The Secret Life of Kind Fathers | by Monsuru Omosanya

My father did not tell me
what frightened him.
Because men are taught
to carry storms
without admitting the weather.
So he became a roof.
He became the locked gate,
the voice at midnight,
the hand reaching into his pocket
when the house needed something.
I used to think
he did not feel pain.
But when you sit long enough
with an ache, it becomes a way of life.

Monsuru Omosanya is a proud son of Ijebu in Nigeria, a poet and writer whose work is steeped in cultural representation. An ardent lover of music, Monsuru reveres Sola Owonubi and takes inspiration from his environment. Now based in the UK, he is presently working on his debut collection of poetry.