Poetry
Highway!
Káyọ̀dé Ayobami
for the hustlers at the Lagos-Ìbàdàn express road
My older friend's flip-flop
knows the heartbeat of the
highway. Cars, after purchasing
his goods, leave smoke to fill his
pocket in the stead of currency.
He doesn't mind the potholes
that keep harvesting his toenails
untimely—this is how he makes
sense of earnest endeavor.
His quick feet after every car.
His ears, paying attention to
every honk. His red eyes,
figuring out needy passengers.
A rag-like flannel on his body,
collecting flood of sweat every
second, while the sun smiles
away in mockery. He says:
Here in Ìbàdàn, an express
lane & an office aren't oxymoronic.
This piece is from the first issue of Topograph. Consider subscribing to our newsletter or donating to support our work.
Káyọ̀dé is a Nigerian and an African literature enthusiast, interested in Academics and Yorùbá translation. His works have been published or are forthcoming in echelon, IceFloe Press, Olongo, Àtẹ́lẹwọ́, PoetrySangoỌta, Isele, the Ake Review, South Florida Poetry Journal, and elsewhere. He was shortlisted for the Ake Climate Change Poetry Prize (2022).