Pigeon Love | Psalmuel Benjamin Oluwasheun | Poetry

Yesterday was an appointment missed. Interest-piqued, today, I expected a shocker and you gave me. You gave me your heart in a piece of Paper. Like PayPal, you made a transaction of affection and expected a business environment of mutual interest. I became an Icy rock at first, head stiffened, then, I turned to you and turned loose like water from the hem of a brook. I boldly told you we’d talk because I was scared and had nothing to say at the choir stand. I saw your eyes on a red line and your heartbeats sounded like an operandi macosa, waiting… waiting… na wetin him go say? Shey e no go dance to this true/through cadence? Fear was a fierce storm finding peace in your chest. I saw its tail— nailed on your forehead. Thereafter, my dear, at that corner… I blabbered with random asks, psyches and diversion attempts. But your dwindling heart only yearned for a “yeah” or “nay” I knew. I adjourned until Sunday, yet, through the journey in the rickety van after the revival, I still heard our hearts beat. Your smile didn’t lift off when I alighted. Denying your beauty is treason and pushing you away is having you in my head instead of my heart. This is my reply, love: your love is a debut gospel and pure like a bright light. Your green mind is bliss but babe, maybe you’re just a perfect lover with imperfect strides, cheated by age and time. I mean, you’re prolly a kid who came late to love but recognizes her grown crush. Do not let this letter crush you, please. Can i trust you? Can i trust you to stay around me as an incubator for your heart until a substitute shows up? Do you love me enough to bear my breaking your heart? Do you? Do you love me enough to allow me say “nay” softly, with my hands on your soft shoulders? Will you wait to hear me say that I love you? That I love your courage like a lioness and you, like a sister? Will you wait this long and not let out salty waters on that plastic face? Darling? Darling?

Psalmuel Benjamin Oluwasheun word commander 1, author of REUNION, is a poet, writer and spoken word poet from Nigeria. He writes from Ewekoro in Ogun state. He’s the 2nd runner up of the PROFWIC SPOKEN WORDS POETRY CONTEST 2022, A quarterfinalist of War of Words9 2022, winner of Shuzia thursday poetry challenge sept., 2022, finalist at POF4 (pen on fire) Longlisted for BOPP poetry prize 2022 with works published on PAROUSIA, CC, LUMIERE REVIEW, Agape, ARTS LOUNGE, eskimopie mag, Lion and Lilac, Allegro, Shuf Poetry, Communicators’ League, mixedmag, Nanty Greens, Kalahari Review, My Woven Words, Fieryscribe Review and others are places where you can find his works. If he’s not writing, he’s doing a whole lot of other things like drama, painting, preaching and all Facebook: Psalmuel-benjamin olúwásheun, Insta: Spokespsalmuel