A Poem by Marvel Chukwudi Pephel

Parting, Memories, Left-Overs

To eat (1):  teeth gnawing on chunks or bits of meal,
Tongue lubricating what must go down.
If fatty (You'd-better-leave-my-gums kind of meal):
Things that have formerly been are hard to erase,
So the in-between teeth cavities and gums keep souvenirs.
To eat (2): by extension, munching the gain or pain from love or friendship,
Understanding either going down well or not.
Plaque:  bad-blood substance on the teeth of memory,
Every grind opens up emotional wounds.
Parting (1):  to leave (or to separate) from someone or something,
Memories trailing behind.
Left-overs:  things you are done with, momentarily or permanently;
Tongue of memory ultimately decides.
Parting (2):  used-to-be-active tendons and ligaments abound,
By extension, unity and communication gone:
Come see a relationship lying dead.

Marvel Chukwudi Pephel is a Nigerian writer who writes poems, short stories and other things besides.  His works have appeared in numerous places which include, but are not limited to, the following:  High Coupe, The Avocet, Jellyfish Whispers, The Kalahari Review, Peeking Cat Poetry Magazine, Praxis Magazine for Arts and Literature, African Writer, PIN Quarterly Journal, Best New African Poets 2016 Anthology.  He is currently a two-time winner of the Creative Writing Ink Competition (Ireland).