Melting Desert Poem by Felix Bongjoh

(i)

Why do hammers
and nails
fall of from a sun's
burning shine?

When sun is flaming
light ploughing
a path out of night?

Why do swords
and needles flow out
of desert sun
falling with scars on dunes

scraped by bruises
of a dying camel
rolling down a slope

only to trap
its legs in sinking
brittle sand,

as dwarf plants stick
out green heads
over crawling ants of sand
on the loose?

(ii)

Sinking nails
hammered
into waxy flesh,

a burning candle
dripping on
an undulating
and ridged back.

Scars scrawl
and pause
in streaks of slashes,

twist into buds
of floating blood
sprouting into
beetles of thick clots,

these dots of night
stuck onto
the flesh of fleeing light
from tunnels
of red-stained dust.

(iii)

And fly on a spine
thinner than a cream tree,

the candlestick
breathing out
black smoke onto screams

carried off
by babbling streams
of flowing pain,
these sparks jumping

out of a hearth
perched on a hanging
bowl bubbling
and hollowing out?

With thorny flowers
amid arrows of fire ginger
hammered in

to brighten a flame
from standing wax,
flesh spins air
blowing no wind, but threads
of a scream,

as hands of pirates
unfasten their grip,
but life flames on

above, a camel rider
burning on camel back,
earth a thick stem
of wax standing

on tottering legs, as pirates
flee into smoked-stained
screens of dusty hollowness,

dunes rising
to sit with pyramids
of.taupe clouds
blowing out a sun.