Messiah
By this time tomorrow, I will
Messiah my angst.
Grief, too, is a gift—what is
light without darkness?
Where there is grief,
look. It is to magnify
joy. Not all things that obey grief
grow arms to press the color
of darkness into our chest.
I count my blessings,
grief does the subtraction.
See—I have given my body
to endurance so long it sees pain
& calls it a beautiful thing.
& when you say goodbye,
do you mean to donate me
to the gods of the earth,
or to see me a second time?
By Flourish Joshua
Biography
Flourish Joshua is a (performance) poet from Nigeria, a NaiWA poetry scholar, 2nd place winner of the 7th Ngozi Agbo Prize for Essay, finalist of the 2021 NO CONTACT Poetry Prize, Managing Editor at NRB, Interviews Editor at Eremite Poetry, Poetry Editor at LERIMS, Associate Poetry Editor at miniskirt magazine & Poetry Reader at Bluebird Review. He is published (or forthcoming) on London Grip Poetry, miniskirt magazine, East French Press, Olongo Africa, Ghost City Review, Brittle Paper, Blue Marble Review, Bluebird Review, No Contact, and elsewhere. Instagram: @therealflourishjoshua | Twitter: @fjspeaks