SOULFLAME MAGAZINE

RHETORICAL Have you ever thought of those still asleep Because you needed the pavement? Have you ever thought of the blood shed Because the throne longs for human sacrifice? Have you ever thought of those lives lost Because the election needed money? Have you ever thought of humans butchered Because you flipped pennies in the air? Have you ever thought of families ruined Because the husband voted you and the wife another? Have you ever thought of children disowned Because they refused to vote for you? Have you ever thought of the commotion in church Because my candidate is not his? And so nothing he does Looks good to me, he is my foe. Have you ever thought of destinies exchanged Because you exhausted yours? Have you ever thought of how wayward these youths are Because they lack tomorrow? You have forcefully taken what is not yours Have you thought of that? You have built the church with blood Have you thought of that? You have cast the pillar with human heads and Miracle sleeps in the...

BUSY SOUL Like I would say We've got ways to pay We see it not a delay Monday Tuesday Wednesday Name the days It goes again this way Suffering comes in phases It could be as though you are busy Working Schooling Killing self and burning candle Like reading over probation Like escaping mortuary To the sanctuary praising God I know of a priest who is busy He is never dizzy anyway Neither is he moody He is just friendly Too silent sometimes like an Egyptian Mummy But not lazy anyway I understand his way He wants to be Holy Yea I really give them my love They pray everyday, times without number Fast like I will do in the absence of food Supplicate like job Interceding as if he fathered them all Eyes still fixed on his job Not to be haunted by the watchdog I know of a politician who is very busy He has a lot of money But still not okay He haunts with many Sleeps with Penny Make merry With Mary Which we know he won't marry Like my friend would say- "I am a political Messiah Who ...

The Law and the Prophets "My plantain sucker destroys my axe, My machete trembles in fear" There- Please catch it for me I went for it Catch, and devour. Take! All I want is that throne. Wow! We love it, The throne is yours. Crim, Pain comes after gain. All you could steal is a white shirt? No. Not white, It could have been white had it meant he wore It in the dark You are valueless Your present is little or nothing. Author’s Note This poem is a sharp and symbolic reflection on the corruption and manipulation within legal systems. It questions the integrity of those entrusted with upholding justice and exposes how truth can be twisted to favor power. Through layered imagery and brief but striking statements, the poem reveals a system where what appears right is often engineered to serve hidden interests. It is written to provoke thought and challenge blind trust in authority. Theme The central theme of the poem is the corruption of justice and the manipulation of law by those...

  Suicide This Razor! I can't let go. This razor took my joy, The spirit stood looking at the disgusting body, It became so dirty for my liking Even when I sort to return with tears My soul greatly fears the mortal. She lives In matrimony With my foe. Faster was I than my shadow And now my phantom wander In need of nonexistent help. And here in my hand A dagger that shies every keeper. It thirsts me to let go... But I can't tell why I can't I am aghast a day comes When the soul mender needs the soul And this razor shall be held accountable And the bearer hope of death. This rope! I never knew how symbolic it was Until my hallux hit the kid stool Then I turned pair The one who looks And the one who is looked. In the comfort of rope, I regretted, But the stool was so close that I could not lay my hands on it Then I saw the souls of those who died same way When I turned again to gaze As little as twine killed me. Why? I failed probation thrice With each causing 24 strokes. 72 ...

Night of Gamblers A gambler Is a leaky gas cylinder Its morning is when you see it full But its sunset comes 2,3,4 to 5 minutes later Based on the available resources. It comes without a night Not even a day, And its glory is in its pocket. A gambler Is a nocturnal bird. It haunts at night And sleeps in the morning If you behold it in a day Either it is searching for something Or something is searching for it All for one cause. A gambler Is a dog That is very happy when it finds a bone It doesn't look at the size of the bone Or the potency of its teeth. All it cares about is that a bone is found, So whether it breaks it or not doesn't matter, Life goes on. Not like some animals That can understand the message of bent trees. Gamblers don't remember what left a scar on them. All they believe is that business is risk Losing is a must, and gaining is the same. One without money can borrow And one who can't borrow can stake a shoe, shirt, and even a tooth. Shock? A gambler I...