THE WATCHMAN

THE WATCHMAN

THE WATCH-MAN

to every living thing
the stars, moons and the subjected sun
to every dead thing
humans, animals and admired plants
lies an untold tale of a buyer

to every living soul
of birds, bats and ambitious owls
to every non-living
stones, gravels and still mountains
lies unfamiliar loneliness.

two things has life offered me;
lost memories of dead seas and oceans
lost homes of amphibians, and doves
which coils under many songs of a deflected wind

Watchman

Watchman

He turns out of turnarounds
without a stop or amused dot,
the Watchman wipes his handkerchief
wearing off dust, sand and stimulated wooden frames.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nana Arhin Tsiwah is a disciple of Pan-African Consciousness and a student of Akanism. Tsiwah, a linguist- performist of Mfante-Akan Ancestry writes from Cape Coast, Ghana.

HAIL NIGERAREA!

HAIL NIGERAREA!

HAIL NIGERAREA!

We hail our own dear country
Our fatherland that has always shed tears
Nigeria, our rulers prevail
Amidst the trembles and cracks of our feet
The land stays green

Nigeria we hail thee
Still we hail our greed
The penury amongst our kinsmen is fed
While we die fat
The WE that reap from the spoils of the nation

 

Hail the heroes of Nigeria!

Hail the heroes of Nigeria!

 

Our own dear native land
Left to the toil of injustice
Poured on hard rock of dis-unity
And fed the meal of corruption
Surviving on the remains of mother nature

Though tribe and tongue may differ
We cue every dawn of the day
We remind ourselves of the tribe on the throne
Driven by our ideas, our believes
And let our grief prevail over being Nigerians

In brotherhood we stand
Yet we stand beside ourselves with surmise
Are we truly one nation
Or we are just a scam of fulfillment
A patch from our colonial masters

Nigeria all are proud to serve
Serving for the pristine nature of a NIGERIAN
We serve our fatherland as youths
WE serve our pockets as Rulers
Will our dear nation be proud of our service

Our sovereign motherland
Our realm responds to our pulse
Our pulse of freedom
Are we united by force
Like woods of furniture sum
Sum by the pressure on nails

Arise O’ Compatriots!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Abiodun A. Aremu is a graduate of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, where he studied Accounting. He is in constant search of knowledge and loves the pen.

DISTANT MESSAGES

DISTANT MESSAGES

DISTANT MESSAGES

dear ears of distant places, far-nigh
above and below countless coined mountains
of distinct voices which shoots beneath deserts
of distinct colours which defies our journey
like journals hanging freely on branches of trees
beside roads and along highways,
beats are indifferent aphid tunes and drums of no semblances…

in 1844; in silent minuted surprise course of the clock,
minutes stood; time seen massaging airs
well-signed and a sign hanged on ballonet shoulders
of bamboo flutes that dimmed after gravels-pour.

Distant messages from Africa!  Source: www.attatravel.com

Distant messages from Africa!
Source: www.attatravel.com

in 1948; in between fingerprints and toe-marks on sands of islands
potatoes and cocoyam  bulletins drummed
before an armored castle gate and governor’s anchor,
sweat evaporated and tears rained in torrential
of feet wanting to hide under palm shades
from the raining wistful melodies of death.

in 1957; in the jaws of a month renovating itself
a dream was born on sheets of dust and shredded papers
a bond was signed of freedom
a mark of indelible solvent rained on huts-of-mankind
as one eye took hold of multiple.

in 1960; when days no longer appreciated indexes of leaves
and weeds flourished before germination could expire;
history recycled aback in fro of puzzled pulses
a nation was reclaimed and dreams set on fire-woods of kerosene…

when Awoonor had sang of sand beneath and nigh;
and Okigbo had preached of mother Idoto and fireflies,
of how warm worms gladly seeded echoes of blak-stars
but like Soyinka and Achebe; this journey has hatched tobacco soils
where castles and fortresses are assumed communions for the peoples’ glory…

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nana Arhin Tsiwah is a disciple of Pan-African Consciousness and a student of Akanism. Tsiwah, a linguist- performist of Mfante-Akan Ancestry writes from Cape Coast, Ghana.

THE MOON

THE MOON

THE MOON

Just but a figment of the sun’s strength
The only one we can confidently behold
Rebirthing and displaying for us each month
We await eagerly the peak when you are so bold

Sometimes, when you are sickle shaped,
I get to see that boy from the fables
Posing with his legendary stick and legs misshaped
Tis but a combination of imagination and old wives tales.

The moon

The moon

I love how you grace my way on clear nights
Streaking silvery slivers on sparkling asbestos
But still, the sun be your source of might
You re only but an inverter, a very compliant apparatus

I wish you could but break forth
Suddenly become self sufficient
But unlike the sun, rise from the north
In your way, you still are beautiful and quite resplendent

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.

SHADES OF GREY

SHADES OF GREY

Shades of grey  [Not fifty 😉 ]

Right and wrong
From a tender age,
We are taught are polar opposites
But are they? Always?
Good and bad
Black and white
As you get older, shades of grey appear
The distinction becomes fuzzy
Not always, but every now and again

Shades of grey!

Shades of grey!

(Say) You’ve committed to one
Yet you meet another
And connect on a deep level
What to do?
Do you sacrifice the one for the other?
Is the mere thought of it bad?
When emotions conflict with duty,
With reason,
With expectations, mine and others’
Black and white mingle
Birthing shades of grey
Leaving me in a quandary
Am I right?
Or have I left all common sense behind?
What to do?
What to do…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sinmi Aiyelaagbe is a medical student who has enjoyed reading from a young age. She occasionally writes poems and short stories. 

MORTAL MAN

MORTAL MAN

Mortal Man

The caterpillar is a prisoner to the streets that conceived it.

It’s only job is to eat or consume everything that is around it

In order to protect itself from this mad city.

While consuming it’s environment,

The caterpillar begins to notice ways to survive

One thing it notices is how much the world

Shuns him but praises the butterfly.

 

Mortal Man!

Mortal Man!

The butterfly represents the talent, the thoughtfulness

And the beauty within the caterpillar.

But having a harsh outlook on life,

The caterpillar sees the butterfly as weak

And figures out ways to pimp it to it’s own benefits.

Already surrounded by this mad city, the caterpillar

Goes to work on the cocoon which institutionalizes him.

He can no longer see past his own thoughts: He’s trapped!

When trapped inside these walls, certain ideas start to take root,

Such as going home, and bringing back new concepts to this mad city.

The results? Wings begin to emerge, breaking the cycle of feeling stagnant.

Finally free, the butterfly sheds light on the situations that the caterpillar

Never considered, thus, ending the struggle.

Although the butterfly and the caterpillar are completely different,

They are one and the same.

P.S.: Please be informed that this work, being a lyrical adaptation from Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Mortal Man’ – a track from his ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ album, is to be treated as an edited work by my person. Hence, I denounce all acknowledgments in whatsoever form and manner as the original author of this piece. A simple recognition as an editor would do justice to whatever effort I have put into the duplication of this work.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
Ogunbayo Oladisun Oladimeji is a graduate of Agricultural Economics, University of Ibadan. A prospective Postgraduate student of the same course in the same school. A Christian who believes in The Word and Christ. I write on almost everything that piques my interest, except motivational articles. I strongly favour political and economic analysis, hence I’m naturally predisposed to write on these. I love creative and logical thinking.

Pin It on Pinterest