Nwuguru Chidiebere Sullivan’s poem ‘The Anatomy of Boys’ spoke to so many, and it is for this reason that this ‘fascinating’ ‘beautiful’ and ‘inspiring’ poem is the IS&T Pick of the month for September 2020. Huge congratulations to him!
Nwuguru is a budding writer from the Ebonyi State of Nigeria. He writes autobiographically about life, the boy-child, and about multiple aspects of the ebbing African culture. He is a penultimate Medical Laboratory Science student with lots of unpublished works to his credit. His works have been published at Quills, Ace World, Trouvaille Review, Ducor Review, The Lake, LiteLitOne, Inverse Journal, The SprinNG, Journal Nine, e.t.c. and he has also contributed to several anthologies.
He was the winner of the 2018 FUNAI Crew Literary Contest.
After careful thought, and with Nwuguru’s blessing – he asked that it be put towards a charitable cause of our choice – we donated his £30 ‘prize’ to the Nigerian Diasporans Against Sars fundraiser.
The Anatomy of Boys
Boys are cold birds
Boys are carrying broken wings
Boys are burning oceans
Boys are drizzling ashes
Boys are not the thorny rose
Boys are petals of hibiscus
Boys are rainbow
Boys are not cloaks for a deluge
Boys are glass prisms
Boys are bends stifling grief
Boys are untapped palm trees
Boys are cask for unharvested tears
Boys are cameras
Boys are libraries of cracks
Boys are dustbin
Boys are cavity for filthy blames
Boys are suns
Boys are shining in isolation without stars.
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Voters’ comments included:
I could feel every word, every line and every stanza of the poem, as it had an usual way of describing me
I love the poem’s construction, how it reminds me of what it means to be male— and what it should never mean.
lots of surprising images
I liked the vigour of it 🙂
It talks about the boy child and I can relate so well with every line of the poem.
The poem appeals to me
The anatomy of boys is a great metaphor depicting the future.
The lyrics of the poem are so deep but have captivating meaning which is very true.
I love the flow of the poem.
The poet was so explicit in his writing. I love the idea.
I love the simplicity of the poem and the way it carries the plight of the boy-child with scintillating metaphors
Simple, touching and reflective
Honestly his poem have really impact positive life unto me
His poem seems to be the best among all. Telling us the hiding things we don’t understand
Gives us an insight of the thought
He is passionate about what he does