You are insistent rain,
headstrong against the roof.
I hide from your gaze like the sky
hides behind the tree, wearing it
like an emerald hood.
I missed you when you were looking
at the sun’s other side. I slipped
my foot into a shoe that once belonged
to you. I dusted your shelf
with a shirt I no longer wear.
We have failed at love –
I still wear your shadow
and hold the poison
in my fist, tightly, like a key.
In my dream, I wander naked
into the past where the rain
is dark and hot and no wonder
we are so blemished. I know
the taste of regret. I know how it tickles
& burns the throat. I know the heat of your palm
flat on my cheek. How quickly the rain turns
from drizzle to storm.
Toju Lusan is a Nigerian writer and photographer whose work primarily explores intimacy, connection, and faith.
