​at the mention of happiness

By Hassan Usman

last year saw me looking for exits in my own body
this is how black boys abscond from too much darkness
i learnt that grief is a stubborn grass
it grows where it’s not wanted
so to survive, i sit within a discolored poem
adding echoes to the sounds of hope
but does the world know the sea also suffers thirst?
it’s a new year & at the mention of happiness ​

i am still unable to command my lips to a smile
everything i give a name is swallowed by silence
i swear i do not know the origin of this anguish
i do not know how to hold grace like an egg
without cracking it
I have faith in heavens to undo the years spent in ruin
but it’s as if God is on a long vacation 
it’s as if the angels, too, have settled on land 
maybe when i offer myself to a whirlwind 
i will find my body shawled around the arms of peace

Writer's Biography
Hassan Usman, pen-named Billiospeaks, is 2/4 of Next Generational Poets. He studies Counselor Education at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State. He sees poetry as a way of relieving stress and filling up emptiness. His works have appeared in The Shallow Tales Review, Write The World, WattNigeria, and elsewhere. In addition, he enjoys listening to Nigerian street music and exploring the fashion world.