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| WINNER POEM OF THE MONTH |
HOME IS NOT ALWAYS A PLACE
- (Poem of the month)
Home is
not always a place, but a moment built
brick by
brick, breath by breath, into a house
of memory.
Where affection calls and there is one
to love.
Home is where there is one to love us back.
Home is
not always a roof, a room, and a bed but
a place to
roam, where the heart blooms and stays.
Home is
not always a place, but meadow of laughter
There the
walls are raised joy by joy, happiness by
happiness.
No angry frown, no selfish wish nor cruel act.
There,
there is food for the body and fire for the mind.
I have
lived in enough places. Home is not always a place.
Set your
house on fire. Walls are false pretexts. Be free!
Michael Achile Umameh
////////////////////////////////////////////////
RHEAVOLUTION
O’CLOCK.
It
is time!
Time
to put money in the insurance account
Time
to tell the kids things encountered in a motherless babies home
Time
to get in shape for a leap off when the cannister is sighted
Time
to get one’s affairs in order
Time
to rehearse survival mode, in prison, exile or as guerrillas.
Its
been the hour for ages now,
But
you are just prepping,
Because
your innocent son looked into your eyes as the machete was being pulled out of
him
And
then you saw the reflection of that boy
Who
died waving the flag at the bridge, in his eyes.
Peace
and unity he said. Because he knew yours will be taken away soon.
When
the neighbors were gunned down because a chief’s path was blocked,
It
was time.
When
odi was crying and we unlooked, it was time
When
zaki biam was razed and we were deaf to the inferno, it was time.
when
herders herded lives into penury, and we snoozed our action for political
correctness it was time
When
Lekki toll gate was red with human wastes, we unlooked.
IT
IS TIME.
Ololade Ajayi
///////////////////////////////////
FOCUS
Isn't
it strange that we've been searching for change
But
over the ages nothing really changes
E
go better
E
go better
The
recurring mantra
We've
made it to 2022
But
it seems like Change hid in Timbuktu
For
everything is still the same
The
never ending blame game
Selfishness
Self-interests
Conceit
Deceit
Disparity
Mockery
We're
stuck in the mud
Watching
our flag drown in a red flood
Sullied
Bullied
Believing
lies
Hoping
Justice will fly
But
Justice Truth and Peace ran away with Change
No.
Went
in search of Change
Let's
deceive ourselves again
Maybe
it will reduce this pain
Change
will arrive
Peace
will thrive
There'll
be no more lies
No
real horror stories
Just
progressive victories
Are
you with me?
Are
you really with me?
I've
left that dream
Tired
of sleeping?
Tired
of weeping?
Before
the land is submerged in greed
Before
the apples grow without seeds
Before
2023 beats it's drum
I'll
be long gone
A
change in location
Is
my current destination
Not
all calls start with the word 'Hello'
Same
way oranges are mostly green and yellow
Are
you with me?
Are
you still with me?
Focus
on the changes
That
keep changing
But
never really change.
Erhio Obodo
/////////////////////////////////////////////
AGAIN AND AGAIN
Again
and again it comes clearer than a glass of water
with
the same harmless and deceptive cloak.
Again
and again it gradually raises its head to oppose glory
throughout
ancient times and even now in modern times
Again
and again it brings up nothing entirely good
as
the aftermath of the sins of Eve are still evident.
Again
and again, to intentionally refuse to listen to any news
is
a means to at least retain some level of sanity.
Again
and again even in trying to mind personal businesses
the
average believer, the simple hearted, and everyone should know
Again
and again it's okay to reminded
that
the times we live in are simply full of peril and it might not change
Esther Okekwuo
////////////////////////////////////////////
CHANGES.
Upward
or downward,
The
road leads yonder,
Left
or right,
High
upper or Low under!
For
some,
Chicken
soup for breakfast slowly,
Has
become;
Frozen
fish for dinner only.
Many
smile,
At
the upward movement of prices,
As
stock even decreases,
Others
cry for low income;
Take
home pay,
That
no longer takes them home!
Changes!
Changes
I see,
Changes
in economy,
Changes
in weather,
Changes
in society,
Changes
sprouting everywhere,
In
every sphere!
Changes,
The
only permanent thing,
In
the life of man I see,
Changes
everywhere,
And
in everything I see!
Akata
I. Lucy.
//////////////////////////////////////////
CHANGE:
What
you receive after paying more than the amount demanded.
What
the calculator driven tithe payer, demands from the usher after dropping it of,
on the plate.
What
all politicians purport to stand for, apart from those who are for continuity
or who had a transformation agenda; one that operates with the anaemic
consistency of the transformer in my hood.
Begging
the question as to, change to what, continue to where and transform into what?
At
that point the waters get muddied and we are truly bogged down and hemmed in.
Not
by the paralysis
of
analysis, as there
is
no analysis to be paralyzed by; only printed cloth and bags of rice; only
stuffed envelopes awash with Petro, tax, gubernatorial and other corruptly
obtained and laundered and sometimes fake dollars.
Then
deflections,
ad
hominems and manic claims of entitlement to some manifest destiny.
A
comedy of fools;
a
tragic house of horrors.
Mephistophelean
flies, from out of the woodwork.
So
help us God!
We
want change but not from Mephistopheles, Apollyon or Abaddon; not from the
grandmasters of the craft, who vociferously ask us to give them the mandate or
who vehemently claim it is their right to be no more a kingmaker,
but
a king.
This
one, a truly pathetic Lear-like figure- the king,
not
the Jet, crying betrayal, betrayal, forgetting that chickens always come home.
He
should ask those who love and want good for you.
We
want change
as
metamorphoo- metamorphosis- transformation.
We
want change
as
hupaballoo,
as
transcendent excellence.
Not
outside-in, that's why Decree 2 did not work, could not last.
But
inside out!
Root,
branch and stem;
Cooked,
eaten and regurgitated as the change needed by,
We
the people!
Andrew Whyte
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////
NOW AND THEN
Chances
are that we witness today tomorrow
So
take note of the obvious and fear what it obscures
As
they say “there is none so blind as those who will not see”
Take
this law at heart because we may call it chance tomorrow or
luck or whatever your intellect not your intelligence call it
For
what we know is a pink unicorn may become may become common
Things
are lost if you are not searching, you will always find when you search
The
threads of fate looms steadily so what will be has been
Don’t
be afraid of Changes.
Chisom
