Days Add Up Add On
for Victoria Gyamfi-Kumanini

people to collect, add to my neck
other body parts, grafted onto me, onto mine

like my father did plants, fruit trees
operation, after which, what was apart, was separated
got together, went together, grew together

want her skin added to my skin, her eyes added to my eyes

were someone to ask me what pretty was
I want to have her near enough to me, near enough always
to say, here is pretty/beauty at its finest
here is beauty which cannot be surpassed

there is more to her than what I see, eyes meet
eye want to get to know her, I want to know her too

how crazy, how silly seeing her has made me
how wacky desire is, imagination is

will this be another wild goose chase for emotions,
for imagination, wishes which will end as empty as when
rain falls and you’ve nothing to catch it in

will my poem, like a sieve, leak or will it contain her
she is as fine as sand sifted, falling, collecting in a pretty heap
all the rubble left behind upon the sieve to dispose of

glass bottle, shells, seaweed unable to get through
not wanted mixed in

what would God have made her from and on what day
what words would he have said to bring her into being
words I try my best to echo, try my best to hear

must translate into music, into words
what looking allows, what seeing allows

must taste, must see - she’s gone straight through me
I am changed - solution I was, she added to it


© Obediah Michael Smith, 2009
11:35 p.m. 11.07.09