Hot Pot Magazine

By Joemario Umana

allahu akbah!

allahu akbah!

the voice of the muezzin rings out like an alarm        and i open my eyes to see the night rinsed of its melanin       here in Maiduguri        the day is always impatient to be born           outside       everything with life and without life greets itself          the broom makes the ground innocent of yesterday’s crimes     hunger announces itself in a child's cry      "ina kwana" serenades the air like music         and my nose welcomes the inviting tease of boiling spices next door   there's tender gratitude in everything    inside my room    i douse myself and the day with prayers       i sign myself with the cross before stepping into the day like a newborn coming out of the womb     in front of my feet     black dots march like school children brimming with hope        there was a time i played devil and sowed discord into their marching line       but not today     i    too     like them      and the day      am naive about how it will end but full of hope      wanting to embody this        i show them kindness and hope the day reciprocates. 

Joemario Umana is from Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria. He writes from Maiduguri, a northeastern region of Nigeria where he’s currently undergoing his studies. He is the author of the poetry gazelle published by Konya Shamsrumi titled A Flower Is Not The Only Thing That’s Fragile. His works have appeared in Trampset, Strange Horizons, Isele Magazine, Brittle Paper and elsewhere. He tweets @JoemarioU38615.