"MY LAST INK" WRITTEN AND READ BY SOLOMON NDULUE AT LOUDTHOTZ POETRY OPEN READING SEASON 10 EPISODE 06 AWAY

MY LAST INK

The introductory part of the letter in which i sent to Betty was about a multiple lines, I ran out of ink but my few points were made.

"When you left me,

I sold my conscience for a while. 

You shot me in the heart and left a hole 

A hole as deep as the heavens so high.

You took away my meaning, and served me emptiness. Then I lacked protection

My Gold,

I present to you this list of my feelings,

Please retrieve to yourself and purchase me your heart."

I peeped from the window in the backyard, as she smiled over my write up.

Then I thought that i had crowned the cake with an icing. In a jiffy, she grabbed her lower lip with a little bit of impatience and her premolars and then tore neatly, the inscriptions of my last ink.

I got sad, mad and rang her. 

"thank you for being inpatient towards me, Betty. Now I want to let you be." 

I ran back, gathering the pieces of the torn letter to solve the puzzles, as an evidence of a shattered relationship. When i was done with the puzzles, it read...

“a big black box, two medium sized padlocks and a pair of black shoes". All were contrary to my writings. All were with a Price tag.

It was obviously a market list from Betty's mother.

I was inpatient.

I was .judgemental

I concluded. 

I was disappointed.

The next time I dialed her contact digits,

She already left the neighborhood.

I was willing to write her,

I already used my last ink.

Ndulue Solomon. E.

"GONE AWAY" WRITTEN AND READ BY CHIKA NNAMANI AT LOUDTHOTZ POETRY OPEN READING SEASON 10 EPISODE 06 AWAY

GONE AWAY

 

As I walk through the walk way

I observed the environment and looked closely

I see Oceans of people moving like surging sea come and go

As I Watched with keen interest

Streams of different peoples, characters and colours pass through my

sight

Different characters and mannerisms I see in their faces

In wonder and surprise I see before me despondence,

Scorn, sorrow, greed, avarice, corruption which are celebrated

Gone away are the good norms

Nakedness celebrated as fashion

Society frown no more, but promoting laxity

Garden of Eden came to my mind

And I said lead me not into temptation

Gone away is the precious smile of humanity

Joy and happiness have departed our souls

Our decadence we mirror unseeing and unconcerned

There seems to be progress for some but not for many

Realization of how low man has fallen is unseen

Time is running out

Where are we going and for how long

For the few who can still see

The obvious is there.

Chika Nnamani

TURNSTILE WRITTEN AND READ BY IFEANYI EMMANUEL AT LOUDTHOTZ POETRY OPEN REDING SEASON 10 EPISODE 06 AWAY

TURNSTILE

As summer winds grit,

The fruits of passion sours,

As the taste of your voice scorch my lips.

The memories we have chars

And our soul crumbles in a truss which will no longer hold.

 I am lost in the haze of my own shadows.

Joy becomes a companion too costly to be owned.

My soul stumbles into brinks fading towards oblivion

Sanity in me is a friend lost to cycles of fate.

I am too hurt to be loved

Because I loved too much that it hurts.

I seek an alcove from this tortured memories

Because I lost the fight that keeps me together.

As autumn chills sets in

The streams of passion lazed

And the crisps of your voice deadened my soul.

But the memories once cold warmed by the fire

Of warmth grazing my skin from your roaming fingers.

My heart is again melted by your devious grin.

My lips dances to the tune of your reverend whispers.

Nature echoes a new song that binds hearts

And life breathes a new beginning as I hoped it true.

For out of the cradle of my darkness flickers desire

And the carcasses made of our bond has become whole again.

The hurt that ripped hope to shreds

Now crowns the promise of tomorrow.

As winter dead breaks

The debris of passion cinders

And the embers of your voice fiddles my mind.

Memories have driven perception of utter desolation

As hope was daggered with contemptible betrayal.

My heart is torn through like a scavenger’s meal.

Regret oozed like cramps of a woman’s flow.

Joy becomes my derision as I watch your ego float

Your back cast a shadow on my will to breathe.

My aura withers as comfort has lost a hole in whole

And your farewell breaks the dams that holds my sanity in place.

Darkness seeps in in its invincible cloak

Death flows through in its accustomed stream.

As spring sprite blooms

The petals of passion flourishes

And the arousal of your voice is comforted by casts of rainbow

Memories have become a fond repast of my solitude

And solace has sprout vim from carcasses of futile promises

Beyond gloom clouds are blue skies

Beneath barren lands are flowing waters

In this scarred heart is an eager release of an ornate soul

And away with the winds its mind roams to its place to call a home and a hope

Away from yesterday’s drowning rue to craft tomorrow a sky of twinkling stars

Away from the one I loved most of all to the one who gave it all to love

Away from who I am

To who I can be.

IFEEANYI EMMANUEL 

"LONG AND LONELY" WRITTEN AND READ BY HENRY AMAMI AT LOUDTHOTZ POETRY OPEN READING SEASON 10 EPISODE 06 AWAY

LONG AND LONELY

I stared endlessly at the void,

on the wake of your departure.

I heard the echoes of your voice, as your memory cuddled me

through the stillness of the night

but in my head

How is life at the other city?

Where were you in the last few days?

Oh! I know.

I know you just left

We made our promises too frightened to say goodbye

You asked me to wait your call

I told you I would be strong

I am strong, so I won’t ring you.

I am strong

Like when you mumbled your goodbye without looking back

I waited endlessly for a gaze

I assured myself you would wave

I am convinced, I missed both in a blink

I am strong,

Like the the light footed,

heavy hearted, walk back home from your departure

Long and lonely, you took my haste along

I am strong,

Like the never-ending night without you

You took dawn along

I am strong,

My only fear is

your goodbye is beginning to have its real value

I hope the gods hasn’t taken side

on that which was forbidden.

-Amami H.

"THE LAST SHIP IS FAR AWAY" WRITTEN AND READ BY Ajakaye Rashidat Olamidayo AT LOUDTHOTZ POETRY OPEN READING SEASON 10 EPISODE 06 AWAY

Oh my awe inspiring mother!

Your three beautiful daughters mourn your weather,

the world of your Canaan is hanged by fathers of Diblaim,

don’t run away for the eaten pride Nigeria,

none but us your children carries the blame,

the caterpillar worm of Naboth’s vineyard came

years around 1967 and ate our sameness in shame.

Hold us thick as thieves,

for your black and ebony skin knocks our mischiefs,

oh my mother Nigeria!

You are the island of unity, peace and justice of Solomon,

we are still moving on.

oh my mother Nigeria!

Be strong, the last ship with its cure is on his way,

far away.

-Ajakaye Rashidat Olamidayo

}AWAY" WRITTEN AND READ BY CHRIS N. JOHN AT LOUDTHOTZ POETRY OPEN READING SEASON 10 EPISODE 06 AWAY

AWAY

I laid my brick in an apple

The big one;

Not Eve's

My fame exceeds the place of angels, taking

In the city of love:

New York

Los Angeles

Philadelphia!

I know your baggage

Your luggage is my pride.

Stephanie Korey chairs my yield

I am a designer by Jennifer Rubin

How did I get here?

I am on offer for your class

I am Away

I have raised 31m dollars

I sold 300,000 of self 

I am a peculiar designer 

My pride is in

'the place we return to'

Not like I journeyed

My face adorns the magazine

'Here and the podcast airplane mode'

Two feats I achieved in four years

I am feminine

I live in your heart

Walk in your hands

I model your class in my design

I am your travel friend.

Chris N. John

WORTHY OF MENTION POEM "THE VOICE THAT WON'T GO AWAY" WRITTEN AND READ BY PRICILIA AHAIWE AT LOUDTHOTZ POETRY OPEN READING SEASON 10 EPISODE 6 AWAY

PRICILIA AHAIWE

THE VOICE THAT WON'T GO AWAY 

I am a voice, not an echo.

A resounding thunderous voice,

The one that won't go away.

I am life, not an empty dream.

Alive, breathing in the aura of earth's majesties. 

I am dawn, not the mild darkness. 

The one that breaks over the horizons, 

Feeding oxygen to nature's creatures. 

I am a seed, not the one that bows to the East wind.

The one that sprouts and flourishes,

The fruitful one. 

I am light, not the one that can be turned off. 

The one with the ambient glow that brightens even the darkest of nights. 

I am sun, not the blurred yellow one with the constant scorching heat.

The rising vigilant orange sun, 

Graceful in its wake, 

Drying up unshed tears in your eyes 

I am joy, not the passive momentary kind you've felt

The one that sets your heart afire, 

Whose delight you can't explain away. 

I am water, not the one that stays put, 

Like a maid waiting for instructions.

The one that breaks through every crack and springs out, 

Quenching every thirst it finds. 

I am fire, not the one that burns slowly. 

The one that refines.

That makes even the devil's flame seem an ordinary smoke. 

I am a Star, not the passing night one. 

The one that twinkles and brightens 

and burns every shadow the darkness brings. 

I am moon, not the half, not the crescent.

The full moon that illuminates this galaxy and beyond. 

I am a voice, 

Not the one crying in the wilderness 

The resounding thunderous one. 

The voice that won't go ever go away,

Even till the last bolt of my wooden coffin is screwed in...

Pricilia Ahaiwe

POEM OF THE MONTH "MY LITTLE ONE" WRITTEN AND READ BY SEGUN PETERS AT LOUDTHOTZ POETRY OPEN READING SEASON 10 EPISODE 6 AWAY

Segun Peters WINNER POEM OF THE MONTH

MY LITTLE ONE

My Little One,

Do not listen to your heart.

For it sees around and has no insight;

For it hears across and has no faith.

It shudders like feet set on grass lush with morning dew

But had promised the step to a journey of a thousand miles.

It scatters like a herd of antelopes against a charging leopard

But had resolved to stand together against the last enemy.

It feeds like an ostrich with its head in the dirt

Yet had dreamed to eat from the feast of the heavens.

Awaken your soul, Little One.

See it, but close your eyes;

The victory of the sun rise above giant mountains,

The power of death sink leviathans to abyssal depths.

Hear it, but shut your ears;

The mighty lion roar that earth may bow,

The graceful eagle call that heavens shall obey.

Do not cower if eyes won’t give you sight

Because the sky is the vision to wings that trust the winds.

Do not perturb if your mouth won’t utter words

Because giants are made by heart and dwarves by words.

Even a body without its soul is dead

As long as your soul lives you have conquered eternity.

Gentle whispers stirs a forest

You don’t have to be the loudest to be the bravest.

Close your eyes, Little One

And you will know who you are.

Bow to the winds and draw on its breath;

And then you see from heaven’s height a theatre of dreams.

Drink the elixir from nature’s dew

And fill to brim of love that binds one in all.

Sway to the rhythm of mighty ocean waves

And tell comedies of conquerors that beckon at your footstool.

Dance as the birds sing the rising of the sun

For destiny’s path it lays upon your feet.

My Little One,

Look at your soul through heaven’s eyes.

Beyond your sight are visions waiting to arouse the earth.

Seize it, and the mountains shall split in a chorus.

Beneath your arms are wings waiting to daunt the skies.

Spread it, and the sun shall prostrate at your majesty.

Come close, closer to the precipice of your limitations.

Take that leap,

And Fly.

Away.

Segun Peters