The Sun is Also a Punctuation Mark

Two poems from Nigerian poet and thespian, Sodiq Oyekanmi about depression and nonconformity

The Kalahari Review
Kalahari Review

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The Sun is Also a Punctuation Mark

the poem i wanted to write
started with a full — stop.

the sun rose yester — morn
& stumbled on a comma,

a boy woke up to stains
on the pages of his life

his lips: a bracket of questions
he punctuated his wrists

with semicolons — a stain
within a stain within a…

are those stains of red ink
or blood?!

sunset: he squeezed himself
into an ellipsis.

Names

(after Charlotte Akello)

Sodiq,
a name synonymous to a trustworthy being.
a name my parents found on a cold night
during tahajjud¹ — kneeling, standing and
beseeching to Allah for the name to befit me…

but names don’t define us,
they don’t mark our faces.

Oyèkànmí, ²
a name my father found fleeting
among my forefathers fading names.
he sewed the name on my skin
that maybe one day I’d aspire the chieftaincy…

but names don’t define us,
they don’t mirror us.

I have no flair for the seat.
I would rather be ilésanmí.³
& the trustworthy?
the last pious man died in a pool of lies.

1. tahajjud: a voluntary night prayer performed by Muslims.

2. Oyèkànmí: From the Yoruba word meaning it is my turn to receive the title.

3. Ilésanmí: a Yoruba word meaning home is the most benefiting & pleasing for me.

Sodiq Oyekanmi is a Nigerian poet and a student of the University of Ibadan, where he currently studies Theatre Arts. He enjoys writing poetry as he sees this as a creative outlet that enables him to reflect the world around him. He is a hopeless romantic. His works explore grief, depression, finding oneself, love and heart-quakes. His works have appeared on Echelon Review, and other literary blogs. When he is not reading or writing, he is listening to Kendrick and Eminem’s songs. You can find him on Facebook @SodïqOyèkànmí.

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