African child, learn that luck should be plucked
in ways fought and fickle
That bad fortune be avoided and ducked
As an infant | prayed that the god that was my mother benedicted me with
the story of how I came to be
And so Mother began:
Ojulegba your Papa called you like that crossroad trickster of old Legba
He and I were at odds when | miscarried your twin brother
How the odds turned in your favour, even so not for your brother,
I wanted an ivory name so I called you Ben but it was not good for your father
He wanted a saintly name he said that was his edict
The gods noted this, and a consensus arrived, you christened benedict
The winds sighed and you cried as you took to this smattering of identities
Of worlds and civilizations old and new
As we carried you home the rainy sky feasted on the bones of men till I
Saw
them
sinews
African child learn that luck should be plucked
in ways fought and fickle
That bad fortune be avoided and ducked We stopped on the way until the rainwater abated, thanks to an Aqua-duct.
Damian Carlton
Damian Carlton is an East African poet from Kenya. He is a polyglot who composes poems in different African languages, such as Shona, Zulu and Swahili, as well as in English. He has been previously published in Poetry Potion and took part in the St Petersburg Digital Art Residency during the 2020-2021 season.
Damian is also a spoken word artist, poet, and digital creative who uses digital media as a form of artistic and literary expression. His work centres on nature and the healing power of poetry. He has performed virtually in the UK, US, India, and South Africa. His work has been longlisted for the Emily Dickinson International Winter Poetry Contest Prize, and in 2020, he became a World Literacy Foundation Ambassador.
