Shine Your Eye - Somi

作词：Somi

作曲：Somi/Keith Witty/Cobhams Asuquo

When I close my eyes

I remember the bright city heat pressing against

The knuckles of my searching toes and squinting brow

I remember kind strangers and brave adventure

The beauty and revelation of dirty drums found deep

Inside of me and the knowing that

My heart's hand had always rested

It's palm against their homesick skins

I remember non-vegetarian pepper soups month-long

Rainstorm lullabies and sleepy traffic thick with

Hot metal bodies and impromptu window snacks

I sigh stroking through a sea of dissonant horns and agile

Bodies that careen between cars hurling both barter and abuse

Unassuming streetside glamour-heavy hipped women in red and gold

A body of water full of reeds and houses on sticks expands

Under a concrete stretch to Victoria Island

I remember being told to pronounce yoruba

With my mouth wide open and to shine my eye

The fake tears of nollywood flicks

The fierce intellect and ambition that

Spat in the face of stereotype

The sighting of East African backsides that saw me too

I remember hungry boys pouncing on car windows

And I remember looking away

Market fish and soft leather

Red carpets and white teeth

Pastel parasols and the unexpected

Majesty of rough beach horses

I never she close your

I I never she close your

I remember sweaty night beats brash rhymes

And bottle service-boat clubs and chivalry

Strong-hearted men with oil-colored wealth and dizzying

Tropical nights illuminated by generator hums and

A sharp-angled breeze that begged me to taste the mouth

Of the ocean if I momentarily opened my own

I remember hurting people with my western-isms

And not knowing how to fix it

I remember writing sound and word while sitting on top

Of houses and underneath almond trees

I remember when the mosquitoes stopped remembering to bite me

The quiet rejoice for stable electricity and clean water

The finding of love and the letting it go

Tears and melancholy

Magic and serendipity

Deep joy and rebirth

The soft breath of angels that whispered to me while

I dreamt on top of hard mattresses and danced

Under sunsets that startle you

Champagne anyone