I cannot blind myself
to putrefying carcasses in the market place
pulling giant vultures
from the sky
Nor to these flywhisks:
how can I escape these
mind-ripping scorpion-tails
deployed in the dark
with ignominious license
by those who should buttress faith
in living, faith in lamplights?
And how can l sing
when they stuff cobwebs in my mouth
spit the rheum of their blank sense
of direction in my eyes
– who open the portals of
my hope- in this desultory walk?
Yet l cannot blunt my feelers
to Cheapen my ingrained sorrow
I. cannot refuse to drink from
The gourd you hold to my lips
A garland of subversive litanies
should answer these morbid landscapes
my land, my woman
Culled from ‘The Harbour Master Poems‘
Another of Odia Ofeimun’s poems on Teambooktu is Thinking About Art
Odia Ofeimun
A former President of the Association of Nigerian Authors, and private (Political) Secretary to the late Nigerian nationalist and statesman, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Odia Ofeimun is a poet, journalist, and public intellectual. He studied Political Science at the University of Ibadan and was a founder member of the Pan African Writer's Association. Author of several books of political and literary essays, his collections of poetry include The Poet Lied, A Handle for The Flutist, Dreams At Work, London Letter and Other Poems, Go Tell the GeneralsandA Boiling Caracas. His poems for dance drama cover Under African Skies, A Feast of Return, and Nigeria The Beautiful. Odia Ofeimun is also the editor of significant anthologies òf Nigerian poetry including Lagos Of The Poets.
- Odia Ofeimun#molongui-disabled-link
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..Odia Ofeimu is unarguably
evidently not only one of the most prolific poetic journalists who’ s also not aloof to partisan politics of post independent Africa inclusive of Our Naija.Being a serious and hilarious author of 41 ++ books of diverse genre and still breathing and living in the land of his birthplace I don’t think any cool observer can truncate his oozing out more books – poetry,prose and surely others of critical commentary.
Who thinks otherwise?Naija isn’t just an interesting cultural ecology it also offers copious substrate for critical and creative writing.Only few people are fulfilled doing what they like or love .Aleluai for answered prayers.
Gbemi Tijani MST
Paul Harris Fellow
former Unesco Club leader