Posts
Kere o, Kere o, Kere o
Akede oba
is here, the anointed sound from the king’s lips
I
have come to spit fire, for your king is angered
Today,
the king emits ire unto the land
So
gather your ears and lend them to your king’s voice
I
have heard you all flock like birds to the village square
Perching
on trees and twittering tales about your king,
The
kingmakers, his family and allies
If
only you all knew what I know
I
was once a bird like you all
But
I was no ordinary bird
I
was a singing bird, a canary
I
sang about those who cover our heads with umbrellas
And
pile money mansions over their heads
The
palace guards who unseated their kings
My
sonorous voice traversed this land weekly
But
that was many moons ago
You
have taunted and mocked me about the king’s second akede
Do
you not know that when a dog stands beside a lion
Idle
birds can only make sounds?
The
noise from the playing ground will not stop the throng of my gong
The
stones you hurl will not puncture my vocal chord
He
was once like you too
Your
king’s naked feet has been blistered by this rough grounds
He
once had no crown to protect his royal head
His
parents could not afford the white man’s books
For
he is but a descendant of fishermen
Yet
he is king today
These
are troubled times
It
is true that our land is fertile
Harvest
is plentiful but the village is hungry
Do
not be quick to cast aspersions on your king
Do
not be deterred by the Pandora’s Box the chiefs’ committee on harvest has
unraveled
Food
will abound in the land soon
The
king only needs another 4 years
You
all know your queen was taken to a faraway city
The
tales you spin about her condition
Might
just put Mogaji Enudunjuyo’s story
telling skills to test
Luckily,
he is but Fagunwa’s creation
Let your queen be!
She
will be back when she can
Her
employer, the baale of Bayelsa is her
fan
My
job is not an easy one
But
it is what I must do
So
that when the king becomes oba ana
I
will have a smorgasbord on my table
Wow! This is an excellent piece of poetry, words intricately strung together, lines laced with deeply sapient expressions, and verses garnished with a plethora of thought-provoking statements. He who has ear, let him hear what the town-crier is saying to the masses.
ReplyDeletewow...........nicely written,fellow Libra
ReplyDeleteNice! Don't know how to really appreciate poems but dis is good
ReplyDeleteThis is satire of a kind I don't often see. Well done. I have always suspected you are a good poet. Please write more
ReplyDeleteSplendid!!! This is very deep and thought-provoking. Only a great mind can conceive this. Well done.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful piece, thumbs up Tola...Me likey!
ReplyDeleteNa so...great work...let's hope the real town crier sees this...and sees the error of his ways...
ReplyDeleteWow. Tola the Taller. Lovely piece. You really like the Kind's town crier. Like Goodluck Jonathan's personal adviser. I like the part that they cover our heads with umbrella (PDP) and they cover theirs with beautiful mansions. The poem makes a lot of sense. You would do very well as a playwright. You have the skills.
ReplyDeleteHe was once like you too
ReplyDeleteYour king’s naked feet has been blistered by this rough grounds
He once had no crown to protect his royal head
His parents could not afford the white man’s books
For he is but a descendant of fishermen
Yet he is king today
GEJjing for GEJ
Hmm...beautiful piece. Few corrections though. Note that i do not comment as a master, but as one who would love to see your work get better. #This are troubled times...# you should use the plural form, these. Two, looks like you weaved aspects of more than one culture together. Village square? Pandora's Box? While it made sense cos your audience can share the knowledge, it might be better for a wider readership, if you situate your speech in the context of your culture. Makes for better, easier and faster understanding. you might also consider using shorter cliches for some of your longer lines, so your poem doesn't begin to look like prose. Overall, a very brilliant satirical cum persuasive piece, keep it coming.
ReplyDelete@Omoolorun, thanks for the observations. I will make necessary corrections. However, it's very obvious the only culture I borrowed from is the yoruba culture. Note that Pandora's box here isn't used as an aspect of the greek culture. The meaning inferred is contextual and has to do with the unravelling of bad things. Also, the yoruba town criers do not use words sparingly. The poem had to be prosaic hence the long lines.
ReplyDeleteHumm...ok. But note that rather than use long lines in one line, you can use enjambments so as to preserve the town crier's tested and well known penchant for long constructs of speech. I still have a hunch with the pandora thing anyways... but ur explanation suffices, for the present. I have read ur story o...would comment leira babe. in the meantime, great story.
ReplyDeleteThis is Wonuola elemide
ReplyDeleteWOW! Was the expression in my mind as I read through. My prose- writer. Its beautiful. A lil adjustment here and there which am sure you'll find out each time you take time to read this piece of creativity again . This is great.