Toluwalase by Olayinka Abimbola Egbokhare

Five out of nine months

You lived out your fear

A little prayer

A lot more worry

Then the first locking of our eyes...

You checked briskly

Ten fingers and toes, one nose...

Ahh, your loud muted sigh

Then you saw the funny shaped finger.

But you loved still

Loved till your heart almost burst

Loved, ignoring the reports of the sour faced clan in white coats

You shut off the tearlets

Then Baba came

Eyes bloodshot but not from wine

My Baba, the Baba of the other two musketeers who just found a new love

And he pronounced my name

No need to wait for eight days "Toluwalase",

Let God have the final say...

* Culled from Yinka Egbokhare’s forthcoming poetry collection, ‘Learning to Smile Again...’

Biography

Olayinka Abimbola Egbokhare was born in Ibadan, Oyo State. Her love for writing was brought to the fore by Mrs Ubah, one of her English teachers at the Federal Government Girls College, New-Bussa, Niger State. Yinka, the author of the widely acclaimed novel - 'Dazzling Mirage', holds a Ph.D in Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan where she teaches writing skills, advertising message development amongst other courses.

She makes her home in Ibadan with her husband, Francis and their children.