The archive Ode to Puberty Poem by Solomon Ayagere · 1981 Yesterday’s child has come of ageSoon she will danceThe dance of chastity Yesterday’s child has come of ageHer stream of wasteBetrays her naivety Yesterday’s child has come of ageSoon she will doThe dance of the calabash The thin membrance of the calabashBursts on the […]
The archive Poisoned Darts Poem by T. C. Nwosu · 1981 Hush me into your reverenceO stillness from the bushespoisoned darts with warmblack eyes arespringing againstthe leaping armsof turreted cars the birds are singingtheir hollow notesthe diamond-eyes arrow the sky and prayers hailthe showers of pea-sizedstones the heaving throat is parchedwith fearin the ice-cold goblet […]
The archive TODAY IS THE DAY Poem by Esiri Dafiewhare V · 1984 chants have been offered at first cock-crowthe kola lobeshave been baptisedby the fisty fingers of the high priestbut who,who will oil the soilwith libation oaths of a new dawn,who? today is the daychants have been offered at second cock-crowthe ceremonial oren*have been […]
The archive Mine and Yours Poem by Victor C. Amadi · 1980 This wealthy womanThat lives by the waterBut baths her kids with spit. This great warriorWho laughs at the worstBut dies with fear for the bad. This struggling manWith no time to wasteYet, consults vanity for advice. This great cheetahwith great speedBut crawls with […]
The archive ORIKI ILE BABA WA (Praise Poetry for Alhaji Mustapha Onanuga) Poem by Traditional / Onanuga Family · 2006 Omo alarala ogbadamugbadamu,Omo ajoroba biro,Omo iko mu ole, ele wo, ko wo peren, onirun a mu,Omo sukusaya re ko fi esuru gbadi,Konde s’ayo re, ko fi ijara gbadi,Omo aro bi ekeOmo eleyinkule AdegbureOmo elese sesese […]
The archive Love Is A vine That Grows Into Our Hearts Poem by Anonymous · 2003 A part of us remains where ever we have been.A smile is nearly always inspired by another smile.Love dictates, but a kiss writes the secrets of the heart.Love is a sudden revelation: a kiss is always a discovery.Man loves […]
The archive Beware Poem by Suleiman Zailani · 1994 Beware to remain awareThat when the gate blows openRestrain its hinges to remain soBy righteous acts to reflectHealth and mind intertwinedIn its purposeful expeditionTo perpetual bliss. Suleiman Zailani EDITOR’S NOTE Originally published in Citizen on 01 Feb 1994, p. 44. This diplomatic transcription preserves the wording […]
The archive The poor souls Poem by Aishatu Umar Wali · 1992 I saw them,On the bumpy, battered, brokenroads,That ghastly, ghostly, gloomy way,With its cracked, curvy, crookedbends,Which send you tumbling to theother world. I saw them,Compacted,In a rickety, rackety, rowdy van,That silly, smelly, stinking cell,Which hoped and danced and made,Some noisy sound,And sang a thousand […]
The archive Should we, brother? Poem by Obynna Chylekezi · 1991 Should we, should we brotherContinue to agitate for human rightsWhen we’d asked for human rightsThey gave us wormy rice!An’ when we’d asked why?They gave us bulletsIn the boulevard of Liberia, of Togo,Of CamerounAll over AfricaShould we continue O’brotherShould we have a feeling of power,of […]