Facebook-f Twitter Instagram Linkedin-in
Search

In: Anthology

Rattus’ Haibun – Chinaza James-Ibe

I am morally constipated, woman, I have no excreta to offer. However green the mint eyes. However scarlet the blue sea. However auburn the purpling sky, I will not bruise into a scab. Black & beaten & bound, I will not be. I will cruise – jocular – upon the devil’s spear-cackle, past the orifices of heaven and hell and love and brittle and tender and please – I will live my death and kill my life. I, crater. I, liar. I, thief. From the crepuscular corners of my rotting mouth, I pus you. Glorify the bloated dead & poison & glue-board & trip-wire & cheese-trap & murder – kiss my browning whiskers, lick my slimy tail. You do not know what it means to be born dirty and scampering with a distrust of unscarce bread and fear and fear and fear of –

 

glum shadow,
raven and foot-sized life-pit
pooling, pooling.

Chinaza James-Ibe writes and practices photography in Nigeria. Her work has appeared in Luminary Lines, Poetry Column-NND, Poetry Sango-Ota, Akewi, Isele Magazine, Lolwe, The Shallow Tales Review, Agbowo, Brittle Paper, and elsewhere. She recently won the 2024 Awele Creative Trust Short Story Award, and the Nwelechi Prize for Non-fiction. 

Donate to 20.35 Africa

At 20.35 Africa, we seek to build towards the future of African letters that our readers, contributors, and staff deserve – one that uplifts living African poets from all over the continent and the diaspora. This effort is sustained by a committed team whose work is mostly pro bono. 20.35 Africa has thus thrived over the years through the sheer passion of its members, who share an understanding of the imperative position of their work. The other half of that work is you and we hope you will help us continue building into the future with your contributions. 

Your generous support helps us pay for the administrative and general operating costs of running this organization. We want to thank you in advance for supporting living African poets and the pursuit of crafting a new contemporary voice, a collection of voices. Our publications remain free and open to the public for consumption. Your generosity and continuous support make all of this possible.

venmo-logo

@AfricanPoetry

Zelle-logo

donate@2035africa.org