Black soil signifies richness and potency of the earth to bring bountiful blessing
Infant Lapsing In The East.
Singing in silence, a buzzing glee
half naked thoughts
striding on virgin roads
where lapping waters births algae
on rainbow-less streets the air stirs
and oaks and boughs swinging noisily
masks the flutes melody
like a whistle in a raging storm
Little children, "let us"
said the bearded one, "awake"
for night has sired the morning.
and the palakuku drowns the ears
with her morning chittering
so, the sun's journey begins.
a bare barn is an empty stomach
and a lazy cutlass is an unploughed land
cling! clang!
and the hoe's echoes
shall be heard in the river's ripples
And so, the soft meadow
of the cocoyam shelter
gives way to the afternoon blistering!
and we shall perspire with laughter,
for the earth feeds so lackluster
and smile shall we when the kpapando
beckons the evenings
Umu okorobia "let's us,"
said the bearded one
find you a wife with the curvest of smiles,
for your arms and neck
has adorned scarlet beads
and your roof has seen iron rains
For Okpu ndi nze prettifies
your wisdomed heads
and young cubs basks in your scrotum
and feminine bosom.
the earth bears testament to your blossoms
for Chukwu bi na enigwe bless you
like a palm tree protruding
with reddening fruits.
"Ndi agadi nwoke" said the bearded ones
let us savour our evening
sitting outside the crowded huts
enjoying the deafening noise
of crying and laughing children
as youth fades into nought.
we once dreamt dreams of a hundred barn
but a thousand barn parades a prosperous life
Cassava is a major food crop in eastern Nigeria
Plantain plantation signifies growth and prosperity
Words culled from Eastern Nigerian Igbo language
"Ndi agadi nwoke" ~ Old man
Chukwu bi na enigwe ~ God in heaven
palakuku ~ Dove
Okpu ndi nze Red cap for chiefs
kpapando stars
LITERARY APPRECIATION
Growth, rainfall, productivity and a transcension from tender to maturity to old age is the thematic preoccupation of this mind bending piece. The piece was set in eastern Nigeria and a way of life was painted. The poet persona paints a stage of growth from the stage of a child to the stage of being old or elderly and how responsibilities and hard work opens up doors to wealth and good living.
The poet persona took the figure of the bearded one who was of course guiding a child, advising him to wake up to hardwork (farming is the customary means of becoming wealthy in old eastern Nigeria). However the bearded one acts as an invincible voice of reason and the various verses in the poem expresses the various stages in the life of a man and however the last verse expresses full old age and a satisfaction with a well lived life.
The poem is traditional and expose a different cultural way of life. The use of the Igbo language shows the origin of the poem and comprising of six irregular verses, the poem shows a rhythmic pattern and being a free verse itself. The poem exposes a distinctive way of life and teaches hard work in a peculiar way.
Written by me @josediccus
All images owned & taken by me
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My name is @Josediccus, a young Nigerian student who is a Dtuber, 📷 Psychologist, Poet And Sports Writer/Analyst. I'm using my contents as a process to create shared meaning as well as create expressions through which people on/off steem can relate. I believe content is a process to be enjoyed and relished and I'm up for any collaborations in my field stated above. Cheers
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