POETRY: THE BLACK SHEEP TALE BY JENIM DIBIE

Beneath the veneers of loud laughter

Of perfect health and wealthy tatters

An ache lingered in a family frame

Whose black sheep smiled in the family portrait

Whose name is glorious in anonymity

Whose fame is notorious in solitary

I was, you see a pain in the arse

Try I may, still an ache that won’t pass

Scream you may, stretching every vein

Words of wisdom fell on me in vain

Siblings of joy, of graceful gaits

Seed of shame and painful gates

The black sheep fails, the black sheep wails

The black sheep dims out all the light

He falls in every fight

He too oft loses his sight

Breaks every heart

Flees and screeches at the sound of war

The black sheep has a heart of coal

…Or so we’re told

Life and I, we made a pact

All befallen me are by mine own hands

And by life’s own act

I wish I could return the sands

To my hourglass

Which spins so fast it ends my days

And leaves me sitting in each class

With tears strolling down my face

With a scar earned

And a lesson learned

Every sheep needs a shepherd

Where is mine?

The lights are out

Shepherd!, Shepherd! Where art thou?

Shepherd!, Shepherd!

Let not this sheep die astray!

Save me thus from every curse

That travels down the hills to I

That takes me from the valley high

And throws me thence to hell beneath

Hippos chase from every side

Lions, cheetahs their time do bide

Take me out of their feisty game

O what shame befalls my name!

My jaw accepts life’s fists

As it throws bad aces across my face

Ba and ma accept their jaws

As it falls upon their fists

“What becomes of this seed that wouldn’t grow?”

Jealousy stirs within my soul

The greener grass I long to chew

With my eyes you live to see

Everyone get their happy ending but you

I live each day in panicked fear

Of a future foretold of him who bears

The world on his shoulder bare

I have no name, I have no fence

I have no swag, I have no pence

I have no nickel, I have no dime

Will you love me still, will you be mine

I am a sheep born white in every way

The dark clouds fell and I became night

A black silhouette in a thundering light

Hi, I’m Black, the sheep whose tale

Has set you back a couple of tears.

Read More of Jenim's work at www.jenimdibie.blog.com