Among a forest of your likes,
You stand out,
Though flank by your likes,
You are not hid under their shadows,
Your roots,
Strong, firm and fibrous,
Travel far and wide,
Your girth,
The size of a dozen hand spans,
Speaks volume of your transition,
Your foliage,
Rich, dense and exuberant,
Gives a captivating pull,
Your boughs,
Like nature’s spun umbrella,
Provides a shade
For the lone and weary traveller,
Underneath he rests a while,
Then continues his journey,
On these,
Birds take their night rest,
Even I,
Have had a close union with you,
Benefits of which I enjoyed,
Oh! Now you are no more,
Hewn by men of the night,
Cut down,
By men of the underworld,
I mourn your exit,
In anguish and pain,
We go in and out,
Everyday,
Is incomplete without you,
Your vacuum,
No one has yet filled.
Thompson I. Emate is a graduate of University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. His keen interest in creative writing particularly prose and poetry has seen him spend most of his leisure time writing these two. He has his poems,”Foot Soldier” and “Lilies” published in a youth magazine.He lives in Lagos, Nigeria.