by Ayooluwa Olasupo (Imisi)

Piercing into the dark alley,
The hairs on my ears stood
As I stamped my feet against the bones,
Of the comrades that crumbled;
The jewels who lost their lustre in this cave of doom.

Crouching under the cold night,
My soul, soaked in vinegar
Facing florid, fierce fears,
Wondering what my fate would be

Couldn't this night set itself ablaze
And all my tremors trek away?

But I was restrained by a distant floodlight,
Beaming brighter, rushing towards me
Like a freshly released dam,
My body brightened by a host of seraphims flying on wings,
Bearing blazing fire upon bare hands
Soon my path absorbed the sun
Hope returned home like the prodigal son.

How could I have prevailed over darkness,
Or leaped over the gate of despair
If heaven had not embraced me with embers of light!

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Ayooluwa Olasupo (Imisi) is a Nigerian poet and medical doctor who writes from Osogbo, Osun State. Her works have appeared in Christian Literary Hub’s Anthology, The Shallow Tales Review Literary Magazine, Eboquills, Shuzia, Afritondo and elsewhere. She was top six in the Pregnant Poems Contest 2020. She’s the Editor-in-Chief of the Scent and Sceptre Teen Magazine and curator/founder of Star and Nectar Literary Magazine; also currently the Vice Chairman of Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, Osun State Chapter, Nigeria. She’s an editor and contributory author to a number of magazines, blogs and other publications. Her writing often conveys messages of hope, healing and courage. When she’s not reading, writing or attending to her medical passion, she enjoys listening to and making music, cooking, public speaking and telling children in the neighbourhood twilight tales.