LAGOS-ES: AN ALIEN’S UNCOMPLETED SKETCHES

1
by Rolands Ndu Akpe
HUMANITY
Bar-front, Warehouse Bus-stop.
Type of woman I can't have sex with
Sachet of Squadron caught between her teeth
Is it the wind?
 
STENCH NEIGHBOURS
Burma Road, Apapa
Canals lanes canals lanes canals
Here lays creeping viscosity-
the growing din of microorganisms
Louder louDER LOUDER.
The louder the smaller this flung day old grows:
Humus, scrolling rodents, stretching grasses, filled condoms…
Yuck
 
THESE AGED NIGHTS
In a bus, at night, through Apapa
Apapa night
Vocal buttocks
Glittery dresses
scared of knees,
girls', they skip,
they skip.
I look
like I do not look
Drawn away by maternal arm of bus…
…of bus.
 
APAPA, AGAIN
Noon,walking past a brothel front.
It's Apapa again
Jaunting calves, neck of thighs
Veiled in hijabs begging eyes
to see through
Jaunt
Jaunt
I seek a sidewalk, sit
This erection on tuck-in'd frame embarrasses
…me.
 
HIT AND RUN, RUIN
Incognito of shadows
Traffic lights shrouded black,
blinded by veil of politics, neglect
Hide limbs, these
torso askew: Old woman lay there
leaking
Written
askew
on tar.
 
LIVERPOOL MORNING MARKET
Bent prawns like everything shriek loud in death
Stink sweet sour loud
Here at Liverpool, under the bridge, by the waterside
A conurbation of haggling.
Still-life of aroma, redolence, loud.
Gibberish-y, loud.
 
NOODLES(AHOY, DOC!)
Tastiest China-men I ever saw
Crap, #nohomo
Tastiest China-women I ever saw
Stacked, wavy, complexion the complexion of China-man
There ya'll lay colourfully toga'd in flowery gowns of adverts
Here, too, by this road stand unrealised dreams of chicks-
Crack
Crack
Sizzle; Together: lunch
dinner
snack-
We eat you
 
SPECTATORS AND FISTICUFFS
"…except the Lord watch a house, its watchmen watch in vain."
At Shogunle.
You are cautious
Paying premium you skirt, skirt frays
But a stray, stray something…punch leaves your smile
a gape
Incisors, gone gone.
 
ACHIEVED YOUR KPI?
At a monthly performance review. 9, Wharf Road, Apapa.
Suits ties camisole jackets
These shoes shine for a living
Feet quake here for a reason-
Quake, feet, quake.
Your 3-month old won't understand your forced retirement

 

 

                  

Roland Writes as Rolands Ndu Akpe. Ibadan man born of Ukwuani parents. Banker, Agricultural Economist by training, a reader not a writer. Tweets as @Bloody_Voyeur. Reading Nigerian tax laws, at the moment, for fun.

 

Creative works (literature, art and culture) emerging from Nigeria.

Discussion1 Comment

  1. feyisayo adeyemi

    LOL 'Type of woman I can't have sex with' this opening line got me wondering among many things; what type of woman can you have sex with? Pray tell hehehe. I go from laughing to shaking my head many times while reading this. Lovely piece. Thanks for sharing 🙂

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