SOMEHOW, SOMEWHERE, BEYOND DARKNESS

1/6/2023

By Wisdom Adediji

Where I come from, the night is a stage clustered with dead songs,
songs beheld with broken tongues, with palms reeking of grief,
palms trying to grasp what fate wouldn't drop, chasing after a hopeless
rainbow, longing for rain like the roots of a thirsty tree, like the face
of flowers congested with sunlight, like the hope of kids waiting to

dash their bodies joyfully under the sky's tears, under the fall of broken
clouds, under the grieving atmosphere. Yet, we are shadows never lost
in darkness, like children of the soil finding solace in every gloom,
feasting life on every memory— memories as dark as mischief, as empty
as a shell, as tiny as crumbs of light wafting through nothingness,
wading in our hearts, leading us somehow, somewhere, beyond darkness.

Writer's Biography

Wisdom Adediji, NGP XI, is a Nigerian genre-bending writer. He currently studies Geography at the University of Ibadan and writes from there. His works have appeared/are forthcoming on Icefloe Press, Kalahari Review, African Writer magazine, NantyGreens, Spill Words, and others.

9 Comments

abasiamayanga

4/6/2023 04:28:23 pm

The poem has a fast pace. The descriptions used are great

Achakpokri Naomi link

9/6/2023 12:15:53 am

His creative use of word to bring out ideas is dashing

Gena

12/6/2023 09:59:45 pm

This is something I would write, I love the abstract

Ayomide Deborah

14/6/2023 01:13:15 pm

Nice 😄😄. The poem captures and describes a vivid and poignant world where, even in the darkest of nights, there is still a glimmer of hope and beauty.

The poem portrays the night in a certain place as a stage with dead songs and grieving palms, yet the people are resilient and find solace in memories and the promise of something beyond the darkness.

The poem highlights the contrast between sadness and hope in the night, using imagery of palms, rainbows, and memories. It connects the human experience with the world through similes and encourages embracing both sadness and hope. By holding onto memories, searching for rainbows, and never forgetting hope, the poem is motivational and inspirational, reminding us that life is a journey full of ups and downs, and we shouldn't give up.

The poem could benefit from a clearer structure and more consistent use of metaphors. Some of the images used are beautiful, but they could be strengthened by weaving them more seamlessly into the overall theme.

Peace

15/6/2023 12:52:03 pm

This is good.

Very descriptive, eliciting pictures in the mind of the reader.

Amaraeze Onyinyechi

24/6/2023 10:42:29 pm

This piece starts with a vivid view of hopelessness through the lens of the writer, but as one continues down the path this piece takes, they are introduced to a world of rising expectancy as shown in the concluding line — "wading in our hearts, leading us somehow, somewhere, beyond darkness".

Tayire Dorcas

27/6/2023 01:18:57 pm

This is a beautiful poem, I love the imagery and the beautiful usage of metaphors.

I love how it waded from being hopeless into being hopeful.

Onlycheddie

28/6/2023 08:08:04 am

Your use ability to use imagery and metaphors to paint mood kept me engaged as I read.

Esther Akinmusire

30/6/2023 04:10:18 pm

The poem starts off full of grief and vividly depicts distress in a very captivating way. But, as you tread down the piece, there's a contrast between said anguish and hope through similes that speak meaning.

It does speak to me as an illustration of our experiences and life in general as humans. We transcend our state of despair and despondency, to a view of hope that there's light at the end of the tunnel as captured in the writer's final words, "...leading us somehow, somewhere, beyond darkness."

Overall, a very commendable piece.

SOMEHOW, SOMEWHERE, BEYOND DARKNESS

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Copyright @SprinNG

SOMEHOW, SOMEWHERE, BEYOND DARKNESS

Leave a Reply.

Copyright @SprinNG​

Copyright @SprinNG