Man and God Distinguished by Okogbule Wonodi

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Man sees the stars

and turns aside

suspicious of such tidings

on a perilous midnight.

Man turns his face

from the terrors of incense

for the tigers are howling

when Man means to go home

on a star-spangled midnight.

There can be no salt, and no joy

from fresh dew in the morning,

from wife or from home or from life

in the wake of such tidings

as stars and terrors of incense.

Afterwards, Man dies.

Sheets with the whiteness of stars

and incense and oil and dirt

and tongue knowing no spices, no salt.

And the cold angel caresses the God!