In Disguise – a Poem by Tope Akintayo

dad says someday you’ll look back and see why it happened

When the eyes of my first lover wandered away from my body

into distant pricks, she began by saying shit about sex

this thing is overrated, I wonder how I’m only just realising

When the girl I loved stopped laughing at my jokes

she began to hiss at my calls, counting how many times

I’ll dial again shamelessly, like I’ll choke if I take a pause.

When the fiftieth rejection came in, it sounded like Jane.

Dear James, we fell in love with your detailed proposal.

However, we won’t be able to work with you at this time.

He says someday you’ll look back at all the disappointments

and you’ll see how they built your character: the undeserving lover

Shows you how to guard your heart and the rejections

only helps you focus on the things that matter.

PS. This poem is from Tope Akintayo’s forthcoming poetry chapbook, A Symphony for Broken People