Man of the Year – Michael Emerald O
When hell had no more rooms,
the devils were given six more realms.
Out of the realms was dashed out
to a man– a territory of thornbush.
He was a man with many faces
& his life;many phases.
December 31, light twinkled
& sparkled electrocuted body & flesh.
2020 smoke found its way
down into his throat– burning
& snuffing life out of its lanky,
slim black body.
His wife & children found
haven in the new year
in the embrace of open arms.
January 30, 2020. A deadly venom
Paid the man country, a homage.
To his horror, one building
after the next crumbled…
Until the entire street was nothing,
but desolation, heaps of rubble & stone.
The grass turned black–
The fruit fell off trees.
No door on his entrance
to smear blood on.
Coronavirus peeped in
& petrified his wife.
Days passed by, with nights
branded by the music of quietude.
The girl in his children
was the next subject formula.
she was silenced
under the veil of manhood.
She became a mangled body
& gave up the ghost.
October 20, 2020,
his son fought
for the freedom of his country.
To his aversion,
the son died as a martyr.
His blood streamed on the streets of lekki.
The man knotted lumps in his throat,
in creepy places; of broken cartilage.
His face kowtowed in filth,
as he anointed three graves with teardrops
– of his wife
– of his daughter
– & of his son; the martyr.
2020 won (2021);
he deserved a trophy!
He is the man of the year.
Michael Emerald O. (he/him) is a Nigerian poet, artist, & photographer. His creative works have appeared, or are forthcoming on Necro magazine, Nymph, Undivided magazine, Feral, Third Estate Art magazine, thehearth magazine, kalonipa, & elsewhere. He loves reggae & rap, adores football and boxing, and fantasizes about reincarnating as an angel. He tweets @GemmyEmerald
