FRIEND

I never got to tell you, my friend,

But I never went home after the war. 

I lost the map that was given to me by my general,

I lost my sense of direction. 

You perceive life as a journey,

I perceive life as a mockery of our entire existence. 

 

My friend, when the war was over, 

I was never the same. 

We both fought strongly.

When we walked down abandoned paths, 

Past the children that played games we watched from closed windows,

I flinched a little, an urge to pull out my gun and shoot. 

You say we should not fight,

You say it is not a war anymore.

I spent my life in a burning house,

I perceive the world through fire. 

I wonder how you stay so calm when memories of our past come up.

 

I imagine you lay at night, 

Wondering if it was all a bad dream.

But scars don’t heal,Wounds do. 

We were given scars.

You told me once that you feared a breakout some day. 

I laid in bed that night and uttered a prayer for our safety. 

I grew up a kid without armor,

Sent to a battlefield with people yielding weapons. 

You fought your whole life for a chance to raise your hand,

 

A chance to speak. 

We fought a battle that we didn’t need to fight,

One waged for kissing a boy.

 

 

 

BIO:

David Idiowa Iwori-Agiobu was born in 2002 in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. 

Growing up, he was fascinated with mystery novels, and this interest led to some early exposure to reading since he was drawn to stories related to this. Later, Mr. Iwori-Agiobu, who now studies biotechnology at the college level, developed a passion for writing. 

Instagram : @Idiowaiwori

Twitter : idiowaiwori