by KREATIVE DIADEM | Jan 25, 2017 | POEMS
My Nigerien Friend and his Stubborn Smile
So because you're not glued by blood
mere haemo-bond,
you shrug at the news at 8.
You say there are no worried wrinkles
on the forehead of the cute newscaster
who brings bloody news
from Potiksum, only in a jiffy;
about dying babies in overcrowded IDP camps.
But would you blame her,
Her tear gland is a dry well.
The corporate duress screams
"Shed no tears, show no emotion!"
They say Oprah Winfrey
divorced her own fetters on the desk
of the same corporate duress.
But I say “shed no tears
to know the pains of these orphans-
tenants under dirty bridges.
You must first enter the parlour of their grief,
and burn in the kitchen of their memories.
You'd see, the only fire there
is that of loved ones
burning with bombs.”
Don't be fooled
by their clipped mouths,
for when anguish is excessive,
It castrates your tongue.
We're one big family
separated only by our indifference.
I once stumbled on a new relative:
A Nigerien lass, tugged at me
Her hair curly and shampooed
by extreme sunlight,
her bony finger tore my new Designer shirt;
at first, I was enraged,
but then, that ugly hole led to a map
that led me to a Kingdom of families.
A raconteur told me
“no child is fatherless.
Are there not too many men
to go round?
But love is enough
to check against the kerfuffle in Chibok,
and the searing screams in broken homes.”
…
“You do not mend dying homes with bricks
but another bit of love.”
He said.
Home is not only where you go at nights;
it is also the stubborn smile
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Agbaakin O. Jeremiah, an aspiring poet and campus Editor reads law in University of Ibadan.
His works have graced several anthologies including Briggite Poirson Anthology and are forthcoming onThe Niyi Osundare @70 Anthology, Irawo Anthology, etc.
His other publications feature (and forthcoming) on Liquid Imagination, Antarctica Journal, Wagon Magazine, Sentinel Literary Quarterly, Kalahari Review, Praxis Magazine, African Writer, Sub-Saharan Magazine, Pulse Nigeria and elsewhere.
He was a shortlisted for 2016 Dwarts Poetry Prize. He also won the maiden edition of Ogidigbo Poetry Contest, University of Ibadan; and was also a six-time finalist of 2016 Brigitte Poirson Poetry Contest.
by KREATIVE DIADEM | Jun 8, 2016 | POEMS
Life is a Crook
Life is a crook and though
you pour him drinks and fill his bed
with feathers and whores.
It’s the uneven face of the sky
it’s cloudy in Pompei as
fog sneezes over the city;
she bleeds rain there.
But our crops thirst and the squirrel’s nails blunt
From digging holes yearlong
here the sky is so clear and blue
to provoke the earth to dusty rage.
Somewhere, a man visits the rain-lord
another loops his only buba to hang his neck
if only he knew the Morrow would mate flood
those seasons your barns swelled and yams
you baptized in red, swirling oil
now you grumble for the rains
have taken her wares to another market.
You’ve turned your womb to a slaughterhouse
of tiny men for the mothering hour hasn’t come
somewhere a couple eats cocoyam alone
without the murmur of kids.
Life is the sound of rain
beating on my zinc roof
The rhythm is taut and noisy
Like giants marching
In between, Calm peeps through
the torrent of noise so the honks of geese
and the flutter of sparrows, we hear again.
Though he has gulped all your ale
he’s never too drunk to not walk in
straight, sane lines like a pious drunk
on his last trip to the monastery.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Agbaakin Oluwatoyosi Jeremiah is a law undergraduate in University of Ibadan. Born on the 9th of April, 1994 in Ikire, Osun state, he’s an active pressman in the university community. His pen has been rewarded in both essay and poetry contests. He’s a two time finalist of W.R.R-organized Briggite Poirson Poetry Contest. Apart from his keen love for legal studies, he has burning passion for writing fantasy novels, poems, and on philosophy. Battle Scar, a novel about the Biafran war was published to his credit on the top online forum site, Nairaland in 2013 and it received a wide read.
by KREATIVE DIADEM | Jun 15, 2015 | POEMS
“Go Soul the body’s guest
Upon a thankless arrant
Fear not to touch the best
The truth shall be thy warrant
Go, since I needs must die
And give the world the lie.”
Sir Walter Raleigh- Soul’s Errand.
TELL DARKEN WEST
Say to the West they stink
And smears of filth
Tell, Convention fades like blink
Tell Bravery ’tis but myth.
Warn War of holocaust
Chide Strategy ’tis mere prank
Tell Peace it lies nought
When its rod faileth to spank.
Cry to Light it’s thin
And laxeth in its shine
Tell, Democracy can’t win
Unless with Villainy dine.
Tell Darken West!
Tell Psychopath He commends
And makes his fawn
Tell Awe of unsungness it mends
Tell Sun to trail when Flattery’s done.
Say to Faiths they gleam
On their sacred way man leaves dirty spoor
Say to the proud stream
It flows, oe’rflows and banes the moor.
Tell Courage it prateth
And flees when it’s the meanest
Rebuke Fate it wasteth
Tell strength it’s not the strongest.
Tell fatigue it’s mean
When this Truth thou harbinger
Tell, resilience is near
Near, near and nearer
As it drifts towards matyrs’ isle
Tell nudists there’s mantle.
When thou hast uttered thy foretellings
And lay bare their loomy goriness
Fear not their yellings
Till you saunder Oneness
Whence lieth their bestness
Exhume conscience from ashes of shyness!
Thou Soul, body’s guest
Fear not but torch Darken West!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Agbaakin Oluwatoyosi Jeremiah is a law undergraduate of the Premier University, University of Ibadan. Born on the 9th of April, 1994 in Ikire, Osun state, he is an active pressman in the university community where he heads the news unit in his hall press organization. During his secondary days, he won many essay competitions, performed poetry for state programs and participated in many literary activities.
He is not relenting as he keeps writing especially on his blog: muselord.wordpress.com. Apart from his keen love for legal studies, he has burning passion for writing fantasy novels, poems,and on philosophy. Battle Scar, a novel about the Biafran war was published to his credit on the top online forum in Nigeria, Nairaland in 2013 and it received a wide read.
I believe in fighting for integrity and justice at all cost as the noble laureate, Wole Soyinka rightly said “The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of
tyranny” and a legendary Judge once established that justice must not only be done but be manifestly and undoubtedly seen to be done.
Recent Comments