The Unfamiliar Acquaintance

I am the one, you passed by yesterday 
The neighbour you said hello to, or not 
The nods and smiles you gave, or not 


The gentle echoes from the distance you heard 
Like a visit to my Keta village, on the shores 
Of the volta and dawn drum beats, that melody 


That melody, that wakes the soul to feed, or not 
I am the lover you once had, made promises to 
Your first love or not, second love, third love, or not 


The beggar on the street you tossed a coin to, or not 
The neighbour's child with scruffy hair, or not  
The kid you willingly shared your all with, or not 


With names familiar to you, or not 
And memories of innocences, or not 
The childhood best friends forever, or not 


Still unsure, what emphases to place in knowing 
Whether to call thee a friend or an acquaintance 
Whether to make thee a stranger, with a hint of familiarity 

But you know to recognise comrades, and lay claim to relations 
As opulence favour door ways of subjects, until now with surety 
Surely you must be, don't you remember, with tones changed