Once upon a time, son
they used to laugh with their hearts
and laugh with their eyes;
but now they laugh with their teeth
while their ice block cold eyes
search behind my shadow,
There was a time indeeds
they used to shake hands with their hearts
but that’s gone, son.
Now they shake hands without hearts
while their left hand search…
…my empty pockets.
“Feel at Home,” Come again,”
they say, & when I come
again & feel
at home, once, twice
but there will be no thrice
for then I find doors shut on me.
So, I have learnt many things, son
I have learn to wear many faces
like dresses-home face, office face
Streetface, hostface, cocktailface,
with all their conforming smiles
like a fixed portrait smile
And I have learned, too,
to laugh with only my teeth
& shake hands without my heart
I have also learnt to say, “Good bye”
when I mean ‘Good riddance’;
To say ‘Glad to meet you’
without being glad; & to say It’s been
nice talking to you, after being bored.
But believe me, son
I want to be what I used to be
when I was like you
I want to unlearn all these muting things
Most of all, I want to relearn
how to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror
shows only my teeth like a shake’s bare fangs!
So show me son
how to laugh; show me how
I used to laugh & smile
Once upon a time…when I was like you…!!!
Gabriel Okara
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Its one of mah favorite poem, That I have read it in mah school days. Hope u like it too…!!!
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