Nigeria Poetry Magazine –

"A Trip to the City" by Adenekan Olanrewaju (Oamlad)

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Title image shows a well-dressed man standing motionless on the street while a yellow vehicle blurs past him.

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September 15th, 2026

Nigeria Poetry Magazine

Nigeria Poetry Contest #4 – First Place

A Trip to the City

by Adenekan Olanrewaju (Oamlad) 

The city coughs. 
Not the soft cough of old men in mosques –
but the hacking of fuel-choked lungs,
gutted by sirens and sweat.

A keke sways like a drunk prophet,
yellow with the burden of other people's prayers.
Its driver, cheeks hollow like promises,
laughs at the pothole like it told him a joke.

"Na gorment dig am," he says,
and everyone believes it.
Because in this city, even the road
votes for the opposition. 

Under the dust, the street hawker floats–
feet dancing between bumpers and curses,
eyes hawk-sharp, hands gospel quick.
He sells water in sachets like salvation.

A baby cries into the belly of the bus,
a conductor curses at the future,
and the street keeps breathing,
Loud. 
Broken. 
Unapologetic.


About the Poet
Adenekan Olanrewaju (Oamlad) resides in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Read the poet's biography and Wax Poetry and Art publications
on Adenekan Olanrewaju (Oamlad)'s Artist Page.

This poem is featured in Comet #9, published in the Wax Poetry and Art Library.

Previously published in Nigeria Poetry Magazine:
The View
by Joel Iteku

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