Agbado sisun

Black pupils arrayed

Orange eyes

Facing fires

Halfway round

Barred from hell

By charred grating

Watching the dance

Of embers below, pulsating

Yellow ones are reared

Four on each line

Four of each lying

Halfway burnt

On this infernal abyss

Billowing, billowing

Dying to grey

By hand-fan above, winnowing

Brown hands are red

From playing games

Fanning flames

Halfway on

Ignoring the heat

Picking, dropping

Calling the eyes

Of corn-men aside, stopping

Ivory teeth afraid

For taut temples

Kpari trembles

Halfway through

This eternal chew

Grinding, grinding

Shelling the cob

With lips between, gliding.

Osundolire Ifelanwa