I was born on Afo†, just any other naked day,
At the time the moon had increased the effulgence of
Her supreme light.
And from thence, I have owned only one property.
It is so old and delicate; subtle.
Smells like birth, so soft and fresh,
Though I am yet to set my eyes on it.
It’s long lost . . .
It blinks at sunrise from beneath the earth
And relegates the winds to the backyard of storms.
Oh, it’s tender, like the teeth of yam tendrils.
Under the foot of a tall, regal palm tree somewhere
In my village,
It resides with the pulsating breath of life.


*Placenta
Every new-born male baby of the Igbo people of southeast Nigeria, immediately after birth, has its placenta buried under a palm tree that is thereafter dedicated to the baby. It becomes the baby’s property for life.

†One of the four market days of the Igbo people of southern Nigeria.