Land of Fruits
Somto Chukwuma
she was born in the land of fruits , plantains , soft nuts , mangoes , where the sun embraced a rust-dust earth , and scarves of the past wrapped round buried whispers . her curious mind could not remember the rivers , caressed by the eyes of the night , or the golden markets weaved with colourful strings . the forests grinned gems that hid treasured seeds , and lizards ran into bleak , bare shadows . for half a year the heavens would open , and tears of the lost crashed and flooded the land . blues in the sky blinded the goats , and jewels rolled past the richness at its heart . and the people , how vibrant ! their dances brimming with joy , their tongues of tradition bursting with life .
she was born in the land of fruits , yet she knows nothing of it .