NOW
Give me Medusa’s head
Or the claw of a Lion
No, let me have zeus’ big toe
Or take me to the Eiffel Tower
Give me the beat that I may dance
But don’t play the talking drum
Caress me with the sheerness of “mama Charlie”
Nothing less is fit for me
I may have swayed to the music
Of your sweet voice prior
And given of my juice
With reckless liberality
Now, what I ask is your deed
Talk is cheap Jack
If you can’t meet up
Then you can hit the road.
KEMIBON
2013
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UNCLE KAZEEM
Before the break of dawn,
Dusk had been determined.
Before I was born,
I already died.
the first light, the first bath
the previous night would be her last
That dark night, he wielded a knife
The ensuing fight that took her life
They took me away, away from him
So they said; I craved a chance to meet him
Food was luxury, i embraced penury
To the ones who took me, I became rivalry
I heard tales of Uncle Kazeem's many vices
His steady outbursts and love for gin
A mental release from all the crisis
Just one chance!...I longed to face him
They said my father died long ago
They said my mother pushed him to the edge
They said Uncle Kazeem had a faulty ego
Too many tales, I left in search of revenge
The hood became home
My heart turned stone
This was the path I chose
Secretly longing to meet my greatest foe
Alas the day came, after all the waiting years
Revenge dripped all over the pistol I held
Uncle Kazeem begging with screams and tears
While I grinned as tears rolled down my eyes
"Say your last words", I held my fist harder
When I heard him say the most shocking phrase
'BANG!' I shot, it was too late to refrain
As he mumbled those last words, "I am your father"...
MICHEAL ONOBOTE
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THE GENESIS
At the meeting of the elders
And community leaders
Stood the master of masters
To address the greatest of matters
'I want to subdue the earth' he said
'I want humanity under my control' he continued
'Whom shall I send' he asked
'Who shall go for me' he concluded
'I am the best for this mission
The only one with concoction
That will catapult us to our destination
With no crack in our formation
I shall make them hate education
Take away their youth's affection
Makes their government starve it with utmost passion
And create divisions
Among their institutions'
'You have spoken well illiteracy
What a fantastic delicacy
But I smell fallacy
I don't spend such currency'
Then hunger spoke forth
'I am the giver of wealth
The upholder of breath
And faith
Let me go to earth
In no time this mission will be done with'
'O my beloved hunger
Beautiful as your are
Many are immune to your anger
And that's not what I'm after
I want a better offer'
'If I should go on this operation
I go not as CORRUPTION
For man is the most intelligent of creation
He shall fathom my mission
And proffer lasting solution
To my destruction
But to each, I'll go in different dimension
To those in government, misappropriation
Or better still wealth creation
The legislator, budget allocation
Men in black, check-point collection
'Whey your particulars' for simplification
The government worker, something to set your papers in motion
The manager, zero addition
Those in business, profit generation
The student, malpractice in examination
'Egun' for familiarization
And to that child on errand, tip off to action'
OKU-OLA PAUL ABIOLA (pauldesimple)
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ALL BEFORE DAWN
I really loved to stroll through Central Park
When the blazing sun had gone just before dark
I loved the subtle breeze, dancing trees and flying kites
waddling ducks and boisterous dogs were such amusing sights
How could I end the day without my leisurely hike?
My thoughts changed…when I got my own red bike
As I rode it I forgot about ducks and bees
My interest now lied in hills and trees
Flapping skirts and flying hair
Little wonder people stopped to stare
I had moved my kingdom from the moor to the street
An evening ride became my personal treat
Though I never really rode out that far
Well ….until I got my first car
Now this made me reach for the stars
For now there were no holds barred
No stress, no sweat, no scraped knee
Just this big powerful engine and cute little me
In the blazing sun or pouring rain
I was faster than a moving train
But then... my Dad bought a boat
You just needed to see me gloat
Knowing the ropes didn’t take that long
I was so eager and full of song
Crossing rivers, lakes and seas
I felt like a newly recruited marine
The bravest you could ever get
Until....until we got a private jet
I had the world at my feet and my head in the clouds
I had no doubt that I had exceeded bounds
With oil on my head and an overflowing cup
There was no reason for me to stop
I went to the ends of the earth
Flew over the land of my birth
And as I crossed the pacific sea
I heard someone calling out to me
Wake up sleepy head!! Wake up! Get out of bed!!
If you are ever late again your Boss would surely have your head!
Erhio (June 2013)
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LADY KUKU
Lady Kuku,
Custodian of the caustic cane
that scratches the stubborn buttocks
with its fiery finger
Who can stand the fury
of your learned kiss?
Words shoot from
the Vulcan cannon of her glossy lips,
ra-ta-ta-ta !
dust drifting above desert minds,
faster than the strokes of fire
the blackboard quivers I swear I saw
white chalk walk
stupid thoughts forget
their wares and flee
like bomb scare
in northern spheres
her eyes
are lasers,lacerating
our loony minds,
while the bright ones think
her hips are like a guitar,
bringer of pleasure
bringer of pain,
depending on the texture
and the side of the cane.
UNCHAINED WITH INTENT
Your unassuming childlike nature and simplicity makes you beautiful
Every word with its profound meaning and consideration for the other person
Woman, if only people will look at you with noble intent
All you have become is a reflection of your environment
Not so many considers this before passing judgement
Do not wait, take your place and pray we take ours
Everything you have become, you set the pace and we took the reins
All I wish is to see you enthroned where your gift lies
Dreams becomes reality in the sands of time
Emotions not let out and resolved leads to unhappy end
Wondering as the letters written form words and sentences
Understanding this unknown but familiar road
Not far but different from paths taken before
May lead to yet another story the end is not in-sight
Irresistibly the cycle of events will continue
All my dreams may one day become reality
Do not ask if you do not understand these words and sentences
Unchained they come through but not without intent
Ifeanyi Okwosha June 2013
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NOT FIT
i am not fit to be your man
your lips are still innocent
your waist untouched
your hands pure
i am not fit
i cannot stop by to say hi
can not send you flowers
in praise of your beauty
i'm not fit to be a gent
please i can't be your man
i can't define love
i cannot paint you on pages
not even a page
always i am at the war front
if gbolakata gbolakata
where gun strikes
bullet take the life
one after another
i can not be called yours
i cannot shape love
not good in missing colours of love
can i know love with guns in my hands?
every sun remain me in the street
defending lifes
even if you insist on creating a space in your heart
let it be the tiniest of all
if i will be counted
let me be the last
please i repeat
i'm not fit to be called yours
so set that as a reminder
to your heart i cannot be your man
OSIGWE BENJAMIN ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
SLEEPLESS NIGHT
Everytime i close my eyes for sleep
i saw darkness parading my yard
with the skeleton of a dead heart
rising against me
and leave me in fear
that's when i know its a sleepless night
before a flash of an eye
the sky began to cry
i perceive not the fragrance of rapture
but by hell, i've been captured
father hear my voice
and pour me mercy
according to thy living kindness
for my soul is ready to believe that
heaven and hell is real.
EKEH DANIEL
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THE HEART OF LIGHTNESS
I was up to my ears with clever boy references to the Conradian or is that Conradic
mention of the Heart of Darkness
This until I heard Mr. Elliot speak about the heart of lightness.
And then I thought, what a thought, the heart of lightness.
What is it?
Is it the light heart or the merry heart that does good like medicine?
Like the Bible says.
Is it a heart free from every vestige of neurotic guilt and therefore light?
Or maybe the heart so psychotic and neurotic as to be morally defective without a sense of right and wrong.
Therefore light as being incapable of being made heavy with remorse.
Or maybe the heart of lightness is a place in spirit where hope dwells.
Where the nations are not brow beaten by corruption
Wickedness, murder and depravity but live in expectation of a new day
A greater day, a better day.
Or of a new generation that will arise to bring into effect a new vision of the transformation of a nation
The realignment of a continent.
The heart of lightness is a state of being where the light of illumination is shed on the darkness of living
Where a fresh enthusiasm arises to tackle the issues of the day and overcome.
Where we understand that this too shall turn
Tyrants shall not always rule
Truth prevails
Good will eventually triumph as the flow of history has shown.
A place where we agree that hardnosed love makes the world go round
That it is better to think positive and of possibility than to be negative and conceive of impossibility.
In the heart of lightness we understand that honey can come out of a lion.
Good can come from Galilee
A nation can be born in one day.
Things can change.
That suddenlies like sublime serendipities do happen
That we shall be like dreamers
Heavy of tongue and leaden of limbs
When our captivity is turned
And the desert turns green.
ANDREW ODE
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THE FINISHING TOUCH
Before
The 60 ft tall skyscraper
that came against David
Before
The 911 pebble
That brought the tower down
A scene is carved out in a living room of the dead
Like a crucified Toy buried to explode,
Only three words, Stood to detonation “,it is finished”
Before
Moses went up against the Nazi’s
Before
Adam reinvented himself as smith
A lamb defected from our animal farm,
Rewrote his DNA in words
and when he raised his voice
darkness lost its nucleus, blinded in an instant by satellites of light
Before
Abraham became a father of nations
and Abraham Lincoln, the father of America
Greatness was locked in a blood stream
it was a blood line no enemy could cross,
a bloodline no obstacle could deter
it became the bridge between two world
the world of world that was a work in progress and a finished world.
before
stem cells were grown into babies,
his stem was stuck in Jesse
Before the kings in france,britiain or the bible
Before martin Luther the king
a borderless kingdom bulldozed despots
KAKA
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EVERYTHING WAS CHILL AND GAY
Nweee nweee nweee
Came the cries from within
The purpose for which remains unknown
Anunu is born
His placenta they said
Was also burnt
Whilst burning the ceremonial ram
The blood of the ram will arm him
Against all harm
We ran from door to door with the freedom of pikinhood
Bathed in the never ending rains
Butt naked and never flinching
Many moons after
Daughter will not go topless in front of mothers
Less talk of brothers
Woman hood was lurking
For him, it wasn’t any different
Elongations were happening in certain places
We listened to tales from iya agba
Under the moonlight
And basked in a bout of ere osupa
Jinglies and dinglies we touched with no evil thoughts
Until they came when the moon was divorcing light
In the name of crusades or whatever
The enemies would have their delight
Yes!
Not without their collaborators
Bastards, some called them
But retards I say they were
Or still are
We fought with all our might
But we could not sustain the fight
Sheepishly we downed our tools
And were led to ships
Waiting in nearby waters
Decades later
We are making a change
Change?
Yes! A change for the worse
One to drop values for each and another
Our women were objectified
Our men became animals
All hell was let loose
Man to man, woman to woman
Plus man or woman to animals
Human treasures that were to be imagined
Were left to be unimagined
Sala goes with barely a thing of clothing
On her being as she strolls past
Hoping to make a lasting impression
And possibly some money
A few of us fell to her spell
The one with more money
Got the deal
His offer better than good
While we stared some more
He’d had his share
Once or twice
This was not worth the bargain
He cried
You lied about the worth
Not a kobo will drop from my purse
Bobo! Pick sense o!
Before I begin lick your blood
She raked in her street acquired language
Kpoa! Broken bottle in hand she charged
Hoping to scare the fool
Mistake
Mistake was the option she chose
For the fool was a mental case packaged in decency
Not a fool
He was once the son of his Excellency
Always took the laws to his hands
Tears, blood and sorrow were so many in his trail
And thoughts of another milestone wells again
That he was not at all well was no news
He got himself a cut as he caught Sala
Swift like the mongoose
Girl on floor
Neck wrenched, jaw locked, eyes rolled over
In a matter of minutes
News of her death had broke
He met his waterloo in an accident while fleeing from the scene
Such is the life of now
As the modern day has washed away the values of old
When we were young
All was chill and gay.
Ilupeju
June 2013
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LOKACI
Agbe gbe mi d'ele o, agbe!
Agbe gbe mi d'ele o, agbe ee!
Ajo o le dun, k'onile ma re le o
Agbe gbe mi d'ele...
Ni, ma wa ki, mai, ki'au ne!
But after few days
I surface with a new tale
I'm dry
Yet full of rage...
Now I have time to kill
So I'm here to play
Play, with words and puns
Like a fifth century sage
Full and fresh like a cargo cage
Delivered to the land of the few and free
Hi an'zu, my kaya kicks like bruce
Kagane? I was born on this black soil
With loads of Albarka no toil
Was circumcised and still feel the pain
Kama'n, cemeteries on my lane
This pain lasts till tomorrow
'Cos MAD was buried in their brains
And it spread across the sahara
They lost indigenous languages
Tribal myths and oral renditions
They borrowed names and sold their ancestral homes for mere lands!
Awusubilahi!
Now sinners can't envy
Infidels can't tremble
themselves turn into vultures
Getting dinner ready
For a feast steady
Their fountain of truth runs dry
Sosei there's no stream nigh
No one is sticking to the rules
Laid down by ancestors and griots
Remember, this is a tasuni'a
Has anyone been thinking lately?
We've all landed on a different planet
Our effort used to be free
We gained forte effortlessly
But now our revolution can't be televised...
Eni ba wo garawa a gbo gborangandan!
MAC T
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THE WOMAN
The woman is deep not like a well
but like the word of an ancient sage
The woman is strong not like tough cord
but like an idea whose time has come
The woman is to be respected not like an equal
but like a mighty man strong and tall
The woman is to be feared not like a serpent
but like the thief of the soul
The woman is to be loved not like you love yourself
but more than you love yourself
The woman is not weak or feeble like most men think
but able as most men know.
The woman is to be treated right not just because its right
but because in doing so we show our might
CHISOM
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BEFORE
Best of friends they were
Walls apart....
When did it all start?
I wonder the wind that blew
That brought down the walls
The wall they built around each other
Could it have been time?
Senseless I cried!!
The walls couldn't be bridged.
No tube, no tunnel
Ah...
Even the wire failed.
Ever since April
When the rain started in may
The knot loosened
The ties that bound broken
Words like egg, Once broken, forget the packer.
Walking on broken glasses?
Tip toe Don't rouse the hen from its sleep
Let the sleeping dog lie.
From the Niger to the Benue
That place that connects
Seems also to separate
Will I ever understand
Something beyond repair
Nonsense
The crack in the wall
Little
Neglect and ignorance widened
Check through the history
The fire that came from their bond
Massive What took the fuel out of this?
We may never know.
Options....
Obviously, could be the apron string
No...
Things could have just stop dead
The farm land may seem to have
Become barren
Yeah as the walls thicken
What supports the fuel?
Hmm, might be pure truancy
One might have met Nancy
The other seeing gold
Could have joined a fold
The binding part wavers and weakens
When clouds replaces flesh
Could have been...
Who knows?
Reading through the years
Seeing time through the pictures
Memories come to play
A major anchor at the sea of thought
Wanting to grab the moment
Illusions boggles the factory
The product was pain
Pathetic
What became of the honey?
The length of pole handled
The mounds suckled
All a flash in the pan?
Heads bowed
Shoulders slumped
Feet drags
Emotions running wild
Pressures mounting
Thoughts gathering
Then it occurred...
Everything grounded to a halt
Where am I?
How did we get here?
Questions flying
It wasn't so from the beginning
Scales falling
Crystal clear
Like a diamond in the sky
Race to the center
A lot of ground has been lost
On one knee
The stronger went,
The weaker shaking
Rain falling from faces
The body vibration
.....The sorry moment over
Stronger than steel they came
Tender, closer and better
They laughed at the past
Listen to them chat
I see them just like it was,
BEFORE.... it went wrong.
Kolawole Ogunfowokan
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ASIKO
Waste not your time
As the clock ticks away
Working hard in your prime
Brings along a brighter day.
Asiko, time waits for no one
Close your eyes and the day is gone.
Time is a dream
It could also be a flowing stream.
The cock crows in morn'
At ten in bed you yawn
Your dreams are as high as the mountain,
And your desires flow like a fountain.
How do you tend to them?
Yesterday you were crawling
Just a toddler finger sucking
Then you were stamped a teen
But time now has wiped you clean.
Time is a threat
So don't make it a bet.
It is a thunderstorm,
So be prepared for a shipwreck.
Asiko; An enemy of the lazy man
Asiko, An ocean that swallows dreams.
Asiko; A word of trepidation.
Asiko; The judge that convicts or acquits man.
© Ayinla Muyideen 10th of june, 2013
