POEM: In the Shadows of Mobil Nkwen

In the Shadows of Mobile Nkwen

Kinkily dressed ladies back the neon lights 

from crowded shaggy pubs &

their shadows reflect on the dirty tarmac.

Their silhouettes are cast on the streets

revealing the folding and faulting contours 

of endowed African women.

Popping breasts from string blouses

serve as billboard adverts for clients.

Their buts tell of all feminine passions

to be served those who wish to swim

in their nightly crimson pleasures.

They come in all sizes, shapes and colours, 

so everyone may be satisfied.

In the shadows of Mobil Nkwen,

everyone goes about their business

without interference from anybody.

Women roast their fish, and others sell

whatever you may want to buy.

Shadow ladies gently sip beer or

whiskey as others quietly inhale &

blow puffs of thick smoke

into the already congested air

while others chatter with their colleagues.

At times they beckon on passers-by,

offering a display of things on sale,

promising in whispering voices

to provide before sales services

as the potential client may prefer.

They have no favorite clients,

nor do they discriminate against races or

the rich and the poor, the clean and the dirty:

Meals on the menu are served

without bias to anyone who pays right.

The city’s big boys; from lawyers

to doctors, government delegates to mayors,

corrupt politicians to fat-purse business moguls, 

company commanders to corporals, 

bikers to mechanics, truck pushers

to street sweepers, bartenders, fey men and thieves, 

everyone is served from the same pot 

without prejudice but in accordance

with how much they are willing pay.

Ask why they ply their trade &

they’ll tell tales that generate tears

from dry eyes: some are single mothers,

others are orphans while others are rape victims,

most just want a means to survive.

They know the hazards of their trade,

yet they ply it all the same.

The teenage girls bitterly complain

of domestic violence and child abuse.

To them, they’re safe under the mentorship

of the elderly ones who seemingly

have tutored them well for business

in the shadows of Mobil Nkwen.