The Search Poem by Olalekan Joseph Ajayi

Tears that mine eyes will not shed
Rain perpetually in my heart
And guilt, like the sun
Rises and sets daily within me

Standing there
I did not look up to see her eyes
But my ears heard her voice
Saying she was visiting the Holy house

She rivals the wall gecko
Yet did not return from the sanctuary at nightfall
Several dawns and dusks
Brought with them trepidation
Fuelled by human sacrifices at intersects

I rushed to the tabernacle
The Priest denied seeing her
His words a dagger in the soul
My flesh desired to cause him pain
And torch the temple
But the spirit numbed my limbs

The harmattan winds propelled me
As I traversed the Ancient city
She lay not in the midst of the dead
Nor among the long lost in the bush

The crier's gong summoned the town
For a search
But only fond memories of her good deeds
Were uttered as though she were dead

Where could she be?
What do I tell my Mother's sons?
And her kinsmen?

She cannot be found but will find her home
Say the prophets and clerics
She nears me in my dream
But I'm unable to lure her out of the dream

Now, my feet covered with dust
My hair turned grey
Conscience sets me free

I have performed a son's function
And this search will come to an end
When she walks through those gates again.