How To Burn [A Heart Of] Water

you say water
douses fire
until a kettle arrives

& you make water leave the sea,
the well, the jug, or wherever
to find a home in the belly of the kettle;

then you set the kettle on fire.
at first, the water is unaware;
it lays there still,
thinking maybe the sun is up again
& then it begins to sweat.
it begins to writhe.

it begins to sing a song
of agony with a scream—a sound
like the coming of war.

when you hear this, you know
you are burning the water now.
but be careful how you taunt the water
because water begins to burn skins
when it is taunted.

& isn’t this what happens
when a man is pushed to the walls
& hell enters into his body?

Previously published by Freedom Magazine

By Kolawole Samuel Adebayo

Biography:

Kolawole Samuel Adebayo is an old soul in a young Nigerian body whose poems seek to awaken the human consciousness. His poems have appeared or are forthcoming on Glass Poetry, Button Poetry, Burning House Press, Anti-Heroin Chic Magazine, Tuck Magazine, Black Pride Magazine, PAROUSIA magazine, WRR, BPPC anthology, and elsewhere. He likes to connect with his friends via his Twitter handle, @samofthevoice.