I may not wander on the street
I may not wear tattered clothes
I may not keep dishevelled hair
I may not utter jargons of no meaning
I may not look mentally ill
What if;
I hide my screams under a charming smile
My heart is battered under my glowing skin
My skin cries for cure with all manners of bruises
My mind is of plots and schemes to go the world beyond
My sleek shoes have scorpions stinging my toes
Just what if…
I’ve given up on everything
And I’m only a walking corpse
With neither soul nor spirit
Dead before I die
Then…
Would you finally hear my scream
or maybe you would read my note
of the prelude to my death
-and the ghost that haunted my days;
of hope and disappointment
of expectations and betrayal
of love and heartbreak
and most importantly…
of being let down by the world I gave all to…
You would hear my scream,
while my lifeless body hung
to the only solace I found
…that of death.
Sobogun Mariam
Sobogun Mariam is a graduate of University of Ilorin, and currently a corp member. She resides in Lagos and is passionate about writing.