A portrait in our living room carries my father’s smile
Like it’s the only thing his teeth were meant for
He was standing next to mother
Smile gently creamed on her lips
Like a snowflake
Something that has ended
Even before it begun.
There are times I spent the night
Looking at this picture
Like it’s the only surviving leaf
Upon the face of hostile water
Creating mental pictures of father
Plucking roses on the lawn
And mother smelling them,
Giggling and throwing them up in the air
Imageries of mother standing before father, naked
Watching her own body through his eyes
More than she’d ever done with the mirror
And once, she’d held my hand and told me
Someday I’ll understand why God gave me
Hands to fight and legs to run
That was before she became the reflection
Of a yellow sun on the body of a snowy rock
But then I have always known photographs are stories
Only told by strangers.

Profile:
Name: Micheal Ace
Nationality: Nigeria
Religion: Christianity
Place of birth: Osun state, Nigeria
Occupation: Poet, publisher and computer scientist

Social Media Info
Blog/Website: www.myaceworld.net
Email: poetmichealace@gmail.com
Facebook: Micheal Ace
Twitter: @lordace32
Instagram: poetmichealace
Mobile/Whatsapp: 08166110313

Biography
Micheal Ace is a poet and writer currently living in Ibadan, Nigeria.
A computer scientist with a strong passion for poetry. His works have
appeared on African writer, Praxis magazine, Kalahari review, Lunaris
review, Tuck magazine and elsewhere. He has authored two poetry
chapbooks titled ‘Sermon from a stammerer’ and ‘Scarlet silk’.

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