when my reverend baptized me

he prayed for a joy that never ends

who still plays hide and seek in the dark

or is it just me and my gang?

music in the background

bonfire to the right, barbecue to the left

and milk to wash away all our anxieties

we’re at the point where we’re neither hot nor cold, neither young nor old

just lukewarm and brimming with anticipation of tomorrow’s success stories

Lumley beach teeming with lost souls

We shine in the dark to guide them home

Like fireflies and lighthouses and music of the late nineties

Late night vibes are the nicest.

Adeola Carew is Freetown-based writer and poet.