At the door of heaven
Light pours through the magnificence
Of essence, dirt, becoming skin becoming
Bone, becoming flesh and bone becoming
Blood, becoming life, becoming life and
Light becoming beat becoming heart
Because a pulse of joy at the womb
Of my life, my heart, pressed into the
Green grass of gratitude, my life is a
Kind of miracle happening on repeat,
This small world swirls and swirls
And I dance to the music of a skin in
My hands, the gentle gaze of this child
In my hands, her soft yawn, the size of
Sesame seeds yet my cheek is full fledged
With  laughter, God, is the One in the heavens
With a wide smile watching me laugh,
The tears in my eyes becoming flood,
Your smile, little one, opens the door
Of my eyes and the sea finally pours
And pours to my heart’s content.

[A mix media piece – poem and painting – exhibited at The Optimist’s Incomplete Exhibition and a part of the Heritage Day celebration, as part of the Benue Book and Arts Festival at the DH Lawrence Birthplace Museum, Eastwood, Nottingham on 12 September 2026]

Esther Owolabi is a Nigerian multidimensional artist who sketches and writes. Inspired by poets like Maya Angelou, Warsan Shire, and Niyi Osundare, Esther takes inspiration from her life and her environment to create art that tells everyday stories. She is interested in how visual culture, memory, and storytelling shape how we see ourselves and others. Esther’s debut book of poetry is titled THE MIRACLE.