(A Lament in the Tongue of Empire) Chorus (whispered, rising):Resign now, Traoré…You’ve done too much good. ⸻ VOICE OF THE WEST:Resign now, Traoré!You’ve upset the order!You’ve stirred the soup without our spoon! You—child of Sankara,nephew of Nkrumah,heir of the drum that dares to beat against silence! We sent aid in envelopeslined with fine print and trap doors—you returned it…
(A Poetic Declaration of the Institute of the Episterresurrecist Arts (IEA) Mother,I have changed my name!No longer shall I answerTo “Renaissance Remnant,”Or “Revival Seedling” of borrowed tongues. I am notA footnote in Europe’s chapter!I am notA festival puppet with Ankara skinDancing to Shakespeare’s tambourine! No!I am the drum they tried to muteWith white chalk and infested libraries!I am the…
(In the voice of a lamenting Prophet) Where are my sons in suits?Where are the daughters in wrappers of sorrow?Where are the women with wombs of pain,The men with dreams leaking through torn pockets? Where are the midnight wailers?The miracle seekers?The tithers of last kobo?The sowers of rent money? Where are the prayer requests? Ah!They have vanished like demons…
Pastor packed his anointing in a Ghana-Must-Go!He stamped his passport with holy oil,And flew to Toronto,To plant revivalAmong the snow and silence. But in Canada,Nobody fell down when he shouted “Fire!”They just checked the smoke alarm.And went back to sipping coffee. In Norway,He tried to declare “Receive your car!”But they already had busesThat came every ten minutesWith heaters,With soft…
— For the goat beneath the kola tree — Come, NomaEat well.This cassava peel is sweeter than yesterday’s.Yes, I see the way your ears flick.You understand more than you let on. I remember when you were small,legs like broomsticks,chasing shadows across the compound.Now look your beard carries the wisdom of old drums. You’ve heard enough stories,sitting by my feet…
— for my dear Etop Precious Iniobong — Monsieur le Paka-paka-paka, twenty boys,barefoot,chased a ballthrough dust and dusk. They shared breath,shared salt,shared spit,shared bruises,shared breadshared the suninside their laughter. But time…time grew teeth. One found war.One found work.One found wealth.One joined the army.One boarded a bus.One forgot his name.One buried another.One wandered offnever returned.Others?Forgotten! Now the ball lies stillin…
(A Classroom Tragedy in Three Chuckles) “Class!” the teacher barked,chalk dancing like white ants.“Who can tell mewhat is Nigeria?” Silence.Silence.More silence. Then courage crept in. One boy rosehis uniform tornlike national unity,chest puffedlike he swallowed a drum,and with the voiceof his hero, Professor Wole Soyinka,he began: “Nigeria is a sandwichwearing rubber slippers,climbing Mount Kilimanjaroto buy akarawith expired SIM card!…
I was seven…seven…just seven A seed…not yet called sapling. She,a cousintwice ripenedbreasts like twin orangesstraining thin cloth,hips like two drumsbeating beneath her wrapper. She said:“Let me show youhow fire sleepsin a woman’s belly.” I was a lambtethered to her whisper.I was a drumshe beatbehind shut doors.She said the bloodtrapped,mapping my buttocks,pulsed her budawake,called the wet godfrombetween her thighs. I…
(In celebration of Workers’ Day, I wrote this poem, inspired by Barr. Femi Falana’s (SAN) speech at the 70th birthday of Comrade Dr. Osagie Obayuwana). They said:“Relax, Baba, your sweat is safe!”They took our blood,bottled it in bonds,then drank itin Senate meetings. They said:“Retire with pride!”and handed usempty envelopes,tea without sugar,life without teeth. Wewho built the bridges,welded the rails,typed…
A Magistrate Court sitting in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, on Tuesday, sentenced controversial hip-hop artiste Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, to three months’ imprisonment for assault, with an option of a N30,000 fine. It will be recalled that Portable was earlier arraigned before the Magistrate Court in April 2023 on a three-count charge bordering on…
What happens when you challenge the establishment?…
The Great Delusion invites you into a…
(A Lament in the Tongue of Empire)…
(A Poetic Declaration of the Institute of…
