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.

