Month: June 2016

Trophie

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I made her out of my own hands

Juxtaposed her posture

Choreographed her composition

Her gesture, intentional

Lighting, drapery and skin

I formed her in black and white

And when she was ready I added color

I poured my emotions into her

That she may speak for many others and me

And when she was ready to go

The right man came along

He paid the price

And he took her home

And I felt nothing but contentment

I am the third creator

God hath endowed my hands

Blessed my heart

And garnished my mind

I have applied mimesis

And I have replicated his creation unto canvas

That she may be admired by the eyes that see her

Adored by whom she will be owned

And he shall make her his trophy

 

©Nina Fabunmi

http://www.ninafabunmi.com

Plucking Petals

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Precious flower

I hold on to you

Nature, earth, sun, wind

How still you sway from side to side

They are plucking petals off your stalk

And still I hold on to you

I smell your scent

I soak in your beauty

And I hurt as I watch you wither away

Giving away my precious petals

You let them in

I hold on to you

But when I shut my eyes to sleep

They pluck your petals

You stagger, you stutter, swaying from side to side

I am still holding on to what’s left of you

Though you let them pluck your petals

Plucking at you

Endlessly

Plucking petals

 

©Nina Fabunmi

http://www.ninafabunmi.com

Preparing For Another Season

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Winter died when summer came but the trees are yet to recover

Autum arrived, the colors changed, soon the leaves descended

Harmattan in a distant place and yet , on me, the dust descended

Dancing in mud yet praying for rain to wash away the dirt

Rainbow in the sky , it disappeared  and still I chase its shadow

Floating on dreams, swimming in hope and hanging on to faith

Every season demands of me, maleable like an amoeba when will I find my constant

I am bending and breaking, swaying and praying, desperately in need of respite

Finding my place in the world as I watch it go by

Preparing for another season and  reverently seeking a reason

©Nina Fabunmi

http://www.ninafabunmi.com

Catching The Ripples

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Stone in a pond

A hard hit and a splash

Beneath a clash

It began with in a ripple

And like an infectious disease , it spread

Ripple after ripple, and even more ripples

I dove right in , grasping desperately

I tried to catch the ripples but they multiplied

Ripple after ripple

One flaw giving birth to more flaws

One mistake , more mistakes

I couldn’t take them back

I am swimming deep in the pond

Catching the ripples

But I am drowning in them

Soon I will emerge with bruises

A fish tail and fins

Maimed by my efforts to take back the past

Swimming without drowning

Becoming a product of all my errors

And still trying to catch the ripples

©Nina Fabunmi

http://www.ninafabunmi.com

Turned My Tears Into Dew Drops

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The Sun caught me crying and turned my tears into due drops

It sprinkled it on pretty flowers and green leafy plants

It turned the rest of it into fog

The atmosphere, humid and emotional

The landscape like a painting on canvas

Warm air, wet wind, a glaze of haze

Due drops settled into fresh water ponds

Soon the frogs began to croak

Eggs matured and tadpoles swam

Worms came out of the loose damp soil

Snails crawled out of their shells

The earth made magic out of my tears

Tears turned into due drops

 

Nina Fabunmi

http://www.ninafabunmi.com

Life Is A Shark

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Life is a shark and we are all swimming in an ocean of oblivion

Prying on each others fears

Feasting on one another

And not knowing when we will finally be swallowed up

Or given a bite to end it all

Shallow waters are warm

Yet we swim to the depths hunting for treasure

Soon the pressure suffocates us

But we are greedy and undeterred

Constantly seeking

Feeding on others

Swimming in a sea of uncertainty

Where nothing is promised

And we are only as good as the moment we live in

And then the shark finally takes the bite

Our lights go out

And we wonder what all that swimming was for

 

Nina Fabunmi

http://www.ninafabunmi.com

Love Is A Place That Exists In My Head

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Bonding By Moonlight, By Nina Fabunmi, Oil on Canvas, 20x42, Sold Inches, 2001

Love is a place that exists in my head

We danced as Whitney sang “could I have this kiss forever”

And promised our lives to each other

We embraced and we cried

We held our unborn child and we made ourselves a family

She is so beautiful, look how she has grown

We nurtured her into puberty

And had many more children

In my head we have built castles

We sleep and we awake together

We watch the sunrise by dawn

And retreat as it sets at dusk

We kiss under the moonlight

And ride through the skies on stars

We sail on dolphins and fly on butterflies

Everything that tore us apart does not exist anymore

We are young and foolish

But above all, we are in an endless love

In a place that exists in my head

 

Nina Fabunmi

http://www.ninafabunmi.com

I am like a Wave

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I am like a wave that’s rocking back and forth, hitting rocks and returning back into the sea

I am a wave rocking back and forth, hitting rocks and running back into the sea

Without the wind, I have no motion

The current continuously pushes me on

Only for me to return back into the sea

I shimmer when the day is come

When the sun shines down on me

I wait for the moonlight to embrace me

That I may twinkle at night too

But one day, I will rock back and forth and tear down the rocks that stand in my way

I will not wait for the sun by day, or the moon by night

I will flow and consume all that is in my path

Till I find that which is meant for me

 

Nina Fabunmi

http://www.ninafabunmi.com

It’s Like The Motion In The Ocean

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It’s like the motion in the ocean

Smooth like lotion

Or total commotion

It’s up then it’s down

It’s in, then its out

Its high, then its low

But all the way, it’s always wet

Never a dry moment

We are like characters in a soap opera

Lovers in a tele-novella

Performers in a passionate opera

Like a pendulum rocking back and forth

Till it rests in a quiet place

We fight , we break up

We kiss, we make up

But we are always as one

Like the waves that always return to the sea

Like the sun and its shine

The moon and its light

The water and its fall

We have fallen deep into each other

We keep it going

Like the motion in the ocean

 

Nina Fabunmi

http://www.ninafabunmi.com

I Have Nothing Else To Give

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I gave you an extra leg

That you may find your balance

But it wasn’t enough for you

Till I gave you both my legs

I gave you an extra hand

That you may carry more

But you asked for the only hand I had left

And I gave that to you as well

I gave my eyes that you may see better

I gave my ears that you may hear better

I gave you all my senses

That you may feel the pain I endure for you

But that did not satisfy you

You asked for my organs

And I gave that as well

You have rendered me an empty shell

I have nothing else to give

You decided you needed wings

That you may take to the sky and soar

I have no wings to give you

And now you are chasing birds

You decided you needed fins

To swim amongst the fishes in the ocean

I have no fins to give you

And now you are chasing fish

You are in a deep dark forest

Chasing a monkey for its tail

A bear for its claws

A lion for its roar

A crocodile for its hide

And a beast for its deep dark heart

Your insatiable appetite has rendered me crippled

Now I watch you from a distance

On your un-ending quest for more

With nothing else to give to you

 

Nina Fabunmi

http://www.ninafabunmi.com