Temidayo Jacob
Fresh Water
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i am not meant to spit some stories out of my mouth, because like fresh water, they have a very low amount of sweetness. i have many stories with titles like grief, tears, fears, and some other things. there is a story about the first time i surrendered myself to a girl to be used. there are so many names for sacrifice, and crucifixion isn't even one of them. a curtain once danced to grief and it got torn apart from top to bottom because there are many stages of grief:
i you hear about your father's death and a sudden burst of electric energy hits you running from your head to toe ii pain — the enemy of pleasure — sees your body and soul and mind worthy of providing shelter for its sojourn iii guilt doesn't make love to you only when you make love to sin; it also kisses its way into the depth of your sorrow iv you do not need fire to become enraged; sometimes, a reminder that you just lost your father is the only trigger you need v you'll plead — "death please, bring back my father. i promise never to smoke again if you just bring him back to me right now" vi every daylight is a replica of the night every lullaby transforms into a dark dirge every water starts tasting like insecticide vii at the river; you, the moon and the waves — waving goodbye to your father's breath; recalling memories and renaming them viii dawn comes; sunlight begins to break — like a chick breaking out of its shell — into the darkness in your bloodshot eyes ix sunrise like this is not for birds to sing — it’s for you to reconstruct your body and fill the void your father created in you x like songbirds with mute voices flying; you accept yourself and your emptiness and your silence and your everything xi look beyond the horizon; make for yourself a deep sigh of relief and hope one day your lost voice will return and you will sing |
Biography
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Temidayo Jacob is a Sociologist who writes from the North Central part of Nigeria. He is passionate about espousing the conflict between the individual and the society, especially through identity, sexuality and conformity. He is the CEO of foenix press. He is also the author of Beauty Of Ashes. Temidayo's work has appeared and is forthcoming in Rattle, Outcast Magazine, Lucent Dreaming, The Temz Review, Peeking Cat Poetry, Page Adventure, and others. He is also a contributor to leading anthologies. You can reach him on Twitter @BoyUntouched.
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