-Adeniran Abdbasit Adeyemi

Fees We Deserve

Daybreak brings no light—  

Night falls heavy in this valley,  

Echoes of bullets fill the air,  

The streets are painted red with blood.  

I long for the earth to reveal a path,  

For these unspoken pleas to mend  

The broken colours of our sky.  

I wish the gunfire above would cease,  

Its thunder silenced at last.

They say when the squirrel cries,  

Its scent lingers forever.  

I wish this city could be renewed,  

That freedom would find us here.  

I fear my mother’s lullabies will soon  

Fade into memories etched on walls

Adeniran Abdbasit Adeyemi is a poet, Yorùbá bullroar, writer, teacher, language transcriber, painter and literary enthusiast. His works have  recently appeared or are forthcoming in Brittle paper, CÓN-SÌÒ poetry Magazine ISSUE 4, and Brigitte poirson Poetry Contest 2022. He is also a strong advocate for literature and the arts and is actively involved in promoting literary culture and supporting emerging writers. Adeyemi is a fellow of the Ebedi International Writers Residency 2024. He is @AbdbasitAdeyemi on X, and Adeniran Abdbasit Adeyemi on Instagram, Facebook and Substack