Today I did not scavenge myself from the wasteland I call bed,
Which is something to be proud of, I guess.
Felt the sun bandage me in its warmth, and for a moment,
I forgot how cold the world had become.
I looked in the mirror
And saw the freckles my tears left behind,
Assemble themselves into a smile.
And boy, what a sight that was.
Heard me lip sync the hymn,
“It is well, it is well with my soul,”
And somehow, I believed it.
Somehow my angels—cherubims with tired wings,
Who never stopped wading through the sandstorm in my chest
To save me from myself—now walked around
With capes the size of my mother’s prayers,
And a sweet-smelling hallelujah on their lips.
Somehow, I heard the wind
Guide my muse out the back door,
Even before I completed the first verse of my almost-happy poem—
Hissing disappointment,
I guess it never saw this coming.
But somehow, I kept on writing.
Painted the walls of my broken heart
With different shades of hope,
And called it rainbow.
‘Cause, isn’t this how gods forgive themselves
For the sins of men?
And isn’t this how poets teach themselves
To exist as both gods and men?
Make poetry with the world’s darkness
And not end with you as a poem “without form and void”?
Because isn’t that what it is?
When the words we speak
Heal another,
Yet stretch a part of us into an empty?
And isn’t that what he means
When Christ said, “Virtue has left me?”
So today, I do not become the shape of my tragedy.
Today, I do not wear my grief like melanin.
Today, broken things be nothing but aesthetics.
Today, I am not the product of all my sad metaphors.
Jay Sukpa
Jay Sukpa is a spoken word poet, musician, and storyteller with a passion for addressing mental wellness, social justice, masculinity, and political activism—all through the lens of family dynamics and personal experience. Drawing from real-life stories and extensive research, his work builds bridges, challenges narratives, and confronts systemic injustices.
Proud of his roots, Jay embodies the belief and is a testament that "something good can come out of Nazareth." His poetic journey, deeply influenced by Suli Breaks, has earned him notable accolades, including winning the inaugural Lagos Books and Arts Festival Poetry Slam 2024 (The Kayode Aderinokun poetry prize), and placing first runner-up in the Lagos International Poetry Festival Slam 2023, amongst others. Jay’s journey is a testament to resilience, faith, and the transformative power of storytelling.