Legs shook and bodies moved in unruly rhythms as they sang and clapped in unison,
Paw paw is a type of fruit!
sweet like sugar,
yellow like fanta,
paw paw is a type of fruit!
I am from the smell of wet leaves, freshly cut oranges,
The sweet smell of agbalumo that leaves a bitter taste in your mouth,
The lingering scent of watered plants, freshly made mud from rain left
on the front porch,
And the paroxysm of laughter from children as they jump from couch to couch.
I stand in rivers of chickens and in the large palms of the ocean,
I am from the smell of aged clothes and black tea—
Coffee, and biscuits.
I am from the “goal!” made by my dad’s companions, dog fur from tolu’s house
and scoldings from adults as we draw on the house walls.
I am from a dog named Simba,
I am from weekend doses of Phil Collins and Celine Dion.
I am squeezed in a crowded room filled with books that lie comfortable in dusty shelves
with a large window that hugs the room to warmth as my uncle shares
himself some tea.
Jan 27
Jan 27, 2026 at 2:17 AM UTC
Legs shook and bodies moved in unruly rhythms as they sang and clapped in unison,
Paw paw is a type of fruit!
sweet like sugar,
yellow like fanta,
paw paw is a type of fruit!
I am from the smell of wet leaves, freshly cut oranges,
The sweet smell of agbalumo that leaves a bitter taste in your mouth,
The lingering scent of watered plants, freshly made mud from rain left
on the front porch,
And the paroxysm of laughter from children as they jump from couch to couch.
I stand in rivers of chickens and in the large palms of the ocean,
I am from the smell of aged clothes and black tea—
Coffee, and biscuits.
I am from the “goal!” made by my dad’s companions, dog fur from tolu’s house
and scoldings from adults as we draw on the house walls.
I am from a dog named Simba,
I am from weekend doses of Phil Collins and Celine Dion.
I am squeezed in a crowded room filled with books that lie comfortable in dusty shelves
with a large window that hugs the room to warmth as my uncle shares
himself some tea.
Also posted on AllPoetry.
