December 16 or the loss of a good name | Emmanuel GG Yamba

Not everything that puts grief into your

body will be how ugly a country treats

its people. how bullets flew for years

and when it landed, a disease outbreak

occurred. today frowned at your being in

a way you won’t forget to remember

with regret. everyone who looked up to

you as an example doubted if you were the

the same person who ran behind buyers

when they forgot their change. there are

days you wish you could squeeze in the

palm of your hands until it becomes

vapour. because you know it presents

itself like unstable water that won’t

provide a clear reflection of your

identity. this poem evolves around a boy

that is never mistaken for a crime until

he becomes a steward & his master’s

goods go missing.

Emmanuel G G Yamba

writes from Monrovia, Liberia. He’s a graduate of the University of Liberia and SprinNG Advancement Fellowship. His work has been featured and forthcoming in SprinNG, Inkspired, Funminiyi Anthologies, Libretto Magazine, Salamander Ink, African Writer, The Kalahari Review, Odd Mag., TVO Tribe, Ibadan Arts, An anthology for Abunic and elsewhere.