Imole Olusanya

  I may ask you to call me when you need help but that does not mean...

Tara had always loved Jones, her brother's new friend. He had always been nice to her and was always with the smiles that could speak a thousand words. She waited for him to tell her how he felt about her but for months he never did. It was Tara's birthday and she thought that Jones would let her know his feelings for her that day. She brought her male friends to the party to make Jones jealous; she wanted to nudge Jones into action. Tara's friends knew that she had fallen head over heels for Jones for months and they decided to help her. However, Jones did not seem ruffled by all they were doing to make him feel jealous and Tara almost lost all hope. The party ended and there were loads of gifts for the celebrant. Tara and her friends went to work, searching for Jones' gift. In the end, they founded it; a white flower. It was not her wedding day and she was not bereaved. To her, and to what she had been told and been made aware of, in such a situation, it could only me...

  Do I make you feel as a teetotaller feels when he takes a cup of beer? Does my sight warm your heart or hurts your eyes as gazing at the sun does? Does my touch feel like the raging sun on your skin or like rain on the same? Does my arms around you make you feel in a safe haven or does it make you feel surrounded by thistles fortified by summer? Do you at my presence feel like a caged bird or like a bird set free? How free do you feel? Is it like a bird set free with its feather to fly plucked? Does your smile as bright as the noon sun define how you feel with me or hide the same? Does your heart tingle or squirm? Does your heart scream to your lips to take mine in captivity or does it scream to your legs to take over? Do I do your precious life as stars do the sky or as feet do the river? Do I as water does fire or as good soil does root do you?

It is dawn and the little monkey is thirsty he drinks on with no ear for the evils da da dum he drinks and raises his head in glee Tum tum the hospitable brooks gurgle the leopard prances in the thicket from a distance father monkey calls little monkey stiffens and swings away the leopard retreats. The sheep scamper with the puppies they lay across the road with goats the sheep amble with the calves while frisking with the kids the ewe calls gambol with the puppies but never eat the same move with the goats but never act the same saunter with the calves but stray not to the bullring this the orphaned lamb knows not. The moorhen flies to the runnel the pipit adores serenity the thrush and the blackbird perches the fowler spreads his net the poacher triggers his riffle mother thrush tweets and squawks the fowler fouls up and the poacher poaches void only the deaf bird is entangled.