by KREATIVE DIADEM | Jul 13, 2016 | NIGERIAN POEMS, POEMS
NIGERIA, HOW FAR?
Nigeria, when did your beauty,
Doused in rarity and clement grace,
A feast to the captured eyes of suitors,
A muse to the enthused voices of minstrels,
Become the protagonist of tales told
About remnants in the bowels of yesterday?
Source: www.bellanaija.com
How did your wild flames of fame,
That burned through the ears of the wind,
Across the silent oceans and restless hills,
Encapsulating the world in feverish awe,
Get quenched by the waters of corruption
Within the infant years of your freedom?
How did your foreseen blinding future,
A halo of distinguishing lights,
With the songs of angels in your eyes
Heralding a glorious tomorrow,
Turn to a perilous reality of gloom
And the plight of a defeated old hag?
I am the child of the night
Borne of the darkness of your bosom,
I am the cry of the earth
Bleeding out shrieks of your damning sins,
I am the crying child, probing, asking,
“Nigeria, how far?”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kanyinsola Olorunnisola is a bibliophile who believes in the power of literature as a burning sword to tear through the curtains of darkness which becloud the society. He has been published on several sites and anthologies. He has had the priviledge of clinching a few literary awards in his quest to influence the world through the might of his pen. He is the brain behind the SPRINNG Literary Movement.
by KREATIVE DIADEM | Jul 5, 2016 | POEMS
FIGHTING NEGATIVITY
Look at that desert
Situated in such a place
In the middle of the pacific
Where waves toss and twirl,
And tempest tempts the ocean
To water the sands a bit
They slam against a dam
Made high with dry sand.
Crude ingenious imaginations
From the soul of the desert
Unlike a wall of cards
These are highly fortified.
And though some get wet
By virtue of guarding the wall
They take them out
Bring them in
Dry them out
Then replace them in.
How disastrous it would be
If for a second, the wall relaxes
Fears untold, woes would unfold
This, is a lifelong battle
That extends even till death.
This is a lifelong battle
Battle of wits against brawn
This is a lifelong battle
Against the norm
Fighting negativity
Coming from all sides.
Look at that desert
Situated in such a place
Positivity in the midst
Surrounded by negativity
This medulla’s walls are high
Negativity cannot creep in.
This is how twill continually be
That lone dry desert
Right in the midst,
Midst of the Great Pacific.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
What happens when Philosophy meets with very vivid imagination?
Emmanuel Ibekwe is ‘who’ happens. I am a graduate of the University of
Ibadan, but, still a student of the School of Imagination situated
inside my world, I love penning down abstract thoughts poetically or
if need be, in an article. I guess that’s what happens when Philosophy
meets with Creativity and the willingness to express it.
by KREATIVE DIADEM | Jul 1, 2016 | POEMS
SUMMER BLUE
Give me that bottle of wind, and a glass
and let me fill it up with those “alas”
life brought along the way I have been through
as I was searching for ways to love you
I’m now dying to dive into your smile
The time for this sunk drink to run dry
We both know our bodies are dancing here
Though our hearts have gone away from their Dear
Yours more than mine, alas! You seemed more involved…
Your kisses and your hands used to mean love…
Is it fair to call it so, when my heart
now knows it danced with mirage from the start
I let my today’s hopes and tomorrow’s
to the dawn of those eyes where my sorrows
were promised a dusk. Alas! I believed
that you would comfort me, and never leave
You knew I needed you, Summer, you knew
Were you only named like that, Summer Blue…
Such a beautiful spell cast on my soul
How could I resist the breath of your call
No other wonder shall I see again
My dreams were scattered by the heavy rain
I’m blind, it would hurt to open my eyes
My apples are washed out, blank of your lies
You were a lie. Weren’t you? Please tell me
Since you’re gone, I beg you to set me free
I’m only left with this bottle of wind
This tainted glass, and the fragrance of a queen
Yet you are, alas! A beautiful one
that I shall dearly miss time after time
Let me drink, please, till the ultimate breath
Kindly stay until I embrace your death.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
My name is Théodore René Ndebi, born in Cameroon. I graduated in Banking Management. But what really makes me proud and happy is WRITING. I started writing around 1990. I write the most I can. I mostly write for children’s future. As a child, I had always dreamt of a world where poor children and orphans could be happy as well. I have many unpublished collections in French: Chaque Jour Un Poème, Rêve D’un Soir, La Missive Du Petit Prince, Suis-Je Assez Bien Pour Toi… I’m also an author of unpublished novels in French (Cierge Noir, Plus Violent Que L’amour, Les Fruits De La Tempête…). My first published novel; THE LAST GHOST/Son Of Struggle got published in 2013 by AuthorhouseUK; it appeared in the LOS Angeles Times Festival Of Books Catalogue 2014 Page 8. Available online @ Amazon, Kindle, AuthorhouseUK, Barnes & Noble, Indie. I wrote numerous award-winning texts. I am a Book Reviewer and Translator. I am a member of OneAfricanChild since 2013 and Co-Founder of Le Salon Du Livre Yaounde-Cameroon. You can check my works on: authorrayndebi.wordpress.com. Ray Ndebi on Facebook, @RTNdebi on Twitter, Facebook Page My Soul & Mon Ame.
by KREATIVE DIADEM | Jun 27, 2016 | POEMS
AMINA WAY
A poet ’s ink turns sepia
As the sun retreats
Leaving whispering trees
To sap secrets of birds
Flapping their wings,
Holding nothing
About the Author
‘Gbenga is a lover of words. His poems have appeared in Sankofa LitMag, Bukrepublik and elsewhere.
by KREATIVE DIADEM | Jun 20, 2016 | THE TABLE TALK
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ERIATA ORIBHABOR
Midway into the month of June, we have decided to publish our educative interview with an inspiring poet who is popularly known for crafting beautiful poems using Naija languej.
In this informative interview, Sir Eriata Oribhabor sheds light of lucidity on his sojourn in the world of poetry. He talked about when he started and what inspires him to script his thought-provoking poems.
Enjoy the interview!
Kreative Diadem: Who is Eriata Oribhabor?
Eriata Oribhabor: Eriata Oribhabor is a poet and frontline promoter of Naija languej. He started off writing poetry in the indigenous Nigerian Pidgin currently being standardized as Naija languej. Writing in the languej, he authored; “Abuja nakpangba and Oda puem-dem (2011), edited, “IF YU HIE SE A DEPRIZIN” (poems) and “AMEBO YAD” (collection of plays). A former chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Abuja Branch, Eriata Oribhabor is the author of two poetry collections; “Beautiful Poisons” and “CROSSROADS & THE RUBICON”. He is the Editor, WUSHAPA – Beating the Drums of Peace, Who Shall I Make My Wife (collection of Food related poems), and a passionate lover of the streets where he once hawked various items in Warri, Nigeria; his place of birth.
Eriata Oribhabor
KD: Can you please share about your childhood memories?
Eriata: I am 3rd in a family of 8 (all male) and grew up in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria. I am from a humble family. I attended Baptist Convention Primary School in Warri and trekked to and from school daily after going to hawk “Akara, agidi, etc).
KD: When did you start writing poems?
Eriata: I started writing poems in the secondary school but took it seriously when I came to Abuja in 2005. By this time, I was conscious of writing for people to appreciate and critique.
KD: What inspires your poems?
Eriata: My writing is inspired by my personal thought and feelings, events/activities and the environment and all that comes with it; good, bad and ugly.
KD: Do all your poems have a unifying theme or you just write on the matters of the moment or what inspires you?
Eriata: Poems can never have a unifying theme except one sets out to have them crafted that way. For example, one could devote time to write on the environment, Beauty, Sex, Food etc. A good example is the Food Poetry Contest sponsored by Eriata Oribhabor leading to the publication of one of the most treasurable books I have ever come across entitled; Who Shall I Make My Wife? (Anthology of food related poems) edited by Eriata Oribhabor. Another good example of poems dedicated to a theme is that on Sickle Cell Anemia Safe Dreams Initiative sponsored by Awodiya Funke.
KD: Can you shed more light on your tenure as the Chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Abuja Chapter?
Eriata: I was voted as Chairman, ANA March 22nd 2012 for a two-year tenure. As the Chairman of ANA Abuja, I repositioned the concept of book reading and author hosting/staging of literary events and made reading much more attractive to members of the literati in the Federal Capital Territory. At the time I was ending my tenure in 2014, lots of people who hitherto avoided coming to meetings became drivers of positive changes for the association. Importantly, the generality of members now saw how things could be done differently for good, applauded my tenure which is still a reference till date.
KD: Let’s talk about your exceptional promotion of the Naija languej, what inspired the writing of some of your books in the language?
Eriata: Naija languej is a standardized version of Nigeria pidgin. If you ask me why, I will simply say, while Nigerian pidgin has no standard spelling, Naija languej has one being experimented upon. I started writing poetry in Naija languej before using the English language. More than 40 million Nigerians speak in pidgin English and always referred as Nigeria’s unofficial lingua franca. So referred, it tells how much it plays in the social relations of the most populous black nation in the world. Why it is not made official? It is because it has no standard and most people still live in yesterday thinking pidgin shouldn’t grow like other forms of communication but end as one for entertainment. The literary and economic benefit of standardizing Nigerian pidgin are overwhelming. Currently, the following works have been published in Naija languej:
- Abuja na Kpangba an Oda puem-dem (2011) – Eriata Oribhabor
- IF YU HIE SE A DE PRIZIN (Antoloji of puem-dem fo Naija languej) Edited by Eriata Oribhabor
- AMEBO YAD (Antoloji of ple fo Naija) – Edited by Eriata Oribhabor
KD: Amidst your published works, which one do you consider as the best?
Eriata: It’s difficult to speak on this because what eventually becomes the toast of readers may not be the one considered best in one’s thinking. Only the people can speak. For the records, apart from the mentioned works, I have two collections of poems viz:
- Beautiful Poisons
- Crossroads & The Rubicon
KD: Aside poetry, which other genres of literature appeals to you?
Eriata: All the genre of literature appeal to me and I promote all.
KD: Which literary works are you working on at the moment?
Eriata: Literary works in the offing are:
(1) Good old Naija (collections of Essay) – Eriata Oribhabor
(2) Join Me Write a Poem (Uncommon Poetry Anthology) – Editor
(3) That Beautiful Picture – Eriata Oribhabor
(4) Colours & Borders – Eriata Oribhabor
KD: Can you share the memories of your most memorable day as a poet?
Eriata: My most memorable day was when I was hosted by Abuja Literary Society where I read from my first book, Abuja na Kpangba and Oda puem – dem in Abuja.
KD: In the school of poetry, who are your mentors and role models?
Eriata: Mentors and role models? Poets whose works featured in the first books of poetry I read while in secondary school.
KD: A lot of people believe that poets and writers are not appreciated in Nigeria. What is your take on this?
Eriata: Poets and writers are appreciated. The level of appreciation is the question. It is so because we are in a corruption ridden society where merit is compromised daily in all ramifications. What do you expect? This is why continuous promotion of literature and writing is vital towards changing orientations for good. Meanwhile, as long as a country’s politics is wrong, the concept of the good life; the essence of politics, will keep nosediving to the detriment of the citizenry.
KD: What is your advice to young poets?
Eriata: My advice to poets is to always read wide. Write. Read. And, be open to critiquing. Finally, writing should be seen beyond writing for writing sake. Or, poetry for poetry sake. Poetry should be seen as a vital tool for reorienting a people towards greatness.
Eriata’s advice to young poets
KD: What do you think about KREATIVE Diadem?
Eriata: A diadem is a crown of power. Creative Diadem is a non-literary literary body that values creativity as a crown of honor readily deployed for the development of literature for the good of the people.
If you have suggestions about poets or writers that you think are worthy to be featured in this segment of our website. Don’t hesitate to send us a mail about their details at
kreativediadem@gmail.com.
Let us know your sincere thoughts about this interesting conversation.
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