A poem by the British novelist and playwright, Peter Kalu for the British Council International Digital Collaboration Project in partnership with the Nigerian author and short story writer, Obinna Udenwe

Please don’t come sliding onto my bench

whispering nirvana is a construct

and you’re here for us to do the construction

 play by play to reach high, because

That don’t fly for me, I need somebody grounded.

There are journeys we have to go on and it won’t be easy,

–the way you talk– it will require us to walk through storms

There are journeys we have to go on and it won’t be easy

– the way you talk – it will require us to walk through storms.

Truth is I’m looking for a friendship, a comrade-in-arms

and together we’ll be the voicefor those who can’tbreathe any more

Then maybe at days’end, I won’t have any qualms

If we sit back-to-back on evening steps, and doodles on my door.

There are journeys we have to go on and it won’t be easy,

– the way you talk – it will require us to walk through storms

 There are journeys we have to go on and it won’t be easy

– the way you talk – it will require us to walk through storms.

A British Council  International Digital Collaboration Project @LitBritish#wahalaconvo

Featured image courtesy of Peter Kalu