REMORA AND I
ALM No.94, October 2026
POETRY
On the Soil of Hearts
I planted my seeds of love.
Spread it far and wide on the soil and heart of earth.
It landed on many fields.
Hearts of ingenuity,
Some grew, faded over time, and eventually died.
Others grew, blossomed and flourished.
Some that I thought are already mine to stay,
began to fade, then wither off completely.
Love grown on soil watered in false affection.
Shall I pick my seeds of love back
and find elsewhere to grow them?
For I have tested the different soil textures.
And yet haven’t found the right soil to
grow these precious seeds of love.
Will it stay forever?
Or would it die halfway?
Even though I seem to have found the
right soil for this love to grow on.
I am afraid that it may die when it’s
already grown roots deep into the earth,
and seeds ripened enough to be plucked.
Shall I keep hoping, growing these seeds of love,
while I wait to reap in manners that I have equally sowed?
Remora and I
Isn’t the remora and shark meant to stay with each other forever?
The laughter, the memories, the love and admiration they shared.
The beauty of today, and the many miles of ocean they swam together.
I guess Shark is unaware that remora can detach itself at anytime,
Despite that they had vowed to travel the depth of the ocean forever.
Witnessing life under the sea and the glories above the ocean.
But promises fades, people changes,
Is there one that can be assured forever?
How many are supposed to go with one through life?
One, two, three or none?
Dozens, hundreds or a city?
Will I survive having an entire town around me?
What would be my lot if the one remora leaves?
Shall I go forth with wounded heart,
searching the corners of the sea for another remora?
If I found one, can I trust it for longevity?
Or would this remora feel like a shadow that
stays at noon and leave at night?
Peter Okonkwo is a Nigerian writer, poet, critic, playwright, storyteller based in Leeds, England. He is the author of seven poetry collections. His works have appeared on the Australian Plumwood Mountain Journal, Ikike Arts, Lagos Review, Writers Space Africa, Sevhage, Con-scio, The Journal of African Literature and Poetry Catalog. His literature works was endorsed by Art Council England in 2024. His recent collection, Kwame Come Home was debuted as part of the BSWN Artist Showcase in Bristol (2025), and was a finalist for the Aberdeen’s Bookause Prize. Peter is the creative director at PEL, where he has interviewed over 1000 new, emerging and prominent writers.
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