A Ghazal among many

a capsule of failure lives in the basement of my grandfather’s house rotting in the village

between the walls of their grandfather’s house right there,
there are lots of stories to read if you write there.

baba was a warrior with so many wives,
after wars, he returned home and felt alright there.

secondary school is enough knowledge for a child,
he never called white black here nor called black white there.

he only cared for the steps leading to his room,
and how to switch between wives’ rooms at midnight there.

now dead, he rests behind the house with his dead wives,
from where he watches his wards as they smile fight there.

Tomide Abdul