Before the fall

 

 

My country, where nobles lived, 

In greens niches of the mangrove. 

My country was a place where peace was prince,

And harmony was princess. 

My country men were with virgin minds,

Alien to hate,selfishness and    gluttony.

*Ekiti Kete*Check out this Poem composed for Ekiti State

*Ekiti Kete*

Welcome! to my land,
The  land of beauty's myth
A land with pregnant soils and caved clouds
Where nature flaunts her beauty
In hues of soulful glamour.

My land, the land of glory
Where peace and harmony
Sing the with the chords of love
Where we know war no more
Where arms are kept in museums.

Oooh! The motherly nipples of Ekogosi,
The fountain of warm and cold aqua.
That meanders through the cleavage of the land
Nourishing the the creeks and plains
With the spread of green
In fields and heights.

My land the garden of Oodua's illustrious son
The land of Sages.
Where the foolish is a moralist
And the Aged are judges.
The young are feed with
The colostrum of wisdom.

At the shore of land
Are the feet of alien men.
The paradise of Sheba's queen,
To the merchants of Venice,
A land of commerce.

My land is the praise of the west,
The wonder land of the Niger.
Ekiti Kete.
It's not just a title.

Daramola Ebenezer 2017.

Happy BUT Sad

Our moment of happiness came

And it was like nothing else mattered

We basked in the glory we've made for ourselves 

And ignored the shames buried in the shelves

We had pasts that move presently but choose 

Not only to sideline them but also forget

So we can say we're blameless and

Forever remain like this.... 

We basked in the euphoria of shown emotions 

I blatantly refused all advice...

Till the time you hurt my joyful smile

With such malodorous orifice of a heart.... 

Took long for me to realise I'd lost all i fought for

My kingdom, my kinsmen, friends and well 

wishers

Had gone like the flowers in fall

I was stuck on my own like a glue to ice... 

I fought my wars alone.. Won some lost many

It was hard to leave... Neither could i stay... 

But one thing for sure i really could say... 

My walls will someday to the skies rise

After I've sent you and your lies away... 

                                                   @thokepraise

Lost In Thoughts

My mind is filled with many questions 

A dozen of a thousand of them

I'm trying to seek out most of their answers

If it's what would calm my heart

My head is filled with vivid imaginations

As curiosity oozes uncertain thoughts

I turn and burn the mid night candle

Seeking for something to soothe my brain

My thoughts seem to eat deeper daily

I'm sinking in a whole new world of ambiguities 

I seem to have disappeared into the arms of words

And only real answers would be of great worth 

Can anyone hear my thoughts ?

Can they even see the expressions of my face? 

Can't someone say something to prove

That I'm really not going crazy? 

Let peace calm my huge fears

Let answers of light lead the way

Spoken words or hidden thoughts whatever they are 

Make my mumbo-jumbo make complete sense. 

   @thokepraise

                

*Na We Dey There*

I can bark at the old dragon

with a soprano tone

I can play with the cubs of evil

I have the venom they possess.

Time uses me as a land mark to tell its old stories.

But I count my age 

In with a ten and some years.

I can play in the dark tunnel

Without a scratch

I can smoke the devils pipe

And sip his soup and be sturdy.

My liver is indeed big

I can dance the dance 

Of the fairies of evil

I can incant 

The enchantments of winze

We've got the power

We are the glass to desires

The leg to attainments

I'm the John Hancock to 

Goldmines

"Na we dey there"

We can pull down the skies

From the mountain top

We can tear apart the red sea

With holy spells

We've gotten what it takes.

But we need what it takes 

To be *WISE*

Have a nice weekend. I love you all.

© Daramola Ebenezer 2017

*The Reoccurring Decimal*

Let's write the story again

To ensure continuity,

Even if we walk in their path

With different tools and

Improved methods

We'll always end in the same destination,

Because it's a reoccurring decimal.

Natal jingles I hear

Natal greetings they share

For a neonate born without it's consent,

Like a bud growing in a branch's stead,

Like a reoccurring decimal

Shooting up like a young shoot,

They said I was growing,

Combining parental accessories

With the resemblance of older kins

They called me "Babatunde"

Coming from the dead to be reborn

Like a reoccurring decimal.

Let me mount my wings and fly

I'm no more an eaglet

Take me to my father's fields

I want to plow them,

Let me wear his boots 

And put on his armaments,

I want to survive in this revolving world,that revolves

Like the reoccurring decimal.

Wonderful flight my father flied.

The nuptial flight

I flied with the angel of my soul.

Let's build new colonies

And live like immortals

Even though some stale leaves are fallen

And are buried by history's sand.

Natal drums I hear

Natal greetings we shear, 

Happiness grips the air,

As a neonate is called from oblivion without it's consent

We called him our progeny,

As we were to our parents

Like they were to our grandparents

Like we all are to our fore parents 

Like the reoccurring decimal.

At the brink of the grave 

Let me fall in peace,

At the last kick, like both kicks

One before birth and  the other at death

The kick of death's bucket,

Let me die peacefully

As I pass through the tunnel of death,

As my fore parents did,

As my grand parents did,

As my parents did,

As I will do,

Like a reoccurring decimal.

© Daramola Ebenezer 2017

Meet Andrew!

BIOGRAPHY

Igbecha Oghenetega Chukwuebuka Andrew, born on the 23rd of June is a poet, writer, spoken word artist,Red carpet host, MC/Compere and a student of the department of English Obafemi Awolowo University.
In 2014 he started writing poems and in 2015 out of a burning desire to inspire people, he started his poetry platform "ANDY POEMS'' with the motto bringing out the power in lines. He went on to add other poets into the platform and they all released poems through that platform and inspired people.

In late 2015 he started designing poems or putting poems in picture form especially birthday poems and Christmas poems and he started sending it to people on their birthdays.
This idea was welcomed by all and till date he and Andy Poems is still contacted for Birthday poems and other types of poems in pictures.
In December 2015 also, he was the red carpet host and MC of the Redeemed Christian Church of God's Teens Praise Night.
He went on to MC his church's Christmas Carol and everyone appreciated him and loved him. He started working with Vita foam comfort centre in January 2016 as a Coperate communications manager.

He was saddled with the responsibility of keeping the company's social media handles active with innovative posts and contents. He also organised the best sleep experience competition which was a competiton that had people telling a story about their best sleep experience online.
After weeks of engagement, the winner was finally gotten and was given a price. He went on that year to MC other events and also to do spoken words performances. His brand Andy Poems has grown over the years to be a poetry brand with a difference.
In 2017 he went for Man the Mic where he was trained as a Public Communicator. His brand Andy Poems is aimed at bringing out the power in lines through creative writing such as poetry, stories e.t.c. Andy Poems currently has over ten poets who are committed to that vision. 

*POEM*

Change Agent

- by Igbecha Oghenetega. C. A and Ihejirika Francis 

Change Agent  That’s the anthem that has been going on in my head
As each day I wake up and see the poster of our economy dead Our leaders have made our lives to be  like a stony bed
But it is the effort of one man that can make our country fly like a bird
   
Just the other day Our dear Country was diagnosed with so many sicknesses
With the likes of corruption, poverty, boko haram and even child trafficking businesses
I watched as my tears turned into my own swimming pool of darkness
I then asked the doctor and the doctor told me no hope for all these sicknesses

But I believe that it is the motivation, determination backed up with the right information that can save this nation
I believe that the stagnation that has plagued this country will turn into an abomination
I believe that very soon all this will be a thing of the past and we will celebrate our absolution
I believe that very soon all these diseases and suffering will all end in dehydration

Change Agent that’s the Anthem that should ring in our heads like the morning bell
Change is inevitable that’s the story we us as the agents must always tell
Change is what we need in this country so that good will cure this evil spell
Let me drop my poetic lines and let my bro tell the remaining tale!!!

In this our age,
I’m living a life of one trapped in a cage,
Like a low paid labourer begging for his own wage
A beverage I can’t even afford, not to talk of a sausage
Oh! The damage, I’m actually living in bondage.

But wait!
It’s only a short time before I begin to engage
The youths are going to come with rage
And like high voltage, we shall cause great damage
Beware! Because to you it’ll be a disadvantage
And by that time you might even need a bandage

We need change!
If you can’t perform, please get off the stage!
Look at our so called global village,
It’s turned a wreckage!
No long passages, the message is short,
If you can’t perform, disengage.

Look at the under-aged,
A large percentage of them will grow to become like us – caged.
If we don’t interchange our bad ways for good
Remember, a stitch in time saves nice, says an adage.

That’s why we need a whole new package
Let’s manage out differences and start on a new page
Even when we quarrel, we should read the gauge and calm the rage
A leverage we need so like dense “green” foliage we will be
For me, for you, for us all, an advantage it will be

Like in marriage, we should be united and stand with courage,
To the world, I tell you, it will be a major breakthrough,
Again my message is very, very simple
All I want is for you to be an agent of change.

Meet Omotoke Gladys

                 Meet Omotoke Gladys
Omotoke Gladys is a young talented poet and songwriter. 
She is a student of Obafei Awolowo University (OAU).
Studying Quantity Surveying.
All her works are centered around Christianity.

IG; @thokepraise

Check out some of her poems below;

..I AM AFRICAN... I AM BLACK...!

So your beauty was there all along, 

 Hidden beneath your busyness, 

 they led you on to believing

that you're not good enough...

You told yourself to struggle to be who they like....

They said that you have issues with yourself

And could never win the wars in your mind...

They called you imperfect...

You we're bothered that these parts

 that were imperfect would never let you meet up to them... 
Maybe you should be thinking of letting them want to be you... 
You are gold, you are treasure... 
Your flaws are what constitute your beauty... 

You really are imperfect...

Imperfect is good, imperfect is life
you last longer and shine brighter under hard conditions 
Nature made you well, 

she couldn't have made a mistake; 
You have to look into yourself

 and understand who you really are....

You embraced flaws, you indulged your pride
you let your eyes see you in a whole different light
you realized how precious you really are
You are black, beautiful, strong and African

©thokepraise

THE GOD OF EXCELLENCE

SOUR DAWN

Sour Dawn

While in the nursery 

We heard the echo of 'brighter days' from older kins

It fell on the receptacle of my ears like the morning dew

It was to my tender mind a dope honey

We believed their incantations because they talked from the tower or age

We tried to peep to see Brighter days through our dream window

We saw a blissful haven and said 

Life's good.

Now in the plantation of real humans 

Hustling and bustling

Now in the mirage of my dreams

We said 'reality is the biggest sly'

Waddling in muddy waters

With stiffer paces

We comfort ourselves with retrospects of nursery days

And praise our 'salad days' in tales 

To our suckers.

I wish to take a voyage

With a reverse gear

I wish to go back to the nursery

I wish history is replayed

I wish reality  becames our dreams.

©Daramola Eben

SOLDIERS OF THE CREED

                     

Soldiers of the Creed

At the gate of the house of mercy

We stand, with our faith in our left hand and our whip in our right

Drawn for offenders.

Our faces long with with fierceness

Our salutation  like the  roaring a lion.

We bear the features of a good soldier.

We pounce on the vulnerable

And trash trespassers 

With the role-rod 

That knows no love

Because we fear for the creed.

We are clad in goodly apparel

We bear the light for the world to see

Illusive rays of the creed.

We jump from pillar to post

Sacrificing ourselves like bondmen 

All these for the creed

Our piety like the monks

Visible to every church rat

Heavy in the eyes of the merciful

But weightless on the pan of the creed.

We've gotten the first, second,and third degrees

We are professionals,

Well learned that we measure our ways,

We are good custodians of this creed

'Cos We've gotten its password.

© Daramola Ebenezer 2017.

MY FIRST KISS

*MY FIRST KISS*

My innocent heart was already at his mercy, 

Yet he did more damage with his searching looks,

Our eyes did meet 

At that point my heart he blew away, 

For split seconds I stood numb, 

Trying to digest his words.

Who wouldn't love Jerome?

I am a lady not given to men, 

But he struck a special chord, 

My heart is filled with fantasied junk, 

But never a man with this much charm. 

Nature didn't help matters either, 

The moon and stars were in full bloom, 

Making it the perfect love scene,

In shyness slowly I bowed my head, 

He didn't hesitate to request again....."KISS ME"

MY FIRST KISS would be at the priest's command, 

I've always treasured that, 

But Jerome has shown me love and care, 

How dare I hurt him now?

In fact he just proposed!!

As I pressed my tender lips against his,

That was the last I had a choice,

I became conscious of me again, 

Only in the pool of mine own blood, 

Jerome what have you done?

Like the Cupid's arrow came his words, 

Against my fragile soul, 

"I have done nothing, we only had fun"

He chuckled and clapped his hands, 

We were not alone, out came his friends

Singing praises of him!!

As they made to go he said to me

"Keep the ring if you so please", 

With a heroic smile he pointed to my stomach, 

"Make sure you name him Val"!!

I couldn't say a word as hot tears caressed my cheeks!!!

            © Adaramola Ebenezer 2017.

VALENTINE

VaL N Tine

Valentine sweet valentine
The usher of sweet memories
Valentine a day for lovers.
My lover, val is here again.
I've decked my heart with your album

I've prepared a balm to heal our
wounded memories.
My heart beats faster with each
tick that ushers this day.
Beautiful notes are greeting
themselves in my bosom
Ready to surge in with the pulse
of romance.

My lover that the cart of affection and
the wheels of romance are ready
To take us round the world of love.
My love watch out for fiery butterfly
and the chirping sparrows to say
HAPPY VALENTINE

                     © Daramola Ebenezer 2017.

*POETRY*

 For I stand still,
As the scorching sun faints into dusk
The moon rays festers frivolously
The beautiful sky starts to melt
At the sound of your feet, my dear

For I stand still,
As the earth revolves around you
My heart thumps more rapidly
My breath goes deeper
At the tone of your voice, my love

Don’t be mistaken,
They are not in awe of you my dear
They are terrified that you’ve awaken
From the forty winks of last night’s alcohol
And of the bellows that perturbed their peace

Don’t be mistaken,
I am not falling for you my love
I am in fright that you’ll go out today
And like other days you’ll come home boozed
And thrash me for the loss you incurred

© Yinka Taiwo

Bio

Yinka Taiwo is a writer, poet, and a blogger. She is a final year student of mass communication at Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Osun state. She authored a poetry series "We are 5 women" (a series on domestic violence and abuse against women), she won the award for Best Writer (Costus award) Yinka Taiwo has also collaborated with different authors on a series of inspirational and motivational books. You can reach her at her website yinkainspires.wordpress.com

Predestination

Predestination,
Life’s very own labyrinth
That every man heeds to his beck and call
Lost in their distinctive islands

Tis life’s inevitable flaw,
That holds no boundary to destiny
A mystery that lies
Beneath the fates of humanity

What will be, will be
The old poem affirms
So I wander if I’m a doll
Wandering in life’s pawn

The manifold paths I’m unto
Submerging hastingly into
I ponder, if I chose this road
Or did it choose me?

Although this is a deep platitude
I humbly appeal that
If predestination is of reality
I pray that thou hast destined me
To enter thy heavenly abode
To rest eternally with thee.

© Yinka Taiwo

Bio

Yinka Taiwo is a writer, poet, and a blogger. She is a final year student of mass communication at Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Osun state. She authored a poetry series "We are 5 women" (a series on domestic violence and abuse against women), she won the award for Best Writer (Costus award) Yinka Taiwo has also collaborated with different authors on a series of inspirational and motivational books. You can reach her at her website yinkainspires.wordpress.com

*Mournful Cry*

Why are you obsessed
Is it for my pearl?
Why is the beauty of your face masked with gloom?
You hate me sour,
Your eyes has marked me for death,
Your mind has sentenced me to death,
You've made your heart my tomb.

Why are you obsessed,
Is it for my freedom?
You stuck me to the dirt
You counted me among your lambs for sacrifice
You don't remember we are neighbours
Joined under the yoke of legality.

Why are you obsessed,
Is it for my pearl,
Stocked under my breast bone?
Whose lucid rays drive out darkness?
Is yours of a poorer make?
Why are you agitated?
Why do you connive with death
To take me too soon.

Why are you obsessed,
Is it for my pearl?
Is it for it's beauty
You slice my throat and
Shed my cold blood?
To satisfy the god of hatred,
That lies in your shrine?

Why are you obsessed
Is it for my pearl?
Is it for its value,
You come under the moon light
To send me from my sleep to my grave,
Leave me desolate and
Set my habitation ablaze?

Why are you obsessed,
Is it for my pearl,
Or for the giver?
Is it for the grandeur look of my sanctuary
You set it in flames?
Is it for the gorgeous robes of our monks
You slay them?
Why are you consumed with jealousy?

Remember we are one people,
Under the same yoke 'unity'
Knitted together by interdependence,
With the consent of nature,
Orchestrated by God
Under the symphony of brotherhood,
To sing with the rhythm of peace.
As one nation, under God.
#Be your brothers keeper today.

© Daramola Ebenezer 2017

Bio
Ebenezer Daramola is a poet from the University of Ibadan, dept: Veterinary Medicine . He hails form Ekiti State and he is member of the Veterinary Editorial Board and also a member of fellowship of friends in poetry.

Passion: To be the voice of thoughts in black and white.