Poems extracted from Citizen, 1992

POETS’ NEST As we celebrate Our readers rejoice with uson our second anniversary.They express their good-will messages in machine languageto the citizen of poems and words,not forgetting the man of wordseven if the words are edited by awoman. Machine talk Do you remember meI am big, tall and newYou should know me. I can print […]

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Poetry Archives from Nigeria Magazine, 1970

FAREWELL TO MY KINGDOMorA KING’S LAMENTATION Of once renowned ruling ancestors bornSo early forested great race of Glory to runLate to me revealed by that aging sageSoon born, soon by uncles engageBut enviable crown of Kingship was in latter years to wear Still toilsome now in this crowning yearSo from hand to hand this Kingship […]

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Poetry Archives from Nigeria Magazine, 1982

Philosophical Poetry I TIV Ason ShandeIor mba ve whum mbelaVe hemba ga, ka Aonda ahembeKwaghi adi wihin we zeoIta wan kpev ju yoMba Mongo hembeMan tume nom yongu nguharKpev ase aseo Tor Labe Gyuse tar u hegenWangbian kanan lu sha pywigwau va ieren.M va me dzor ieren. ENGLISH Ason Shandethose who locked me are notabove […]

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Silence After the Speech Ends: The Audience’s Right to Remain Unmoved

A battle with unappreciated brilliance and a poet’s self-reflection on a great poem falling flat on stage. “If you want to evoke emotions and a response from people, give them something relatable.” — Dike Chukwumerije There is a particular kind of heartbreak that comes when a poet steps offstage after delivering what they know is […]

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