Chris Okigbo

If there is one person that inspired me into poetry, his name is Chris Okigbo. I stumbled on a book in my father's little book collection by Sunday Anozie titled Christopher Okigbo: Creative Rhetoric and though barely 12 years then and barely totally understand the full meaning of some of his poems, I was hooked to his works. Chris Okigbo was killed in action during a major push by Nigerian troops against Nsukka during the Nigerian Civil war.

I have reproduced some of his works that I loved below.


The Passage - Christopher Okigbo

BEFORE YOU, my mother Idoto,
Naked I stand;
Before your weary presence,
A prodigal
Leaning on an oilbean,
Lost in your legend
Under your power wait I
On barefoot,
Watchman for the watchword
At heavensgate;
Out of the depth my cry:
Give ear and hearken…
DARK WATERS of the beginning.
Ray, violet,and short, piercing the gloom,
Foreshadow the fire that is dreamed of.
Me to the orangery
Solitude invites,
A wagtail, to tell
The tangled-wood-tale;
A sunbird, to mourn
A mother on spray.
Rain and sun in single combat;
On one leg standing,
In silence at the passage
The young bird at the passage
SILENCE FACES at crossroads:
Festivity in black…
Column of ants,
Behind the bell tower,
Into the hot garden
Where all roads meet:
Festivity in black…
O Anan at the knob of the panel oblong,
Hear us at crossroads at the great hinges
Where the players of loft organ
Rehearse old lovely fragment, alone-
Strains of pressed orange leaves on pages
Bleach of the light of years held in leather:
For we are listening in cornfields
Among the windplayers,
Listening to the wind leaning over
Its loveliest fragment…..



Excerpt of his "Elegy for Alto"

THE GLIMPSE OF A DREAM
lies smouldering in a cave,
together with the mortally wounded birds.
Earth, unbind me;
let me be the prodigal;
let this bethe ram’s ultimate prayer to the tether…

AN OLD STAR departs,
leaves us on the shore
Gazing heavenward for a new star approaching;
The new star appears, foreshadows its going
Before a going and coming that goes on forever…

“In Pursuit of Happiness”

I have always wondered where this phrase – ‘..in pursuit of happiness – come from. I understand a lot of people would say it is from United State Declaration of independence. The expression is credited to Dr. Samuel Johnson in his 1759 novel Rasselas (wikipedia). I have heard it all over this country being used casually and even Hollywood caught the bug with a Will Smith movie, In pursuit of Happyness – nice movie I must say.

The question is what do people mean when they talk of “happiness” or its pursuit? Can you pursue happiness? Is “happiness” a destination or a state on itself? How lasting is “happiness” even when it is has been successfully “pursued”?

I did a little bit of research or lemme call it browsing, on this and I realized that the first public use of this phrase has to do with economic choice of pursuit than ephemeral search for emotional fulfillment. Maybe that tells us more about the use of the expression these days.

I can extrapolate based on the definition and usage of the word that our “pursuit of happiness” has more to do with our fulfillment and satisfaction based on our “acquisition” – Might be love, property etc. That will take me to my next question – Is happiness worth pursuing? I see it from the point that happiness is a means to an end and not an end of a process. Is it worth pursuing? I don’t think so. Why would you pursue a transient state when it is a flow and not the destination? Don’t get me wrong, I am not sadistic or live hating the world, I just think there are other things worth pursuing that could bring happiness as a by-product while giving you more complete fulfillment.

I am not trying to be religious here but I have known from time memorial that the only thing that is what pursuing – Righteousness. Happiness no matter how long it takes is just too risky to be pursued – it is not substantial as a whole point of pursuit – as a by-product, yes, but not the main course. The cost of pursuing it as the lead head and the gain accruing from it just doesn’t worth the effort. Maybe I am wrong…….!

Born in Africa

I was born in Africa, the name they gave my land I was called.
To till the lands my fathers gave me
Not to toil in the baking sun that they so much feared
I am the produce of the land - born in the loin of a warrior
I am the son, his name was Elemeso

Several moons I left my land
Tears, fear ceaselessly flow
Dreams, desires aptly drive
A new world, across several rivers
A place I knew from afar - a land I was called an alien.

What now happens to my generations?
Will they be called by the name they gave my land?
Or the name of the foreign land - Their new land?
Speak in the tongues of my fathers or poetry of this new world?


Will my daughter hums to deep knowledge of Ijala?
Or to the staccato of hip-hop?
Will she ever bath in the cascading torrential downpour?
Or speak in the tone of Ewi?
I wish I know, I wish I can say.

Dare to!

The bright hope is here
subtle and cruising
It is the start of a new month
Another day, another destiny

It is not of a question asked
the gods have no say!

Do I dance on the heels of my wobbling ankles?
Who cares if cock crows no more?
I am on a wild journey of excitement
I dare the streams to look back.

Cry for the Land!

Hold me before I flood the lands
with my tears
I have a torrent coming

I have had enough washing my face
The cool breeze dried them all

Don't ask me if they will come clattering
or ghostly drilling
Can you tell when the stream chuckles?
or its gently wave cascades?

It is for my land, my home
Future soiled, in a sea of greed!

For and against Gun!

The argument about guns and the second amendment right to bear arms by individuals has been raging on among my co-workers and myself for sometimes now. My libertarian conservative co-worker absolutely believes in that right and don't shy away from reminding you that "Guns don't kill people, people kill people". The funniest thing is that he doesn't even have a gun but just doesn't think people have to be restricted in their quest to protect themselves. His other defense of gun right comes from the fact that people that legally get guns hardly use it for nefarious activities. Criminals on the other hands go underground to get guns and use guns that are not registered. These kind of guns will be available, he argued, if guns are banned or not. Meaning if you ban guns, you are not banning the illegal guns, you are banning the legal ones. The illegal guns will still be available anyways. The implication of that is that if you don't have a gun you are actually a sitting duck for someones target practise.

My Iranian and Irish-American co-workers have very liberal attitude to guns vis-a-vis "keep guns away from home, street, alley and crevices". Their arguments pointed to the fact that some of the 'underground' guns actually come from the legal guns. How did the Virginia Tech slayer get his gun anyway? He actually went into a gun shop in Virginia and all they had to check was that he didn't have any prior felony charges. They didn't have access to the court ruling that he had to see a shrink because of health record privacy law. In this case, a legal gun was used to commit a massacre.

I found all these argument interesting because both side of the aisle come with different statistics. The ones that compare death from gun to automobile accident every year or the death from gun to Knife attack. Of course, the other side always come with statistics from Places like Australia and UK with essential ban on carrying arms and attendant fewer death from gun. I find some of these arguments very intriguing and I found out that I have a centrist views about all these.

I could understand nobody wants to be in a place where you cannot defend yourself. I am sure a lot of families that live in the rural areas with two or three policemen in a small town do cherish the right to defend their neighbourhood against any marauder. I mean, thinking from what I have seen in Nigeria, a lot of people that had been robbed by Armed robbers in their homes would have fancied their chances to at least give some form of resistance and get their neighbours to do the same if they had that right. How humiliating would it be for a man being helpless when his family is being plundered by some people he would have sent into low beyond if he had the power to do so? But for everything in this country and for every situation in life, freedom and right come with their attendant responsibilities.

As much as I want people to carry guns and defend themselves, so also I don't want a wacko or someone that is fries less of a happy meal go on a shooting spree. I mean how do you know a guy that got his gun with good psychiatric record started degenerating maybe because he develops a drug problem or some underlying problems? There are borderline millions of bi-polar people around that could be homicidal or suicidal when wrongly provoked. I really don't want those running loose with guns.

I think a lot of argument for and against gun in the American public domain are very simplistic and really don't answer a lot of questions or maybe there is really no answer for a lot of questions raised for or against gun. How do you tell a housewife that drives 10 miles in the rural area to groceries not to arm herself or protect herself? In the same vein, how do you keep guns away untrained kids in the inner cities and 'hoods without infringing on the right of the other lawful citizens? I think this is an argument that will go on across generations in this country.

For my co-workers, the one with the Italian heritage will not talk about that subject at all though he goes to the shooting range all the time and his teenage sons can hit a moving object some 100 yards away. My liberal co-worker from the south and the catholic conservative don't want to hear anything about Gun. As for me, I take both sides - I am for and against Gun in the same breathe - John Kerry never wavered, why should I?

Elemoso

The arrival of the macabre
here comes Elemeso

Now that the gods were cursed
sweeping through the whispers of the winds
I am the last of the Orisas
Never known, never found.

The forlorn cries trail my shadows
The echoes of the lost spirits
Not mine, never mine
but the count of my conquests.

I am Elemeso
Orisas verloren hoop
I was told
I killed the gods

Myth, Belief and Nigeria

I grew up in Nigeria with a lot of myths that I was told were realities or facts. You know, those kind of situations you see in the Nigerian movies. Good vs Evil, witch vs. God's power - The whole shebang. The classic cases are always the fact that anyone that didn’t grow old and die must have been killed by his/her stepmother or a witch in his/her family.

It got to a point where one of my uncles that died in 1995 then of obvious cause of Pancreatic cancer still had someone blamed for his death. I mean, Pancreatic cancer is a very aggressive form of cancer that doesn’t get diagnose until it is too late. He was a Director-General in one of the Ondo state parastatals and they blamed his death on one guy that was his predecessor. How fair is that?

Even accidents that are mostly caused by bad roads, bad vehicles, bad driving skills and just careless driving are blamed on some demons on the road. Don't get me wrong, I believe in God. Of course, the bible talks about principalities and powers, demons, rulers of darkness in high places and the whole lots but in our case in Nigeria which of those actually cause some of our predicaments?

How many roads in Nigeria have speed limit signs? How many roads give you a speed advisory when you are approaching an intersection or an exit? Any reflectors on the road to caution you about curves or dead-end road? If we put in more efforts in getting our government to be responsible in getting our roads ok than being spiritual about it, I think we can reduce a lot of death and carnages on our roads. How many times have you seen Nigeria's Highway Patrol calling tow trucks to move a disabled trailer/car off the road so that oncoming speeding car doesn't run it? Are we going to blame devil for that? This is not rocket science or something to be spiritual about - Get the damn disabled vehicle of the road and some lives can be saved.

What kind of responses do we have for emergencies? Most accident victims die within the first hour of their injuries. Most could have survived with good emergency services and getting transported to the right trauma units within an hour.

I know our health sector has totally broken down but that shouldn’t stop us from paying a little attention to ourselves. I know as Christians we talk about divine health but at least we should try once in three years (if we can’t afford to do once in a year) do our physical. Some of the diseases that kill a lot of Nigerians could be taken care easily if detected early. I know lot at people will talk about poverty and all that prevailing among the larger population but one thing I also realize is that the apathy is prevails among the upper middle class - People that could afford these checks.

One of my maternal uncles died of diabetes some years ago. The man didn’t even know he had diabetes. He just knew he was getting tired a lot. He went to see his doctor and the latter was so alarmed after seeing his blood test result that he had to drive down to his house. It was that bad. His diabetes was already in advanced stage - The Nigerian medical system couldn’t help him again and he died. Of course, someone was blamed for his death too.

I still follow Nigerian news online and the cause of death most times of a public figure never get revealed. I understand that the Muslims have to bury their dead within 24 hours but that shouldn’t stop a pathologist to determine the cause of death - If only to create public awareness of what killed the public figure.

No Nigerian today knows what killed Abacha. We all speculate between liver cirrhosis, cardiac arrest, etc. Let’s assume it was cardiac arrest, what triggered it? What kind of condition hasdhe been living in healthwise? Had he lived most part of his life with Blood pressure? High cholesterol? High sodium content? This is not about making fun of his death but just for the people that are still alive and the future generation. The press was already on and over his death; the government didn’t need to spend any money to talk about that condition again with the publicity and awareness the cause of his death could have been used to educate the masses. I guess no one will get money to embezzle in that kind of simple situation.

Back to my myth subject, I think we allow ourselves to be put in the realm of fear just by not thinking beyond our noses. A lot of diseases and conditions we attribute to devil can easily be solved by either checking out what we eat or take better care of ourselves. Maybe we can serve God even better if we use our head better. What better ways to serve God, when we know we don’t have to bother him praying 30 minutes for journey mercies and casting out demons on the bad roads when all we have to do is just take care of road and the demons will be cast out (lol). If and when we understand that a molue speeding at 70-80 miles per hour on a bridge that is not lined, with a driver that most likely had a high alcoholic blood content, you don’t need a demon or yemoja to push him into the Lagoon. I guess with that we would be able to put our belief and myth in perspectives.

My Soccer Blues

This last week was bad for me as a Nigerian Soccer fan. My team, the Super Eagles were thoroughly beaten by the Ghana's Black Stars. It was a defeat no Nigerian soccer fan (hmm so I think) never expected. I never expected it too. I think the best way to describe it is to use the Red Sox and NY Yankees example. It is like you being a Boston Red Sox fan and Yankees handed you backside to you in a sweep in the World Series or something. It was a supposed to be a friendly but to a lot of fans on both sides, it was more than a friendly. It is a bragging right you have until the next game between both teams.

I couldn't explain why I went into some kind of blues after this game. I even refuse to read any of the game reports. It was just too much for me to swallow. I used to think I am bigger than all these kind of emotions but nah! I couldnt pretend...it was just too hard for me to swallow.

Talking about Blues, I have really had it bad since I discovered soccer when I was like 8 years old. I didnt get into the scheme of things until I was in Junior Secondary school in Nigeria (equivalent of middle school here). I remember the joy I felt watching the likes of Nduka Ugbade, Jonathan Akpoborie, Victor Igbinoba lifting the then JVC U-16 World cup in China in 1985. I was barely 10 years old then but I was so happy. Fast forward two years later when the class of Osundu, Oyekale, Lemmy Isah, Chris Nwosu and the rest were robbed in the final of Kodak U-17 World cup in Canada 87. Nigeria lost to the now defunct Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) in the final. I cried my eyes to sleep. It was like I lost a loved one and I couldn't understand why my team would lost by penalties when we outplayed the soviets throughout the game. It took me days to recover from the blues.

Another Nigerian team that broke my heart was the Flying Eagles class of 87 at Chile 87 U-20 World cup. I was devastated. With names Like Etim Esin, Adeolu Adekola, Peter Nieketen (sp), Thompson Oliha, Ladi Babalola, Willy Opara, Nosa Osadolor, Nduka Ugade and the rest, we were beaten blue black by Brazil in the opening game. God! it was painful. I sat glued to the seat after the game trying to understand how Brazil could beat that scary team of talents I have ever seen played like they were some sort of soccer neophytes. I guess I believed to much in the hype orchetrated by the Oracle of Ibadan, the late Sam Akpabot. How I loved the guy's analysis in Nigerian Sketch Newspaper then. Even at the age of twelve of thereabout then, I loved reading newspapers and I was already a sports addict - Football/Soccer being my crack and any Nigerian teams victory makes me high. Of course, I was always like a crackhead without his fix whenever Nigeria lost.

After the Chile 87 debacle, I told myself I wasn't going to get into blues because of any soccer game but I didn't also stop myself from being overjoyous when Nigeria wins. You know, the kind of joy I felt when Nigeria beat Brazil by two Kanu's goals in the dying minute and the other in the extra time. I was totally delirious with joy. I sat down watching the game with my uncle Wale Owolabi then at the middle of the night and two of us were jumping up like two fats kids in a candy store. It was orgasmic. I think, it is not possible to show so much joy when your team wins and refuse to meet it with as much disappointment when your team loses. It is just not human. I guess that is what I experienced again this last Tuesday.

As much as I tried not think about the defeat, it wasn't possible. It is like starving yourself while sitting down in an eatery all day and claiming you not feeling an hunger pangs. Just impossible.
Tuesday was really bad but by the next day I was ok. Of course, I learnt Nigeria whipped Equatoria Guinea in the Olympic soccer Qualifier in Abuja. The expecatation that this is a team that could bring me another good moments is enough to forget my blues.

Talking about Drums

I have always been an admirer of Drums since I was 7 or 8 years old. I remember going to church then with my mom and transfixed by this visiting drummer boy drumming with so much passion, dexterity and smoothness that even as a small boy then couldn't ignore. From that day on, my "ear' for drumming developed and I totally fell I love with an art I never learnt but enjoyed listening to its output.

I went to Ohio in 2003 or sometimes and I saw this dance troupe with a perfect choreography to the blistering and magical sound of Bata. I was moved. The africanness in me surged and the flow of my emotions nearly broke into the well of tears - The refreshing sound and its rapidity was that good. Also good were the steps to the frantic beating of the Bata that no electric drum can ever produce. It was a sheer representation of everything that is good with the Yoruba drums.

As much as I love drums, it is a dormant hobbies for me. I never crave for it until I am in its vicinity again but everytime I hear the sound of good drums especially Gangan (the talking drum) and Bata those yesteryear feelings come back again and I am taken back to my boyhood years

I experienced this when I was in college. There was this Christain Music Festival at Obafemi Awolowo University called Livingspring. Livingspring is the stage where a lot of Christian musical groups become known and the known ones get better known. It was and I hope is still a refreshing three days of raw talents, entertainment, ingenuity and just plain ministrations devoid over over-spirituality that normally accompany a lot of Nigerian christain programs. There was this group from one Baptist church in Ibadan with this wicked gangan known as Asaju. Oh my God, it was Ecstatic! The rhythmic concoction led by this asaju was something my body still retains the taste till today. The sheer orgasmic feeling the body of the iya - Ilu, Olele, and Gangan Asaju drums brought to my mind was something only found in the fantasy world.

Fast forward to yesterday at the baby christening of Femi and Sola's baby at CAC Agbala Itura, Seabrook Maryland. It was time for the choir to sing and then comes the gangan drummer. It was an undiluted brilliance with the way he manipulated the drum and dictated the directions of the songs and controlling the pace of the dancing bodies as worshippers were lost to the beautiful aura of the charming beats.

Unflinching Tho'ts

This is one of my old poems. I think I wrote this in 2000 or something. I haven't been writing as much as I used to..ok scratch that, I havent been writing at all recently, I guess this is taking me back to where I used to be..


Unflinching tho'ts

Now the time is here
Now our heart desire
To burn the longing deep in our loins
so much fire, puffing smoke
Heightened passion, expanding lust
Roaring hunger, screaming longing!

A world so real to have
A heaven so wide to possess
such that our ectasy burrows
Up the crescendo of our desires
To please..

Now there is a stream down the fountain crossing deep into you
washing the path to your heart
That speak nothing but my affection
In our highest ectasy
Establishing the tho't we share
Our unspoken passion revealed!

I am back!

I used to blog some 2-3 years ago here and I had so much to do that I stopped. I tried logging on to my old account but realized that isn't working and I have to create a new account. Anyway, the goodnews (whose? lol) is that I am back to share my thoughts, my frustrations, sadness, happiness and of course my ingenuity here..hmmm