Issue 5

By Ugwu Kingsley Ikenna 

Night falls on the Roots

Night falls on the roots

And the earth exhales its breath

In the hut where stories sleep 

The dreams of seeds whisper

They remember Grandma’s kitchen 

And rustle of ashes against the feet

When the rain answers to songs


We draw our ears to the ground

Listening to the pulse of streams

And the lub-dub of the universe 

Stitched in the veins of generations 

For the silent courage of the caves

That have carried our names

Long before we knew them


The roots hold us still

Knitting our desires into one body

Weaving our dreams from the wind

As the waves rehearse their rhymes 

And the storm folds its breath 

Before the vessels sail in silence of the twilight 


Night gathers us in its dark veil

Not as strangers

But as kin of flesh and blood 

In the serenity of its darkness 

We learn to dream again 

Not the echo of conquest

But of belonging


And when morning breaks

Light climbs the roofs like a prayer

Laughter echoing beyond the horizon 

Reminding us

That the sky dreams with us too

And waits for our answers 



Ugwu Kingsley Ikenna, born in 2000, is a Nigerian of Igbo descent. Although trained as a Physiotherapist, Kingsley has a deep passion for the arts, particularly African literature. His environment has played a significant role in shaping his artistic perspective. He is also a contributor on Spillwords press , Zoetic press and Eterna journal. For Kingsley, writing is a channel to captivate, educate and enlighten.

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By Unwritten_Soul (Issue 5)

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