This dead of midnight is the noon of thought,
And Wisdom mounts her zenith with the stars.
At this still hour the self-collected soul
Turns inward, and beholds a stranger there
Of high descent, and more than mortal rank;
An embryo God; a spark of fire divine.
Bio: Simi Bedford is a Nigerian novelist based in Britain. Her best-known work is Yoruba Girl Dancing, an autobiographical novel about a young Nigerian girl who is sent to England to receive a private school education.
