Love And Arithmetic

Our Poem Of The Day Is Love And Arithmetic 

By Abigail Tydale Bassey

 

LOVE & ARITHMETIC

 

Step 1:

Me & a new man on social media. Not friends yet. Two different humans.

1&1=2

Step 2:

We say “hi”. We say “hi” again and again. It’s funny, we laugh. It’s 11.57 pm of the next day & we’re changing topics like two weeks old couples wearing the fourth pyjamas in two days. It’s exciting_the fear of falling asleep.

1+1=1

Step 3:

Mistakes on mistakes. Changing words that hurt. We’ve little or nothing to share; everyone’s absent on the roll call at least once in a day. The wait is longer. Patience sucks. There’s an ease in forgetting about one person at least in a moment. No more let’s fix this. Say, it’s fine to move on if you want to. Only one person’s effort can’t build an army.

1-1=1

Step 4:

No one’s seeing the good no more. We’ve become either siblings or strangers_not defeated ourselves, but the feeling. It’s no more there. Everyone goes back to his/her self_grow and laugh at everything silly.

0+0=1

Lesson:

Love is a game of hearts. Makes the wise foolish & plunges them to find self when emotions are gone.

 

Abigail-Tydale Bassey grew up in the suburbs of Uyo city, Nigeria, where she spent thirteen years eating grandma’s mushroom soup before discovering that coconut and dates were such a sweet food, she’d always hide them in her wallet.

She’s been long listed for the African Writers Awards and a Creative Writing Club Laureate. Walking with God is her first poetry chapbook.

Abigail works as a Research Analyst in the morning, spends many evenings laughing with her best friend, then writes later at night before going to sleep.