Accra stopped being cold two weeks ago,
but the sun is still shy to shine.
It crawls out in fragments,
as though seeking our approval before scorching us.
It feels a lot like our dreams.
We could all be Icarus,
but no one dares to fly that close to the sky.
The colour of our imagination stays monochrome.
Everyone has run out of blood to power through.
No paper money, no money to buy paper.
Food costs more than a daring dream.
The price of aspiration is an empty stomach.
Have you met Glory in the streets yet?
Do you see it playing with the fair-skinned daughter
And her refugee mother,
who sends her to beg strangers for food?
They are proof that diamonds exist in the rough.
‘Sister, give me one cedi erh?’
She tugs at the skirt I thrifted for thirty cedis.
My small luxury feels like a crime.
I wave her hand away, mumbling,
I, too, could use some change,
so I don’t have to break my back to break bread.
I stop a trotro and call my destination.
I doubt the mate hears me.
Everyone’s ears are too busy chasing money
to process background noise these days.
A preacher signals to me to remove my earphones.
He offers pieces of God with his mouth,
but no one is ready to collect.
We are too busy finding what to eat to find God.
I ignore him.
A message from Qwikloan:
Four days left to return what I borrowed.
I clear the notification quickly,
God forbid the fine boy beside me sees I owe.
In my inbox, a rejection letter waits:
We’re sorry to inform you…
...and I can’t help but feel sorry too.
A frown sits heavy on my face,
not special.
A growl churns in my stomach,
not special either.
Everyone in this bus is hungry, or angry, or both.
A man beside me reeks of tiredness.
I want to reach for him,
tell him I understand, he isn’t alone.
I want to offer him the sachet of Kivo gari
at the bottom of my bag.
But I stop myself.
The sun is setting,
casting glorious shades of red on the bus window.
For a brief moment, my dreams return to colour.
On the floor of the bus,
a one-cedi coin glistens.
Abundance Adeleye Temiloluwa (Poema) is a level 300 psychology and Information Studies major at the University of Ghana. Enthusiastic about using poetry to show psychological and familial links, she has been writing poetry for four years. In her free time, she can be caught in a book or listening to white girl music. She is also an aspiring content creator who enjoys making videos and talking.
IG: @_adult.tems_/Temiloluwa_420