Polar Bears in Love (Valentine), by Joseph Hope

Dear Readers,

​With Valentine's Day behind us, and Spring right around the corner, we're happy to share a meditation on love from West African poet Joseph Hope. 

Please read, share, and submit something of your own!

We're going to be making some changes (all good things!) at The Rail, so keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming announcement!

Happy Reading--

The Derailleur Press team

Love can be served cold, 
sitting across the table, 

music in the background 
as she throws her hair back, 

and ask what you want the babies 
to look like, knowing well 

you're not God you still go ahead 
to answer the wrong questions the right way. 

It's valentine day
and the day is 

younger than 
the both of you 

pretending to be 
in love. At least. 

The train is miles away 
but the vibration reaches you

like the cold breeze 
and you both hold hands and 

walk in and out 
of the movie theatre.

If you can eat cold love 
and survive for years 

you can survive 
better or worse. 

Love can be served like ice cream 
on a cold day, and you both

 hold hands and dine 
like polar bears in love.

Joseph Hope writes from Nigeria, West Africa. He believes he's a metaphor for what can be, what is possible. And a synonym for a wonder the world don't have a word for. The King of weirdos who tries every night to find the confluence point between river Earth and river Heaven with his eyes close. Hahaha. Udo.

His works are forthcoming or already published in Reckoning Press, Timber Ghost Press, Evening Street Press, Zoetic Press, New Verse News, Praxis Magazine, Ubu, AfroPoetry, Gemini Spice Magazine, Spillwords, SprinNG, Writers Space Africa, Nthanda Magazine, 5th & 6th Chinua Achebe Anthology, Ariel Chart, Best "New" African Poets 2019 Anthology, and more. He's a reader for Reckoning Press.

He was a fellow in the 2021 SprinNG Writing Fellowship.

He tweets @ItzJoe9 & IG: _hope_joseph