when deciduous trees shed in autumn,
yellow leaves fall off.
yellow is the colour that heralds winter.
yellow is the colour of paleness.
what is the colour of a depressed heart?
can i say that my autumn has come?
because i feel paleness in my heart.
i know withering happens in bits –
trees shed from autumn through winter
till they become naked
and their branches hang bare in the frosty winter air.
depression happens in bits too…
our hearts are left loose in chilly moments –
naked. lonely. vulnerable.
& we blur slowly
like trickles of water from a half-squeezed cloth.
they say trees are photosynthesised in summer:
they sip strength from the soil via their stem.
they say farmers are gay in summer:
fields are ploughed into seedbeds,
& seeds are laid in dark soils of bright hope.
they say beaches are filled in summer:
people gather in picnic groups,
beneath colourful umbrellas near coconut trees,
& pose for camera with smiles and ice creams.
summer might mean different things to different people.
still, in all,
summer is warmth. is radiance. fruitfulness.
& summer is strength.
for me,
last summer, i was a yellow daffodil in a happy orchard.
for me,
summer was siblings. summer was friends.
was smiles. was laughter. relief. colourful pop-ups on my screen.
summer was memories, musing, a pen, a notepad…
how long does it take for winter to end?
is it the same duration as the cold in my heart?
as the numbness in my throat?
as depression?
i know withering begins to end when spring comes;
and i pray i survive to see the next spring.
Enobong Ernest Enobong is a Nigerian writer resident in Lagos. He has particular interest in creative and essay writings; and has written several short fictions and poems (including haiku) that cut across subjects including nature, humanity, culture, Africanism, social and national consciousness, nostalgic events, politics, the Divine, and death. He has also authored a number of essays and articles. His work has been previously published on Praxis Magazine, Haikuniverse, Nnoko Stories, The Kalahari Review, Nasara Creative, The Shallow Tales Review, Poetry City and elsewhere.
Currently, Enobong is a law student at the University of Lagos. Find him here, Facebook Instagram, Twitter.
