Central London: everyone seems to always be in a rush. So the right side of the escalator is perfectly convenient for me. But it’s nothing to worry about. London is always in motion, like every other human or natural settlement. I am talking now as a first-timer in London, absorbing the vibes of a city I have always dreamt of.
Dream:
loop: but who is going to let
their kite
fly away—after
the birdsong
Autumn:
forward silver. The last lotion to be used
parallel friends. Candlelight through glass & lilacs
slow sunset. The length of tenor & bass in one night
both hands. At peace with chocolate & washing machines
Abuja:
speak to gates, speak
to creeping yellows
the first scarf you see
looks like your mum’s
is she a friendly ghost
you ask. two hands
around one glass
no squares, no grey
no time—you want your back
on bubbles and you want
the clock out of your life—this
place has a dream
of green and white and
jazz and wet fingers
David Ishaya Osu is a poet, memoirist and street photographer. His work has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies across Nigeria, Uganda, the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, India, France, Bangladesh, South Africa, Austria, and elsewhere. He is the poetry editor of Panorama: The Journal of Intelligent Travel, and a board member of Babishai NiwePoetry Foundation based in Uganda. David has an MA in Creative Writing (with distinction) from the University of Kent, and is the author of the poetry chapbook, When I’m Eighteen (2020). You can find out more about David on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.