Madalla River River Madalla

October 29, 2022

MADALLA RIVER
River in sun,
Staring
Into you.
Fishes
Left Inside your
Transparent stomach?
Look,

RIVER MADALLA
Sun in river—
Staring.
Are you into
Fishes?
Your inside left—
Stomach, transparent.
Look

I am here—
Rod & hooks, net & worms—
Building a day
To last forever.

Here am I:
Worms & net, hooks & rod—
Day, a building
Forever. Last to

First,
To aim,
Conquer grasses,
Friends & footprints.

First:
I am to
Grasses, conquer
Footprints & friends.

Madalla River,
Here am I—
Worms & net, hooks & rod—
Prepare.

River Madalla
I am here:
Rod & hooks, net & worms:
Prepare.

 

D.M. Aderibigbe is from Lagos, Nigeria. His debut book of poems How the End First Showed (University of Wisconsin Press, 2018) won the Brittingham Prize in Poetry.
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