curse of a muse

those lonely moments

boring lonely moments

when the world is too heavy

when the world deserts the muse

those moments

make the muse

lonely heart, wanderer in the desolate

barren lands, arid landscapes

bare trees, empty catacombs

each holds a story

told only in the quiet solitude

only a muse can bear

the harsh sentence to silence

and bear it still

till the tale is told

recreating, recording, re-telling

re-enacting, re-living

calling out the past

unleashing emotions hidden or dead

the loneliest of callings

there i am condemned

a muse’s calling

that is my curse!

Chuma Okoye

April, 2008