Phaces

There are only a few worse things in life
than being born with a thousand faces
like being born with a thousand more
because by sunrise you must wear a son’s name
to live up to a father’s sunset dreams
for some of your faces are grey old men
wishing you become everything they aren’t
and others are clueless neonates
counting on silver spoons.
So you must learn to hide;
To lose yourself behind masks

And when your demons come,
wearing familiar faces,
Remember these words;
“Dear Masquerade,
That this is your curse;
You’d wear a thousand faces,
But none will be yours.”

———————

MenTally
(For Dr. Allwell Orji)

We are not all well
It’s why they say to go to Doctors
Why then do people, even doctors, all well, seek medicine beneath the Lagos Lagoon?

Perhaps;

Mentally,
men do not tally
whilst some can sail these stormy seas,
others drown;
like emotions in the salt water of a father’s eyes looking at his hungry children.

Mentally,
men do not tally.
so where some can wait for an uncertain tomorrow,
others forsake;
like the warmness of a heartbreak.

Mentally,
men do not tally.
whilst some can go through these forging fires,
others melt away;
like a mother’s loud laugh at her child’s funeral.

Yes, his fall is sure to come.
and whilst some will rise, some will need a hand.
Because mentally,
men really do not tally…

———————
Poetry © ‘Joba Ojelabi
Image: Roy Lister via Flickr (remixed)