The Song I Never Sang Poem by Damilare Tella

From far away, i could hear the sounds of you
with my hands i clutched, in my heart i kept
To every blink of your eyes, I wrote a song
To the melody your breath, I beat my father's gong
I even danced to the rhythm of your heartbeat

The gods can bear me witness
For they caused the beads around your waist to sing along
Even your steps in the forest made the dry leaves joined the
chorus
The torrent of the river in the evening time made the song a joy
behold

Everyday, i whispered this song into the breeze
hoping twill come to you at the peace of dusk, when dream was sweet to have
For i feared if i sang into your ears
The whip of your father's guards on my back will kill the rhythm
I'll bleed and turn into a dessert for flies

I feared if i sang, the sky would loose its blue and the field its
green
The soil its brown and the snow its white.
The sun its gold and the moon its glow
The river its flow and the evening its calm

Alas, another has sang my song to you
What choice have i?
I must feed, else i become the vulture's meal
And for this, my soul has lost its homeness within me
yet, dawn's still dark and dusk its brightful self
Now, it is to another's song i must dance
for the song i wrote, i never sang