Ugochukwu

The power of the most important word

Photo by James Newcombe on Unsplash

same name, new sounds,
new flavors. eagle of God? I’d like
to pass — in pugnacious cargoes
and a loose T-shirt, I saunter
from avenue to avenue, the
webbed trails of modern life
creaking, wobbling. you don’t
see me flying but longing;
eagle of God? much less, until

I remember the magic of
my mother’s tongue in loading
nine letters with delight and
those idle moments in which thought
blossoms — there was once a small,
unseen thing bundled in flesh, and
somehow, the drumbeat of its heart
was enough for it to have a name.
sorry, moonless nights and pale
lamps, ceiling awash with my
teary gaze: I’m Ugochukwu.
old name, new blessings, new
sweetness.