Guest Poem by Afolabi Boluwatife

Note: James Wood once said the best response to  a work of art is another work of art. Afolabi Boluwatife has responded to Niran Okewole’s poem here. Enjoy

Concerto For Four Nerves

II   OPTIC

‘ Love is blind’

But because we had to

see through Cupid’s blindfold

and avoid slumping,

like men before

into pits of periods

that went missing

on Saturday mornings

in urine-stained dipsticks-

 

 

So we chose necrosis

over angiogenesis

and watched

hands akimbo

chastity drowning salacity

sawing holes

through Cupid’s fold

till man-blind saw.

 

 

 

V    TRIGEMINAL

 

Holy trinity.

 

Three peas in a pod.

 

Father-

Ophthalmic

over-see-r.

 

Son-

Maxillary

saviour,

sensing our inadequacies

through skin

and  sinus

and palate.

 

Spirit-

Mandibular

bearing witness

to each mouthful

of sin.

 

VIII    VESTIBULOCOCHLEAR

 

Vertigo-

 

The world is spinning

round me

or maybe I’m spinning round her

but I’m drunk now

and it’s too late to tell.

 

Tinnitus-

 

Then came bells

that won’t stop ringing

echoing warnings

of an impending fall

from vertigo,

from intoxication,

from exhaustion,

but I’m far too gone now

my soul is now one with the universe

drifting endlessly

near Pluto-

the dwarf.

 

X    VAGUS

Vagabond!

Cain

after curse.

 

Wanderer!

Odysseus

after the Trojan war.

Gypsy!

Jack of all

master of none-

Sensor,

Motor,

Jury,

Judge.

___________

Afolabi Boluwatife tweets at @Oluafolabi.