Veneration // Ferdinand Emmanuel Somtochukwu // Poetry

 

Veneration

How strange it is, then,

that we praise the ruin wreathing our hearts. We cast an eye to the wound and call it healing. How ironic, when we break through rock, we say nothing. The journey of a thousand miles begins with the dragging of a foot. To touch the sands of Bethlehem, we chase cold stars for days without rest. So why shouldn’t I honor the distance my feet have carried me? Perhaps for the sweat falling from my pores. Perhaps for the body’s yes—even in its ache. All my life, I’ve chased the spotlight, neglecting the dots. How unfortunate we want the crown, but not the thorns. We want the stage, but skip the floorboards. We want the road, but refuse the steps. And tonight, if the road must swallow my flesh, so be it. Let it begin. Let it start, whenever. For now, I’ll praise these attempts, these small pursuits of life. What does not kill me makes me stronger.

PS* "What does not kill me makes me stronger" is a quote by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche

Ferdinand Emmanuel Somtochukwu, Swan XXI, is a young emerging Nigerian poet and essayist. He has works published or forthcoming in Arts Longue, Kalahari Review, AprilCentaur, Poetry Column, Poetry Sango-Ota, Isele, Anmly and elsewhere. Connect with him on X @EmmanuelSomto17.