mythology about my father

excerpts from Chris Abani’s “The Face”

photograph by A.B. Godfreed

Reality is held in Igba Iwa,
the calabash of existence
an unbroken chain of purpose stretching
the way light shimmers through the water

calmness, serenity, sensitivity, insight,
inspiration — a river,
ugwu bu nkwanye nkwanye — respect is reciprocal
maternal grandmother’s lineage was Strong,
traditional culture
from Oxford
no less

Comfortable face
father’s clone
Akara ihu bu obi madu.
(The lines on the face reveal a person’s heart.)
abstract and carved from calabash shell
greatest gift a father can give his son

oyi agbara, the caul of the holy spirit
cut the first line from the center of the forehead
down to the chin
full consciousness from birth to earth
so much better
myself so different than he was