For Otuoo Acheampon
my skin has been properly flayed
Its ebony still swallowing light
a photosynthesis of worlds surviving on little
I’ve eaten the roasted eyes of my suitors
and now God averts his gaze
but you are divinity shoved in a flesh bag
ethereal is messy
What we have my priest calls sin
by this I mean what I have for you
is what a dog has for its master
or a young man stitching himself into a wife
Kwame Boateng
Kwame Boateng is a Ghanaian poet and artistic activist for human rights with deep love for performance poetry and theater. His work is forthcoming and has been featured in the Contemporary Ghanaian Writers Series (CGWS) an organization that publishes anthologies of new Ghanaian writers, Ta Adesa Magazine, Maroko Magazine, and Olongo Africa. His works explore the themes of grief, protest, and loss.
Twitter: @AGodcalledBoat
Photo by Atte Grönlund on Unsplash