THE FOLLOWING POEM WAS SELECTED IN WINGWORD POETRY PRIZE 2023 LONGLIST.
O, have some mercy
On our poor souls
That you have in fiery
Flames damned us
I know that I drink
But hear! Tis a necessity
Did you really think
That when you abandoned me
In this city of immorality
That I would heed to
My soul’s immortality
Listen, I need to
For time in this place is hell
Such that I seek even that
Where you’ve forbidden to dwell
For o’er there only one flame shall
Burn my poor soul unlike here
Where passion has burnt me to ash
So I seek to go there
Where I know it is easy to get in
You have laid such traps for man
That he is entranced by sin
And you yourself its cinders fan
Why have you in your wisdom
Made me a slave to their grace
Now I can’t enter your kingdom
How now shall you show me your face
Have mercy! Have mercy, Your Grace
Do you not care for our desires
Having given them in the first place
I ventured all corners of the land
Yet I still couldn’t find the gates of thy
Ye know? How easy it is to get your hand
On a bottle of sweet sweet rye
How can then you hope to blame me
When even after searching so much
I could not find a single sign of thee
But your will has always been such
You gave me needs and want
And I search for them day and night
But how many of either did you grant
You have made love my dearest plight
But what need do I have of this
I have need of you, but you
Have hidden yourself from us
You do not truly care do you?
But have mercy on my poor soul
For that much you owe to me