I was a Blank Paper
when mum pushed me out
into the welcome of strangers
whose midwifery hands received me
My whining shattered the stillness
cos I feared from the heat that would cloak me
from this bubbling world of tension
I was a Blank Paper
covered with the hymen of naivety
until I was sent through the school of life
to learn from the designs
of events, people and experiences
Then my mind received its first touch
and suffered the pains of their pressure
I was a Blank Paper
until I was taught that the EIGHT letter
of the alphabet “H” stands for Hate
and the TWELFTH “L” stands for love
I was taught both of them
But for their sister—Heartbreak
I learned that myself
I was a Blank Paper
until pain left a scar of red
Poetry came with its twists and tangles
and all of life wrote on me
Now I’m a sheet of writings
that will get filled up
when I breath my last
WHO IS NDIFREKE?
Ndifreke George is a Nigerian writer. Though a Geophysics graduate from CRUTECH Calabar, he has dedicated much time to writing as a talent. His works have been published on Tuck Magazine, The Kalahari Review, Parousia Magazine (Africa’s First Christian Literary Magazine), The Poets’ Community, Social Justice Poetry, The Praxis Magazine of Arts and Literary, Blankpaperz, The Antartica Journal, Poems and Poetry and Bravearts Africa.
He is also a songwriter, dramatist; and works as a Volunteer Literary Contributor with Bravearts Africa, and a scriptwriter with HumourTV9ja (an online comedy platform). Presently based in Lagos, he is working on another novel.