Swinging Party

Today I swung
alongside an empty swing
           swaying in reverse motions
           so when I pushed forward
it pushed back
tilted, like it wanted to hold my eyes
           it asked: why are you at peace
           forward. back
back. forward
The flowering plants swayed along
           the chirpy birds would dive into the stream
           but never went below the surface
forward. back
back. forward
           A soft melody played on my headphones
           my eyes were half-closed but I could feel
my mouth smile as I sang
why are you at peace
           forward. back
           back. forward

time & aloneness

i find self staring at walls       in search of calendars
& clocks    counting days & slates     counting seconds
minutes     hours     & ellipsis     but i only see the
lapse between dots aligned      i think about the time
in between      about how eyes      stay wide / close
how pupil dilates       stay still / roll up     about the
air risen from lungs    & from beneath the earth   how it
sways hairs on skin      & curtains left      how it tickles me 
sprawled like sky on sheets     & as time nears infinity
my invention tends      tends a girl      & the little hairs
caressing her skin    tends to how sensitive     my touch
will be     soft trails      leaving prints     finger / teeth
waking sores & climaxes       but she has neither name
nor face     just skin & curves     so i pick up self
walk out with a new name      for time      aloneness

* This poem first appeared in Nthanda Review

Precious Okpechi studies Biochemistry at the University of Nigeria Nsukka. He is a recipient of the 2020 Singing Bullet Workshop Scholarship. His works appear in _Palette, The Shore, Eunoia Review Praxis Magazine, Kissing Dynamite, Brittle Paper, Memento: Young Nigerian Poetry Anthology_. He is Assistant Editor at _20.35 Africa: An Anthology of Poetry_.