Mindless, young
Strange & depraved
People
No one is a stranger to the exchange of bodies,
If you haven't given your arm out in kindness
& gotten nothing in return
You have received something
Strong enough to leave your heart
Begging for love
Here,
With different songs &
Different movements
Anything gotten from haggling
Is hope that discounting
Your worth will fetch
You affection
In a market place
Nobody bends to pick anything
with two legs wide
My mother says
You will see men floating
She says
You might not stand up
With your spine intact
In this place where goods can be sold for bad
Never forget to take your change
Roseline Mgbodichinma is a Nigerian writer and blogger whose works have appeared or are forthcoming in The African Writer Magazine,
X-ray, JFA Human Rights, Artmosterrific and elsewhere. In 2018, she won the audience's favorite award powered by Union Bank and Okadabooks for her short story, "Silence that Spoke." Her poem, "The Giant," was published in the Poets in Nigeria (PIN) 2019 Anthology, and "we were superheroes" (another poem) was selected by Theresa Lola, the young people’s laureate for London to be featured in the say your peace campaign. Mgbodichinma tweets @Rmgbodichinma.
X-ray, JFA Human Rights, Artmosterrific and elsewhere. In 2018, she won the audience's favorite award powered by Union Bank and Okadabooks for her short story, "Silence that Spoke." Her poem, "The Giant," was published in the Poets in Nigeria (PIN) 2019 Anthology, and "we were superheroes" (another poem) was selected by Theresa Lola, the young people’s laureate for London to be featured in the say your peace campaign. Mgbodichinma tweets @Rmgbodichinma.
Art: Creative Commons