Yvonne Baker
Mr. Nafoulubah calls
On the third day of the rest of my life,
just as I am locking the front door,
Mr. Nafoulubah squeaks open the gate,
like the beginning of sunlit novel.
His smile, small and vanilla, advertises
a leaflet: Mr. Nafoulubah –
International Spiritualist and Healer, can solve
your problems and break curses.
His well oiled plot of Voodoo, Juju, Black and White magic
slips the breeze and spills a dénouement of pages
that fan across the pavement like the contents
of a badly behaved shopping trolley. And I fold this spell
into a dart, which I carefully aim at your heart,
so you will remember the ending –
still written on my skin –
the space where the full stop should be.
just as I am locking the front door,
Mr. Nafoulubah squeaks open the gate,
like the beginning of sunlit novel.
His smile, small and vanilla, advertises
a leaflet: Mr. Nafoulubah –
International Spiritualist and Healer, can solve
your problems and break curses.
His well oiled plot of Voodoo, Juju, Black and White magic
slips the breeze and spills a dénouement of pages
that fan across the pavement like the contents
of a badly behaved shopping trolley. And I fold this spell
into a dart, which I carefully aim at your heart,
so you will remember the ending –
still written on my skin –
the space where the full stop should be.
Page(s) 14
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