Migraine Thesis
by Ayomide Bayowa
CW: drugs, war/state violence
(i) At Miami depot escaping a despot,
bright children fold American dreams to their blinds
& later set free their sights to seek different lights.
It looks simply- like a bee, sea- whatnot.
Adults scold as usual. Waters are tongues’ masterminds,
castling the youngling’s shelters to liquid alights.
(ii) I cry,
“O America! Only thee God hath trust in, to recruit refugees
To invade their homelands with vindictive delight.”
Some parents fold up their kids' affairs in Soviet lees.
Others, mouth-gashed, as if vulnerable to a fountain faucet's fright.
(iii) “O America! draft me in the first-three rebellion commandments:”
Bay- relenting ship-vows & modern homecoming desperados,
of- silly strategies, & resolute troops as
Pigs- snorting dirty drugs in camouflages.
(iv) Say I lack citation because home is not a reliable source.
these words are not mine-
mine are bomb-clatters deposited in passersby’s faces, “Bomboclats!”
I don’t mean to scare the children/ alter their dreams’ form.
Tell me, what country's anthem does not have "O"
discriminating adlibs?
A crazy demo on the fade,
“Sip me a Kennedy weed and see how high
I could Pilot a B-26 beyond a Cuban sky
Ayomide Bayowa is a Nigerian-Canadian poet and filmmaker. He studies Theatre Studies and Creative Writing at the University of Toronto, Canada. He was a long-list of the Nigerian Students Poetry Prize 2018, shortlist of the 2018 Eriata Oribabhor's Poetry Contest, 2018 and 2019 Christopher Okigbo Interuniversity Poetry Prize, the runner up of the 2020 On-Spot Poetry Writing Contest and the winner of the 2020 July's Open Drawer Poetry Contest, the second runner up of the maiden edition of Arojah Playwriting Prize, 2020 and a finalist of the 9th Open Eurasian Literary Festival (Poetry Category). He is the author of the chapbook, 'Stream of Tongues, Watercourse of Voices.'