POEMS READ AT LOUDTHOTZ POETRY OPEN READING SEASON 11 EPISODE 6 THIS

WINNER POEM OF THE MONTH AMAMI HENRY

ARỊRỊỌ (poem of the month)

(Supplications)

Nna biko

Eze biko

fi ṣá ma anyan miri

dim naya, nna biko

fi ṣá ma anyan miri

dim naya, eze biko

Uncertainty

burdens the heart

the cry of dependents

weigh heavily on one' shoulders

fi ṣá ma anyan miri

dim naya, nna biko

the days

are unusually long

night looms endlessly

dawn falls to weariness

fi ṣá ma anyan miri

dim naya, eze biko

The path

to the stream

are filled with thorns

‘cankermog’

invade our farmlands

Is this the first

of the seven plagues

or the seven plagues

in one full blow?

if anything, at least

answer the 6-year-old

who ask the mother

"when will everything be okay?"

fi ṣá ma anyan miri

dim naya, nna biko!

-Amami H.

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

THIS CHILD OF OHIMINI

I am a child of a river

Ohimini;

Storm darkened by day

Brackish brown by noon

Starry bright by night

Full and flowing with

Love, grace and glows

as silent as light

So, do I

I was born by a Hill

Ojuwo Atogu;

A birthstool of giants

An anvil for forging titans

Ancient, long and strong

full of life, grit and glory

And as solid as granite

So, am I

I was born by the savannah

Guinea-forest;

tree of canopies like starched gelées

and leaves like thousand green tongues

dancing, whispering to the winds about

Wetness, wildfire, and wilderness

as sanctuaries for seekers.

So, do I

I am the son of a river

Whose breasts nursed me

I am the son of a hill

Whose shoulders raised me

I am the son of the savannah

Whose green gold feeds me

I am the son of a furnace

whose blue fire rises like a sea.

So, am I  

This is who I am

A child of a river, and

I do what rivers do

I rise!

@Achile Michael Umameh

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

THE RACE

There, they stood (brothers called Ann Sisters

because all men have but one parent)

To race - to run for life, for good.

Tremors swimming in each one's veins

Colourful thoughts came in and went.

"This one's for the grandkids, " One Ann Sister said.

"This one's for a country where I'd be stead."

"I'll do this by the book." "Me, for the name."

"And me for a place where mother nature came."

"And let's make a race that no one will forget.

Put on these blindfolds, one for each head."

"But why have you not got one?" One Ann Sister asked.

"Worry not, my brother - closed eyes too are masks!"

ON YOUR MARKS! (and in your masks) SET!! BANG!!!

Tobia Aby

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

"TO THIS VIRUS"

(A Poem)

I. Lover: 

The last time I saw her was a day before the lockdown, 

Time froze under that bridge where we held hands; 

That music from her touch - 

still singing - in my blood. 

So to this virus, we promise:  

“Many lockdowns can not quench love.” 

II. Rebel: 

The last time I passed my bus-stop was two months ago, 

Our "Ruler"- says we must stay at home; 

But there is no home- without food in our bellies,  

And my kitchen tells me that rules were made to be broken.

So to this virus, we clarify:   

"It is hunger, not you, that we are scared of!"

III.  Caregiver: 

The last time the politicians visited was never; 

they are lab-rats for the foreigners! 

But now that all cages abroad are closed,

We will treat them, in facilities they didn't build. 

So to this virus, we give silent thanks;   

At least now we'll be paid more, attention!  

IV. Magician:  

The last time was a boom when Ebola came, 

business never remained the same! 

The gullibility of the common man- 

Is such a bottomless gold-mine! 

So to this virus, they'll pay taxes!

For rituals! To pacify ancestors!” 

V. Common man: 

The last time we were fooled was a lifetime ago; 

We are born again now, our múmù don do! 

Where's that guy who so much wanted to free the sheeple? 

Well, the sheeple in lockdown have been hungry, still awaiting his donation. 

So to this virus, we'll pay tithes, 

“Thank you, for making us realize our runaway-daddy never truly loved us” 

VI. Jester: 

The next time we are tagged as lazy youths, 

We will remind them of who made Savage trend on Twitter; 

Our “active elders” want us to smile while we suffer, 

But we are crazier than they think; we'll suffer, make jests and laugh hard! 

To this virus? Say no more, 

On social media we've said more than enough. 

VII. Innocent: 

Next time, we won't sing "Holiday is coming" 'cos holiday has come - 

since Co'wona started, and we want it to stop. 

What can we do to this Vai-worse? 

And mum, what's the meaning of “Vai-worse”? 

VIII. Preacher: 

The next time reality takes the place of religion, 

the world will still theorize it as conspiracy. 

So we've learnt, that he who goes against the flow 

must anticipate the wrath of the ocean; 

Yet, to this virus, we say nothing else 

except “Be gone and cast into the sea!”

IX. Hero: 

Next time, we will be proactive! 

Closed airports will be the first thing! 

And it won't matter if it's the President's kid, 

Our nation means more than my next-kin! 

Honestly, to this virus we have nothing to say, 

but to our negligence and unpreparedness. 

X. Dreamer: 

Whichever time we awaken from this nightmare, 

please brew us some coffee in abundance -

that we may spend sleepless nights 

in the refinery of our day-dreams. 

And whatever we say, do or don't say to this virus,

May it never leave us bereft of our visions. 

@tolu_neodaniel 

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

PANDEMONIUM

This lunar year

Pandemonium is the new calm.

Dictated to by the unpredicted Asian bug,

My partner: Age, cheated on me again.

It snuck out at midnight and struck grandmother,

I desire your number, it demanded.

81, she said!

Ohh, that’s the highest I will ever get, it said.

And out, like a brief candle, she was snuffed.

Ololade Rhea 

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

MY BREATH

The fire booted my head

At least not a kneel on my neck

I only wanted this knowledge

To put me on existence map

My body has become a boot 

of crawling fingers

Which is better?

My colour the reason for the hate?

What is my sin?

I am in His holy house

before His majesty

These sinners

have no respect

No fear for the Holy

They had their way

Why take my breath?

Chris N. John

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

REAWAKEN THE SPIRIT

This is for you

Yes I mean you

who craves success

and you with dwindling hope.

Let's ignite the spark tonight

when the sky's blanket is dark

and the stars are yet to be back

Let's bring back the embers

Wherever the night bids us.

Let me reawaken your spirit

to embolden that zeal

to be exhumed

from that dampened mind.

Let me bring forth the rays

you have long hidden within you.

It is never too late to start believing

It is never too late for reawakening

Before the day of reckoning 

when words shall be called upon

to re-write what it had learnt.

Believe that where others have failed

you can earn yourself laurels.

Muyideen Ayinla

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

LIBATION

I say that this land will not reap the seeds we have sown

Isee!

Let it not take libations of blood poured every day anymore

Isee!

Like a deaf and dumb let it not hear with the hearing of the ear

Isee!

And may it not speak with the speaking of the tongue

Isee!

To rogues and charlatans who crookedly limp in the night to plan evil

Isee!

May this land not see eyes that see evil and smile

Isee!

May it not hear those who hear evil with their ears and nod

Isee!

May it not give breathe to those who snuff out the light of hope

Isee!

May those who choke this land fall like ripe Udara 

Isee

This land, you must clap in their ears like tropical thunders

Isee

They will not hear us coming like the cat hunting a rat

Isee!

They will not see us like the bat in the middle of the day

Isee!

Because we are borne from your loins

Isee!

And with your fats you have fed us and continue to feed us

Iseeeeeeeeeeee!

Chisom

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

A TIME LIKE THIS

There is a scoundrel on the loose,

He ravages and attacks ferociously.

Everywhere he rears his ugly head

Falls into despair, at a time like this.

They say he puts the old in a noose,

What kind of coward attacks the elderly?

With an uncouth demeanor that we’ve never read

Or heard of as at a time like this.

Though herculean seems the task,

For us to put up a worthy fight,

We must first strangle fear and let courage breathe,

Especially at a time like this.

Shield yourself with face mask,

Stay away from others and then you just might,

Survive if your sanitiser is left unsheathe,

Then, victory could be yours at a time like this.

When our progeny hear this tale,

They shall know that despite this strength of his,

We stood strong to come out hale,

And defeated the enemy at a time like this.

Bayo.

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

THIS:

This is that, that we have often spoken about.

The 'that' of old men dreaming, young men envisioning, young women prophesying; prophylacting and not to forget the wailing women weeping at the walls!

This is that, when they said,

if you refuse to reckon with

Martin, you will have to answer eventually to the spirit of Malcolm and Brown!

That Baldwin's fire next time

is now the ongoing fire this time

Fire, gangrenized, galvanized

and weaponized.

This is the that of consequential inaction, action and pro-action.

This is picking a priority and establishing several posteriorities which come to bite you in the posterior and now you can no longer sit on your seat of learning, though you refused to learn when the Board of Education versus Brown was handed down and misapplied!

This is what happens when all structures and strictures that underpin our foundations are let loose on the altar of the  generational search for flow,

fluidity in morality, sexuality

and gender specificity and all

round "wokeness"

This is that moral ambiguity that has brought us to this place.

When and where the rules no longer apply and have become

not the imperatives, but the suggestions, the tentative indications and no more the inexorably commanded.

This is that

This is what happens

This is why there are no

orchids for Miss Blandish

This is why

And now these!

Andrew Whyte

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

EARLY BIRDS RISE

If dawn comes along with rain

They want no surprise

Flapping their wings

An endless dance with the winds

Floating in elegance

Voices become the pendant

That necks desire to wear

A pattern in the skies above

There’s a mobile choir in the rear

This rare view

Of a earth sprawled below

Wherever the land boils

Our eagle eyes will know

Early birds rise

Freedom is not being forced to fly

Happiness is having open sanctuaries

Meditating within sights but out of earshot

Moving without a map but never getting lost

There are no passersby with ugly glares

We do not cough from the smoke of your endless flares

We do not sip from the gossip that keeps your lips moist

We do not rise to the bait of hate via clusters

We do not have lovers who cannot have other lovers

We do not restrict the happiness that love transmits

We do not have doors and have no use for keys

We may share a kiss just to say please

We do not need to grease before the face glows

So we don’t know what you mean when you say more grease to your elbows

We do not bow to the king that reigns down below

Early birds rise

Feel free to sell your cages because we will not be slaves

We do not use the tree for free because we pay with our songs

Do not call us citizens, we belong to no one

Leave us to the skies to thrive

Leave us to the rivers to play with

Ask the winds if we are not joyful to play with

Include us in your team, we are happy to play wings

Given me the parched scrolls when I become a raven

Tell me the secrets that shares craving

Send me to the son with no known father

Leave us out of the banter

With no good offspring

Leave us out of the flock forced to pay offering

Don’t share with us, your spoils of war, we are not hungry

Let us bring you the news of your neighbors in famine

Let’s help you refine the hatred you have for those you don’t know are family

Let’s help you add sugar to your mornings

Sweet songs served to your hearing with no prior warning

Let’s be the push you need to draw your curtains

Let’s teach you how to find beauty in the plains,

Early birds rise…

Akeem Adetayo Oyalowo

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

THIS LINE IS A THIN LINE

I have lived like stars during the day

Like a rainbow at night

Hidden in the tears of the rain in the oceans

My name was not to be a reference

For we are many

A man’s quest best known to his possessor

Turned the eyes of sauron on him

A tool that represents his kind

Unleashes the dam of the oppressed

It grew dark and we saw the stars and the red moon

This is not the beginning

Not the end

It is a point within spaces in time

Vengeance is not the right of men

Under this banner everyone his own mirror

Before you throw that stone and point fingers

Remember that, that which you condemn has siblings

That reflects in the mirror

So before you throw that stone and point fingers

Which of the siblings is yours?

Ifeanyi Okwosha

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

THIS IS ME
I have changed the raiment of my reality
At dawn I made you a foe of snooze
The cock is my viceroy
I paid the obeisance to the sun youthfulness at noon
The heavenly showers bowed to me in reverence at dusk
In joyous and anxious anticipation
I am a family man
But don’t count the elements of my groin
Yet my progeny caresses your skin
Its sibling defines our relationship
They said that I have changed
That I now do not follow the dictates of time
Summer my progeny has sold its birthrights to winter
For a pot of temporal porridge
Winter in fear has refused to go away
The tides now paid unsolicited visits to the coast
Swallowing innocent faunas and flora's alike
I have showcased my raiment again at noon
Yet I am auctioned in deed of disagreements
I am the one that the weather loves

Olumide Soyemi