THE FIRE THAT FORGOT || Patience Nanmet Emmanuel || Poetry
THE FIRE THAT FORGOT
When I found mine,
Everything would make sense.
I was young,
So I didn’t know what it was,
Or what would be.
I grew,
clinging to the beautiful,
The happy memories you created.
I dove into the water again and again,
Hoping it would wash you away
But you stayed,
a birthmark that grows with me,
unchanged, but fighting dirty.
I was fine when he came.
I wanted things to stay like that.
He was your eviction.
But also your echoing nightmare.
He wasn’t supposed to happen,
But he helped me heal.
Many tried,
but my looks alone brought them to their knees.
The doctors said my mind
was locked somewhere with you.
I wanted out,
but I couldn’t
even when you let go.
They all wanted to be you,
but better.
But you are you.
They are them.
He didn’t impress me.
Not at first.
He drove me through madness,
showed me something new,
and led me out of my mind.
I heard you were looking for me
Somewhere in a city
where the sun never sets.
I wrote all the poems I could,
And I hurt and longed for you
for far too long.
I just wanted you to talk to me,
even if she was alive.
I was hurting.
Now,
I’m learning to live again
And you chose to open the wounds.
Heaven help me
If I can say no to you ever
How do I convince hell
to take me away from you?
I asked my demons
to drag you out
But I prayed to God
so much to be with you
And He finally answered.
I’d trade my life
to be someone I can’t remember.
But the flames won’t stop.
They burn harder
when I try to forget you.
Some days,
I can go without you.
Some days,
I walk through fire with you in mind again
I’m trying not to be caught up
But I am.
So he did me up.
It hurts
because I love you.
And you forgot how to love.
Patience Nanmet Emmanuel is a multifaceted 25-year-old student, waitress, and radio producer with a passion for storytelling. When she's not conjuring up tales, Patience enjoys snapping pictures, trying new things, and hanging out with friends. A self-proclaimed 'super girl,' she's dedicated to making a difference in the world - especially for African women, children, endangered animals, and plants. With her HND in Mass Communication from Pankshine, Patience is ready to take the literary world by storm.