Panacea

By Hameedah Aruwa

the eyes of melancholy bear witness
as i milk
these lines from the discordant
words roaming in my head
i did not think that the
relics of my will
could enable this reversion
wallowing in a sheaf of
uncertainties has cluttered my heart
with indelible woes
and i wonder
if my prayers ever make it
to god’s ears
if they ever transcend the
borders of my lips
i had convinced myself to sever ties
with the art
but here i am writing again
and this is how poetry reminds me
that i am not
alone
that however far i might run
it will always trail
behind me
the balm to my wounds
a salvation
from the vacuum that expands
within me
an anchor
a remedy
relief
from drying my tears
it has become
the air i breathe

Hameedah Aruwa (she/her) is a poet and writer from Nigeria. Her works have been published in Praxis Magazine, Eboquills, Afro lit mag, Madrigal, the Hearth & elsewhere. You can find her on twitter @Ugbede_Aruwa & on IG @_aruwa_hameedah