Poetry

Your Roses

I saw the roses you got me.

They were beautiful.

They had thorns,

Much like our relationship,

The red as deep as the lipstick I wear,

To impress you on dates,

The smell as intoxicating as yours when we hug.

But the biggest similarity you have with the roses;

They wilted and faded after sometime,

Just like you did. 

Zakkiyah Ibrahim is a poet and student living in Freetown, Sierra Leone

A sabi yu

A sabi yu, as a tɔk yu dɔn vɛks, wan chans yu nɔ de gi mi fɔ se wetin de na mi chɛst

A sabi yu, wetin pipul dɛn gɛt fɔ se bɛtɛ pas yu pikin in pen

A sabi yu, a kin wan kam nia yu so bɔt yu se a de ambɔg yu, so?

A sabi yu, as yu adɔp, wok nɔ go wɛl, ɛnitin a tɔk naw na pwɛl

A sabi yu, a taya fɔ ɛxplen, bo, mi mama yu de kɔz mi bɛku pen

A sabi yu, as a tɛl yu di tru, yu se a disrɛspɛktful, bɔt mama a nɔ fityay yu

A sabi yu, nɔto ignɔ a de ignɔ, na fred a de fred yu

A sabi yu, yu nɔ kia bɔt mi, wetin na os, klos ɛn plenti it we mi spirit ɛmpti

A sabi yu, as yu kɔl mi so, mi at de kɔt, bɔdi de nav... 'wetin a dɔn du bak'

A sabi yu, mi ɛn yu fɔ wok as tim? bɔt mi at ful, wetin egen a fɔ tot fɔ yu

A sabi yu, yu nɔ de tray fɔ mek dis wok, yu jɔs de mek tings wɔs, yu want mek a listin to yu bɔt yu nɔ wan yɛri wetin a gɛ fɔ tɔk

A sabi yu, we a vɛks ɛn go naw, yu bigin kɔl lɛk natin nɔ apin

A sabi yu, as a kam sidɔn na pala so, yu bigin ala pan mi, aw mi na disapɔyntmɛnt, yu rigrɛt we yu bɔn

A sabi yu, a kɔmɔt na os, o naw yu mis mi? a min yu tɔk se mi ɛn yu nɔto padi!

A gi yu mi ɔltin, a cray fɔ yu te, ɛvri nɛt a de beg Gɔd mek ɔltin fayn bitwin yu ɛn mi, bɔt yu nɔ bi want dat so natin nɔ lɛf egen

A sabi yu, na bikɔz ɔf dat mek a de rɔn pa yu, wetin egen a fɔ du?

Isha Razak is a Sierra Leonean student based in the UK

A Nɔ Want Yu

No.

It's not because I'm having an affair with a wealthy married man who buys me pretty things and promises me he'll leave her for me; A nɔ want yu.

Yes, I know you're ABC and you do XYZ, you'll take me here and there and do this and that; "But a nɔ want yu".

Even though she'll give the world to be here with you, a jus nɔ want yu.

Your shoes; tanned leather, your collar; starched-stiff, your skin touched with that jc gloss and your back pocket bulging and screaming "you know say money no be problem"

But a still nɔ want yu.

Don't do that. I said no.

Don't call me that. No means no.

Careful now, your ugly is starting to show.

Don't ask me "Aw yu de mek so ba", because I already told you. A nor want u. Without an explanation or apology.

A nɔ want yu.

Rejected, jilted, self conflicted sexually frustrated turned angry, vindictive slanderous story teller.

"Bitch", "slut", "hypocrite" just a few untrue words you said out loud and to every idle ear to restore your shrunken ego, just because I said...

Ebun Tengbeh is a Lawyer and Poet based in Sierra Leone.