on the seat / without warning / the wind deluges my nostrils / with vanilla fragrance / i gawk
ahead / a periwinkle (flower) / escaping a passerby’s basket / elegantly descends / the palms of
the air / & unwinds the stringent lock / that stifles my memories / by the shore / water racing
back & forth / attempting to grasp our feet / me & you / seated / fingers interwoven / like nets
fishing / for stars / in a constellation / you / crooning Romeo & Juliet by Johnny Drille / me /
attenuating the glow / carving a fervid smile on my face / airplanes wing the vacuous sky /
ruffling the tranquility in the atmosphere / & yanks my mind to the present / a bus parks / i
discharge a disheartened sigh onto my phone / no messages / a week has bolted / since i inhumed
a paper with my number / in the cup of your palm / still / no contact / i rise & bestow the belly of
the bus / with my presence / bye…
ahead / a periwinkle (flower) / escaping a passerby’s basket / elegantly descends / the palms of
the air / & unwinds the stringent lock / that stifles my memories / by the shore / water racing
back & forth / attempting to grasp our feet / me & you / seated / fingers interwoven / like nets
fishing / for stars / in a constellation / you / crooning Romeo & Juliet by Johnny Drille / me /
attenuating the glow / carving a fervid smile on my face / airplanes wing the vacuous sky /
ruffling the tranquility in the atmosphere / & yanks my mind to the present / a bus parks / i
discharge a disheartened sigh onto my phone / no messages / a week has bolted / since i inhumed
a paper with my number / in the cup of your palm / still / no contact / i rise & bestow the belly of
the bus / with my presence / bye…

Praise Osawaru is a writer and poet of Bini descent. He's a Best of the Net nominee with works in Blue Marble Review, FERAL, Ghost Heart Lit, Glass Poetry, Rising Phoenix Review, Serotonin, Sub-Saharan Magazine, and elsewhere. He was longlisted for Babishai 2020 Haiku Award and shortlisted for the Nigerian Students Poetry Prize 2020. He's on Instagram/Twitter: @wordsmithpraise.