Collars of Worry

Today is the day that I deny the god of sorrow a visa into my heart.
In years past, it strolled in and took whatever possessions I held dear,
so I drove around chasing the crumbs of happiness left in life.

I got no affirmation, for even in the University of Life,
I failed woefully in Grief 101, a prerequisite for living.
I unexist here only to coexist with my beloved in dreams,
hurrying the moon to excuse the sun so I can embrace my darkness.

I celebrated your unbirthdays by drowning my spirit in spirits—
a liquid overdose for days when courage deserted me,
slices of despair downed with a cupful of tears.

This is my story.
This is my song.
This is my style of launching rockets of hope
into mental spaces already overcrowded with trauma;

a glass of laughter to digest a plate of anxiety,
a bar of therapy to wash away the scars of stigma,
ribbons of logic to distract the collars of worry.

Ololade Ajayi is a poet, feminist, an advocate for human rights, a podcast host and fiction writer. She has won several awards for her poetry including the 2016 Nelson Mandela Day poetry competition (first runner up), and other writing competitions. Her debut book, “We the People,” is a collection of satiric poems reflecting the political orientation of her country, Nigeria. As an advocate for women’s rights, she hosts a Bibliotherapy podcast (www.dohspodcast.com) which is a platform for victims and survivors of sexual and gender based violence to tell their stories using it to challenge stereotypes and narratives about victim shaming. She connects these victims and survivors using poetry.