Tree House by Tega Ohwerhoye (April 2018 Publication)

6A deserted house sits on a tree
Sometimes the tree is fair
And grows leaves on every branch and stem
So that the house is hidden
Sometimes it disagrees that a house can be tired
Tired of arrivals that turn to departures and of being both
Of birds reaching home at dusk
Empty, without whistling
And leaving again at dawn
Leaving feathers and tales behind
A house can be tired of having half songs bounce off its walls
Sometimes the tree does not understand how a house can be tired of being a house

So it loses all its leaves
And bares out a tree house sitting on dry branches
So revealed that on such days
Even men without journeys arrive.

Tega Ohwerhoye hails from Delta State, Nigeria. He holds an M.A (International Relations) from Coventry University (UK); and a B.A (English [Literature Emphasis]) from Redeemers University (RUN), Nigeria where he served as the department’s Public Relations Officer (2011-2012). He currently works as an Administrative Officer in a Housing Firm. He has worked with the Debt Management Office (DMO); National Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and BMG Research, Birmingham, UK as a Market Research Agent. He taught Literature-in-English at Darlington Crest College, Abuja, Nigeria and is also a member of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Network. He loves music and paintings.