Sanctuary on Sundays

Sanctuary on Sundays

Excel Chinagorom Michael

[i]

the sun stroll in her gamboge attire
inside it chest lies the clergyman
sketching a sanctuary of mixed-race skin—
hosting bulwark of warfare prayers.

inside this chapel, I hymned the Lord’s wit from the pamphlet
& right away, I metaphor my body kneading the hotness of the sun as oven operators.
(a body inside pacific fire eyesighting massacre to the unusual prayers barraging the
atmosphere)

first, I learnt how to plough my hands
to war & my fingers into battle.
second, I learnt three foreign phrase
to blare mayhem on witchcrafts:
die by fire.

[ii]

I carried this language to where night crow
were mourning the passing of my name.
a loaded projectile break through it face
& it was his death certificate.

I sustain the entirety of the language
into this body longing for sanctuary
in the eyes of the reverend. thus, I proclaimed:

this body, hear me and hear me clearly, I command you to remain obdurate to my foes.

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Excel Chinagorom Michael
Poet, Teacher & Content Writer

Excel is a poet and content creator living in the suburbs of Aba, Nigeria. He is an author of Girls Are Roses, a poetry chapbook published in Poemify Publishing Inc. His works are forthcoming in Brittle Paper Magazine, Poemify Publishing Inc, Fivers of Mind, The Yellow House Mag, Fiction Niche, Thirsty Shades of a Rose: A poetry Anthology and elsewhere. He was nominated for the Konnect E-Zine poetry prize, 2020, and Pawners Paper Maiden award as runner-up, 2024.

Painting by Sir William Eden