POEMS READ AT LOUDTHOTZ POETRY OPEN READING SEASON 9 EPISODE 7 JOY

TOLU DANIEL (THE GUY) WINNER POEM OF THE MONTH

THE JOY PARADOX – (poem of the month)

“Para”, “Doxa”

Rewriting the treatise of the status quo,

Ignoring the memoranda of convention,

Evading the borderlines of nature's expectations,

Amending engraved commands of human nature;

Joy is a paradox,

The smiling debris afloat on a flood of tears.

In the face of adversity;

Where vile men deftly place you in their bull's eye,

Breathing hate and breeding blame with their pork nose,

Slandering your noble cause by their bad mouth,

Throwing tantrums and plotting war with their bird-brain -

Joy strengthens, 

In the face of adversity.

In the gravity of jeopardy,

Weighing down brutally against your will to push,

Stretching out viciously beyond your power to hold,

Breaking the point between despair 

And the anticipated peace of death -

Joy uplifts, 

In the gravity of jeopardy.

In the hopelessness of shame,

Where scarce friendships place enemies in abundance,

And disease and spite become your acquaintance,

When the dictation of no just cause oppresses you,

And the noisome rancor of false witnesses silences you -

Joy assures, 

In the hopelessness of shame.

In the shamelessness of hope,

When you've long reached the end of the rope,

And you are faced against hope, reason, sense, and self,

When unfulfillment makes life an absurdity of nonsense,

And the face of your expectations is scorned by fleeting time-

Joy dignifies,

In the shamelessness of hope.

On the backdrop of pain,

Grimly shrouded over the beating spanks of your heart,

Erupting as a sigh from the grieving furnace of your breath,

Dripping free as a narrow river from the broken faucet of your eyes,

Yet smeared by dots of the forceful will of a smile -

Joy animates,

On the backdrop of pain.

And in the absence of happiness

Being a product of happenings,

Joy is a walk you take when life's invariable tides rise,

In such moments, we walk upon the tides;

Pursuing our visions by ignoring our sights-

Yes! Joy walks,

In the absence of happiness.

This is the joy paradox:

Joy strengthens, in the face of adversity.

Joy uplifts, in the gravity of jeopardy.

Joy assures, in the hopelessness of shame.

Joy dignifies, in the shamelessness of hope.

Joy animates, on the backdrop of pain.

Yes! Joy walks, in the absence of happiness.

Tolu Daniel

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MUSIC OF THE SPHERES 

Between the twelve rings of Jupiter

Are decibels of joy? 

Their orbital resonances sing 

Of revolutions,

Astronomy for the eyes, 

Symphony for the ears. 

At the region of concrete thoughts, 

The thirsty mind drinks 

From this ocean of harmony,

And finds therein a second heaven. 

Between the earth and the moon, 

A tone,

Between the moon and mercury, 

A semitone;

Moan,

For a sweet-death your own. 

Let the spherical music of life be felt

In the marrows of your dry bone. 

Soonest Nathaniel

//////////////////////////////////////

JOY

There is something about joy- the quality, the attitude,  the fruit of the spirit, not the bar soap or the girl- that brings a smile to my face.

Though the one Joy girl I have in my life also periodically causes me to break out.

When you consider Beethoven's Ode to Joy, you smile!

You remember Van Dykes song of joy through the amazing rendition by the Sisters Act and your heart is warmed

Joy does that!

Then there is Joy as acronym- J.O.Y

And Joy as misspelled acrostic- J.Y.O.

J.esus

O.thers

Y.ourself

Order them as your understanding or tradition permits or posits.

There is the canned joy that comes out seasonally

In seasons where the supposed reason for the season is reduced to a stick like figure tied to a stake and hung on a lace string

When we spend the money and give testimony about money  that we might or might not have tasted/tested, to reference the rude boy and his twin.

But back to joy, the real thing, the real deal

Let us write Ode's  to it like Schiller and Van Dyke

Let's yield to it with reckless abandon

Let us be baptized, immersed in it

Let it lubrihen out all the rough parts of our inner space

And let those who are minded receive this baptism, not of fire and blood but of joy and laughter.

Yes! Yes! Y

ANDREW WHITE

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

12-Twelve

Memories resurface

Like dead fish in stagnant water

 Floating belly up

Staring with vacuous eyes into grey skies:

1

Àdùké Omo Daddy

If daddy could see you now

Tears would adorn his eyes

His hands would crave to heal you

2

Àdùké Omo Daddy

Those words would rent the air

To quell your weeping

Daddy knew how to still your tears

Feet shuffling in rhythm to his soft tones

Your cries silently retreating

3

Delight, bliss, joy

Just in being

That was easy

When we were young

4

In those days

When joy was light

And light meant sitting around mother

Listening to tales of Ìjàpá and Yáníbo

5

Àdùké is home

Who cares to ask?

Tell her eyes,

Dry your tears

Tell her body,

Rebuke the fever

6

Mother’s singing

Some minutes past midnight

Love so pure and true

Cradling Àdùké in her arms

7

Àdùké, she would sing on

K’ómá gbóná join join

Bí ògí òní K’ómá tutù nini

Bí èbà àná

8

Memories sweet and simple

Of childhood past

Flow into the present

And reveal Àdùké

9

Àdùké Omo Daddy

Is this you?

Awash in tears?

Afraid of time’s revelations?

Back bent ?

Shoulders quivering?

10

Àdùké!

Rise up!

11

Rise and enter into the gates

The gates of your victory

12

That joy may come in

Kemibon

/////////////////////////////////////

  ‘Market Sojourn’

With a heart filled with joy,

I went to the market,

To buy items needed for life,

I went to the first stall,

She had patience to sell,

So I bought a full pack,

Went further to the next stall,

He sold me a case of hardwork,

I bought a bunch of humility from the boy hawking,

An Elderly woman wrapped me some morsels of respect,

She also gave me a slice of modesty,

I took a roll of humor from the daughter’s hand,

I was told to pick up the box of safety on the shelf…

I headed down to the super store to get more items,

The super store gave me a carton of positive attitude,

My voucher earned me freebies of honesty,

And integrity as bonus pack,

I bought some drugs of affection,

And took some capsules of fairness and Justice,

The Security men gave me a tap of boldness and courage,

As I prepare to take my leave out of the market,

I saw an elderly couple, who sold me a bag of love mixed with joy and happiness,

They also gave me a bottle of forgiveness…

I promised to return to the market to shop for more,

They said bring a basket of gratitude,

and we shall all shower u more gifts of mercy.

Please take your change of peace and security…

Asapen

@Akinyemi Akinmusire

/////////////////////////////////////

GREAT HAPPINESS

We knew happiness was among us

With our great expectation in life

Manipulated by unfortunate riches

To create unending   mysteries

We knew we are blessed

With the endurance virus in our blood

That misleads harmonious benefits

To our personal discretion of wealth

 We felt it was nothing to be hidden

When the thief came at night

Sliding through our imaginary thought

Of coyness and satisfaction

We felt it was  nothing to kept

When education was possessed

Student are after their credentials

By faith or by imagination

We knew we were something

When poverty refrain from us

For inheritance of its existence

That nourishes our innermost being

A child was born into this world

We felt like a promise to Withhold

In this lonely life of happiness

While barrenness fading away  

Never to be seen among us

We knew we were made

When champions forfeit their strength

For perception and perfection of joy

That encompasses our limitation   

Ubongabasi Ekpo

/////////////////////////////////////

*NO MORE! *

Friendly foes razed our land

Erased the fingerprints of my hand

With the entire season's toil turned sand

They raced in the euphoria of the torment

Till they crashed out of the tournament 

Losing hope of the ornament

His tragedy could not his voice assuaged

With a bang, he left without been luggaged

As nature drowned the master's joy tender-aged

Their livelihood pulsates from our pulse

But  cared they a hoot we're their nurse?

Changing the story to a 'suoh sow' of curse!

The devil's blood litred his trail

Engulfing whoever the link assail

Leaving behind charred tales of wail

Then what's June's joy? 

If not a chained string of woe?

To us,  in this guise, return no more!

Fred Flows

///////////////////////////////////////////////

SHE...

She kindles.

She is the thrill that swirls the earth to a beatific cry

Cries and temors tugging at the strings of heart that makes melody

Melody that rends soul in liquid essence of inspiring fecundity

Fecundity that enlivens humans to the pure energy of Gaea's sacred womb

Womb birthing the mind into the secret of ages where nature is stark and naked.

She throbs.

She dampens the spirit of peurility with restless wonder.

She lures juveniles to the loins of fiery passions.

She tells a tale in the hall of dreams

Of a place the sun doesn't cease in its streams of marvel

And the stars taps the feet to the tune of a never-ending song.

She craves.

She leads me through the fields of bled roses

Awakening primal lust that mere mortals cannot relieve.

She courses jolts that pelts the body like icy chill of crushed snow.

She ignites flames of fierce passion that invigorate souls beyond  contain

And She makes the body dance to the crackling fire of desire.

She rises.

She echoes the dawn and glimpse wonders from afar.

She beckons me the eyes of the heavens to see beyond sight.

She unclasps the embrace of the earth to reap treasures without measure.

She soars and takes me to flight on the wings of bliss.

She fleets and sweeps me to glory on the winds of fortune.

She falls.

She befuddles the voice that coax fate to desire's throbbing

And her spell cast despair bounding the aggrieved to his pity.

She cloaks the night but by day she is naked with shame.

She whispers her chaos but in silence she screams her pain.

She wanders in peace but in rest she lay in pieces.

She grieves.

Her tide ebbs and silence besets her darkness.

She drives a stake through pain and denies that hearts bleed.

Her flow recedes to the shores beyond solace's ambit.

She says goodbye but lost her promises in her quiescent.

She shed a tear but lost her hopes in a rain of rue.

She numbs.

Banished by pride she delights in the walk of ignominy.

Inflicted by light she embraces the safety of shadows.

Beguiled by fate she lives in the surety of doom.

Forgotten by melodies she sings the console of dirges.

Betrayed by hopes she clings to the homely of dust.

Segun Peters

/////////////////////////////////////////////////

JOY

I sat in despair,
thinking that life is not fair.
The clouds keep getting dark.
It seems as though my world is crumbling; like a pack of card.

Should life dictate my countenance?
The clattering of the spoons,
The murmuring of the pots,
Shouting silently at me.

Should what I don't have determine my mood?
I found two answers:
But I must choose one.

A book says "what I have will determine my countenance."
The other says "even when I don't have, my countenance should glow

The former is written by men,
The latter is inspired by a Spirit.

I thought to myself:
If I go with the first book,  it can only be temporal.
What if I don't have, won't I consider suicide?

The other says "I can choose to glow even when my pocket is empty."
I am left with one choice.

Joy- a stranger to many,
Who are ruled by their circumstances.
Joy-  a saviour to few that live sanely in an insane world driven by material acquisitions.
Joy, a spirit that thrives even in hard times,
Soothing the soul in a turgid atmosphere.

I say to myself:
Though the water looks murky,
The empty pots are crying for food,
The account blares red like a sore eye
Yet I will bask in Joy,
For therein lies my strength,
To scale through life's hurdles.

Ilesanmi Paul

////////////////////////////

THE ORIGIN

Adamu is happy within
But where does his joy begin?
From the blood on his knife
Dead husbands children and wives
All for the sake of a herd
Silence is heard
His Joy

Rasheed is elated
Mission accomplished
Contract sealed
The fruit of a two year seed
Hands were greased
Sponsors deceived
Godfathers will be appeased
His account is pleased
His Joy

Halimas tummy grumbles
"Where is he?" She mumbles
A scent wafts into the room
In he comes with a bowl and spoon
Ice cream!!! She smiles
All is forgotten for a while
She collects her treat
Her annoyance retreats
Her Joy

Amina prays
'Just this time' she says
She's been like that for days
Time sleeps
Her heart weeps
After steadfastly believing
Suddenly! comes the receiving
Joy
Unrestrained joy
Her Joy

That tightening of the chest
Lightness of the heart
Giddiness
Bubbly contentment
That feeling within
Where did it begin?

A miracle received
Or a parent deceived
A leveled score
Or winning of a war
A fulfilled wish
Or favorite dish

Its Joy! Joy! Joy!
An overflow of Joy
Some malicious
Others pure bliss
What causes your hearts jubilation?
What's the source of your souls celebration?
What gives you Joy?
Your Joy.

Erhio

//////////////////////////////////

ROSES FOR TEARS

Roses for Tears
Olives in the wind
Laughters in the Mist
Sonnets on trees trunks
Lyrics on riding wheels

You grace my heart every day
Like pearls on a quiet harbour
Marvelling at what you do
I dearly pray you do much more
In the deepest stillness of my heart
You espy and wholly understand

Erupting songs in the distance
Waves of whispering tunes
Piercing the sole of tenderness
A warm climax of sweetness
Enfolds me in an unbearable JOY
Submerged in your aura of greatness
I whole being worships

Words and pictures
Crystals and sand
Chance and sight
Timeless ardors of Love
Wisdom of silence
Joy in the rain
Laughters in the mist
Roses for Tears.

                                -Amar Basil

///////////////////////

JOY HAS DIED!

I want to watch the moon,

To sail across the stars, 

Through the dark canvas of the sky,

Dotted with twinkles and blue beauties..

But, in this book of my life,

The pages that I've seen

Are gradually unveiling the

Fractured pieces of me..

Causing my struggle to make a whole from a half, void.

Making it hard to unravel the tangled threads,

So all strands can become one.

Even when I try to collect the odds and ends,

Just to connect the unclear dots,

I have no clear answer to any question,

Only pieces, fragments and disarrayed angles...

How then can I watch this moon,

And sail across these stars 

amidst all these inner chaos

When my joy is dead?

Pricilla Ahaiwe

///////////////////////////////////////

JOY

She smiled at me 

Like she always did 

Her beautiful mouth decorated even more by her crooked teeth that sparkled murky brown 

Her skin was the shade of burnt midnight, 

The direct result of having a sun sitting on her neck 

She was beautiful 

She is beautiful

With the type of beauty so hot it scorched your sight 

Like treasure it's hidden, 

discover it not you might 

But if you find her 

Invincible you are my friend 

For You'd enjoy a glory that'd never end

But today 

Like coffee clouds there was a storm brewing

No milk, no sugar, pure black 

Just the way I hated it

With distaste I spat

And the phlegm clogged my sight

Today I blindly ignored joy

Misan Ogbe

///////////////////////////////////

POIGNANT MENTATION

Joy betides me folly.

She haunts my sleep like a faceless masquerade

And torments my conscience like a prickling sermon.

She calls to me to seek my heart's desire

But she hides away when i have reached the goal.

She causes me to rise above the drudgery of labor

But she sinks down when I am at the summit.

Joy has forsaken me!

Where was her euphoria when I struck the streams flowing of gold?

Where was her songs when my enemies I vanquished in battle?

Where was her succour when I fought and rose above my weaknesses?

Where was her passion when I indulged the pleasures of flesh?

Where was her praise when I acquired the luxuries of heart?

From the depths of despair she echoes

Her voice as supple as whisperings of age

And her song was the lyrics of reason.

She calls to me in names of hopes

And there I realised I had acquired in futility

And searched meaning in the places of vain.

Joy was the meaning I didn't deem

She was the reason that didn't fit

She was the home brimming with wine and laughter

But I sought her in the houses of whores and treasures.

She was the arm raising hopes to the downtrodden

But I sought her in the sword striking and vanquishing.

She was the heartbeat that binds blood and soul together

But I sought her in the breath pulsating ambition and power.

Joy was free as air but I couldn't breathe.

Joy was wise as letters but I couldn't read.

Joy was bright as day but I was blind.

Joy was passionate as music but I didn't tune the soul.

Joy was pure as bliss but I couldn't feel.

Joy was in everything but I didn't realise, until now.

Emmanuel Ifeanyi

///////////////////////////////////////

JOY IS…A LOT OF THINGS, BOTH GOOD AND BAD.

Joy is drinking garri for breakfast,

Knowing it makes sense of the devil’s mourning,

Joy is, when you wake up in the arms of the sun,

She embalms you in her fiery fragrance,

Joy is when you kiss the tears of an errant star,

He blesses you with his fastidious laughter,

Joy is when bank alerts become

Orphans’ from Shylock’s usuries,

Bragging joys for the usurper,

Joy is when metaphors turn to gloating rights,

Your oats become a tapestry of goodness to the world,

Joy is when you bath naked in the sun,

The crowd sees the pride of your turgidity,

Dancing a macabre tumult,

Joy is when you write Macbeth’s sins in the sands,

And watch Banquo become a Judas,

Joy is when devils become saints,

When they smell epitaphs from old wives tales,

Joy is when you don’t write in rhyme

But receive epiphanies over gluttonous

Pentameters and meters,

Joy is when the ghost of yesterday’s miseries wears a suit of tomorrow’s gallantry,

Joy is when you hear the devil cried,

Over Caesar’s slaying by Trojan minions,

‘’even you Brutus,my son!’’

Joy is when you drink the milk of your beloved’s nectar,

Her thighs are the Gilead you seek redemption in,

Joy is when you see your doppelganger,

And bless the fates that you don’t share

Mother misery,

Joy is when you are left bereft of what to write,

And wonder if my muse has become an itinerant philanderer,

Joy is knowing, one day,

We shall kiss our twilight and watch our

Remonstrances become Ulysses Odysseys,

And, Joy is sure that

My humanity is just a chapter languishing in infantile fickleness.

Teddy Ugonna Richard

///////////////////////////////////

JUST SAYING

Truths like masquerades come with frightening masks

They are not always what you think they are

After all good men do bad things

And bad men do things believing it is good

Some lies rely on this and hope to be true.

Men can be divided and conquered

Truths endure . . .

Depending on who is telling it?

However, truths are what truths are

The world must see it as it is.

The righteous die under the weight of their righteousness

Truth be told the dead are not more righteous

They are just dead.

. . . And so is joy

It hides behind dark places

It is what its

No matter who has it

It’s weight though light

Can be felt

Joy is

chisom