WITHERING BEAUTY // poem by S. Abdulwasi'h Olaitan

Your mother, at your very age,

was impregnated by a strange man,

swearing off the wedded bond

while she was the moon's first glory,

the talk of Igboho's village,

a name synonymous with Ramadan crescent,

a living rainbow on Friday mornings.

She repelled all men's tender glances,

dodging love; until she realized her beauty 

Is a daylight bound to die to the cold hand of night, 

until she met the father of her unborn child,

unexpectedly, in a time far less awaited.

My grandfather chopped enough firewood 

to last through the dinner hour. I stood there, 

holding bouquets of rusting flowers behind my back, 

symbols of decay & impermanence. Meanwhile, my 

grandmother peeped through the window, observing 

the fragile beauty of those dying flowers juxtaposed 

with the innocence of my palms. much like humanity 

falling victim to the merciless mouth of gunpowder.

Then, she whispered, "Nothing lasts forever; even 

a flower knows when to rust."

Bio: S. Abdulwasi'h Olaitan is a Nigerian introverted poet and essayist. He writes from a hole 54 kilometers away from Kwara State. He is deeply devoted to God and lover of his parents. He's the author of the longlisted chapbook "Life, An Objet D'art" (Arting Arena Poetry Chapbook Prize 2023). His works have been featured in various literary magazines, including The Graveyard Zine, O.P.A (Our Poetry Archive), Avant Appalachia Ezine, Ta Adesa Magazine, Shooting Star Magazine, Believeau Books, and elsewhere.

S. Abdulwasi'h Olaitan 

Facebook: S Abdulwasi’h Olaitan