At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 1 At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 2 At SUNSET Ifeoma Odinye At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 3 First published in Nigeria in 2018 by Arise and Shine Press, 6 C.M.O. Shopping Complex, Regina Ceali Road, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria. 08067561837, 08066671534. ISBN: 978-978-971-041-6 Copyright © Ifeoma Odinye Telephone: 08032617858 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of the copyright owner. At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 4 Dedication For the voiceless and defenseless With whom and for whom I became a poet At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 5 Introductory Quote There will never be a first-rate poet or a first-rate critic who lacks a first-rate ear; and no one will ever acquire a first- rate ear without working for it… Poetry, alas, like painting and music, is an art- it is not a form of happy self- indulgence; and to master an art or even understand it, one has to labor with all of one’s mind and with at least a part of one’s body. (Yvor Winters, The Function of Criticism) At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 6 Preface This collection has been written for everyone; teachers, students and all lovers of poetry. In writing poetry, I have fairly adopted a unique style consistently laced with deep meanings, personification and strong imagery. The poems in this collection are simple and in some ways clouded by hazy thinking and fuzzy rhetoric. It is lively, engrossing, thought provoking and alluring. The individual poems demonstrate my personal emotions, involvement and love of the creative art! At Sunset articulates and encapsulates the rigorous challenges facing Africa and different societies of the world today. It voices a resounding call for a new generation of morally conscious individuals to embrace their challenges and positively change our mundane world. In At Sunset, I rattled the world’s challenges with a deep sense of passion. This collection also contains the award winning poem in the 2018 Annual EWC International Poetry Competition, ‘Zion’s Zest’ which clearly captures the contrived human insensitivity over human existence. I have – though very carefully spoken for the voiceless and defenseless. At Sunset is set to rekindle a consciousness for self-reflection and world liberation. At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 7 Contents Dedication 3 Introductory quote 4 Preface 5 Woes of my Land 10 Before Sunset 11 The Sunken 12 Zion’s Zest 14 The Second Coming 16 Martyrs 18 Afra my Afra 20 At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 8 Songs of Childhood Memories 20 Memories (Nostalgia) 23 Epigram on a Girl 24 Early Morning Melancholy 25 Songs of a Simpleton 26 Songs of Reflection 28 In the Dark 29 Mystery 31 The Fool 32 My Dream 33 Reflection 34 The Waste Land 35 Madness 36 I am 38 Freedom 39 At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 9 Woes of Man 40 Scars of the Mind 41 On bended Knees 44 Solitude 45 Deceit 46 A Phone Call 48 Confusion 50 A Valediction to Dolly 51 Songs of Liberation 53 Now’s the Time 54 Xenophobia 56 Zenophobia 58 The Voice 61 The Poet Said 62 Arise 63 At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 10 The Dance 66 Accolades 68 Sunset in Afra 70 To my Country 71 Sweet Spirit 73 Dread at Dusk 75 My Song 77 Songs of Hope 79 Hope 80 Echoes 81 Sacrifice 82 Flag of Dawn 83 Vows 85 No More Trembling 87 Exultation 88 At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 11 (Woes of my Land) The land is mute now With none to put new songs To our lips and our voices grow hoarse So let us listen to songs of today Ezenwa-Ohaeto “A Kind of Songs”- Songs of a Traveller At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 12 Before sunset Before sunset, poetry births words Words formed from squeezed and weathered faces Wrinkled by life’s unsteady visions Drifting high and low, Low and High. Before sunset, poverty kissed many lips Lips that once kissed princes and princesses In high towered embellished houses Moving up and down, down and up. Before sunset, birds remained silent The silence that awakened the owl In the mid-day under a scorching sun Shining bright and hot, hot and bright. Before sunset, people embarked on a pacing chase A game of luck, a game of chance In the world’s driest part and plain Humbled by hunger, thirst and want Want of food Want of money Want of water Want of shelter Want of want. At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 13 The Sunken We are the sunken We are the stuffed children Leaning on an empty column Paralyzed legs infested with poliomyelitis We are the sunken Once, leaning on a fence with nice big slats And space around, so free and roomy Legs well-guarded, fixed firmly on the surface Waiting for a falling star! We are the Sunken Echoing together Thomas Hardy’s Natures Questioning Questioning the moonlight that once sprayed happiness on eager faces Sun that brightened the face after a mid-night’s sorrowful pangs! Tell me where all past years are, Or who cleft the devil’s foot, And kissed the Angel’s forehead like Judas Iscariot? At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 14 The Sunken Tell me, I say, tell me Tell me why weathered faces stare with visionless vision Tell me why frail men turned gods over night Unleashing fire and brimstone on earth’s sojourners? That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think; This is strange, falling like dews upon many generations When men survive only to await tomb’s silent embrace! Tell me, I say tell me What then God were to such men? At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 15 Zion’s Zest In the hollow of earth’s arms, I share the open secret of life’s misery The lurking secrets of my generation Sprayed and scented on the blue airy surface Which only time and time could tell The wagging tales of pains and gains The twisted tales of clans and wars Tales of cows and colony! Tales of lies and deceit! Under the canopy of earth’s balled frame, I will not keep silent! For Zion’s sake, I will not keep silent! Until priests, kings and conquerors bring their palms to be read! Palms smeared with blood and water In pretense or in one communion! Touching heads; round heads fixed in square shaped helmets Bowed in painful ecstasy ready for the unguarded hour! Hour of fear and pain! Hour of dreaded evil and death! Turning and turning in the earth’s widening gyre, the ancient path departs At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 16 Zion’s Zest Leaving the falcons and falconers without a guide Things fall apart, the earth cannot conceal The falcon’s tale of untold pains Tales laden with death tolls unnamed and untamed! Tales of lost vegetation! Tales of sights and sounds! In Earth’s womb the chord forms tight strings on fetus neck Lurking and waiting Lurking and waiting Earth’s new born in blood-red and coloured water Crying, as they strike the chords with unguided palms Palms that bath newborns with acid water Straight from the earth’s scooped bowel Burning and burning in endless circles. Today, I cry for earth’s unchanging woes Woes of yesterday! Woes of today! Woes of tomorrow! Woes of Dreams! Dreams of Zion! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 17 The Second Coming I listened to the wild cry, The wild cry that heralded the second coming of a hero A hero born to fulfill a destiny, A destiny swept under the carpet for decades! I listened to the wild cry My heart bled once again! Oh, how dreams quenched, And unity broken by divided hearts! A hero came the first time, And he was silenced And sabotaged by his kinsmen Who accepted the pythons as friends The ones that wrapped around them in python-like death And lured them to join in the python dance. The dance that flung them to the ground. Despised and silenced! In the first coming, Thousands were killed on the hero’s soil Perhaps millions under avarice, hatred and wickedness! The hero was hushed and blamed for the woes of the land. At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 18 The Second Coming The death of proud sons, women and children caused more pain And the hero became an outcast in his own land. Again, I listened to the wild cry, The wild cry that heralded the second coming of a hero; Chants of sorrow here! Chants of sorrow there! Who knows the fate of the hero this time? Chants of sorrow everywhere! The people live in forced obedience, Under a forced marriage cloned by the colonizers. A marriage between the beauty and the beast. A proud beast without a living conscience or soul. The beast tortured the beauty and stirred up more pain and hatred. Lingering and still lingering for decades! No hope No joy No freedom No destination Only death, death and death! Patiently waiting for the second coming! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 19 Martyrs Martyrs young and fresh as flowers Tender and soft in sunlight’s beaming gaze Hatched untimely by the lopsided gaits of untamed hooligans Who live in deserted neighbourhood marred with dust and rocks Neighbourhood smeared with cow dung and rafters And awakened by the muuus of the cows! Martyrs old and weary as the earth’s wounded surface Winkled and dry in history’s untold tales Pained by life’s thoughtless rhythms Rhythms of the lost Rhythms of the weak Rhythms of sight! Martyrs young and old cheated of nature’s free gifts Gifts of life Gifts of choice Gifts of oneness In zoo cloned regions divided by clans and traits Subdued under the native conquerors’ greed Under the silent watching eyes of unseen herdsmen killers At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 20 Martyrs Who cut and kill, kill and cut in distant Green lands Green lands littered with the butchered bodies of field’s friends. Friends, both old and new Young and old Single and married Men and women Boys and girls Children and pregnant mothers Whose blood flows in ceaseless pain and rage Pain of agony Agony of a butchered people Silenced in the sands of time. At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 21 Afra my Afra Afra my Afra Afra of proud warriors in green land fields Afra of which my father chants On the soil of distant lands Your spirit resonates in me Your beautiful spirit that echoes the dying wishes of old Rekindled by scorned hatred, jealousy and brutality The scorn of your people! The brutality of your people! The people of your blood! Afra, tell me Afra Is the oppressor’s hand stronger than your Amadioha iron hand? The hand that crafts metals and irons in ancient cities of Afra! This hand which threw Amalinze the cat on the ground in swift bravery! This hand which fed hungry thousands in war ravaged lands! The land of great heroes The heroes of Afra Afra of the Rising Sun! But in the midst of unarticulated thoughts At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 22 Afra my Afra A firm voice awakens my troubled spirit; Child of the Rising sun, that spirit pure and brave Though hushed, is courageous and untamed Like the air which cannot be caged in a container! That is the spirit of Afra! Afra of old Afra of now Afra of the future Springing up patiently in the hard unwatered soil of Afra! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 23 (Songs of Childhood Memories) But that was when the general was a boy When the old path beneath the breadfruit tree Led to the wonder of the aerial zone The general is a man he is now a man Chimalum Nwankwo “AFTER: For the Burnt Out Taper in the Ivory Tower”-Towards the Aerial Zone At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 24 Memories (Nostalgia) One picture, just one more to create the world I once cherished The faces I once admired under the shades of Udala tree Where Udala children gather in rustic fields of green leaves. We stooped and looked through the clustered leaves Necks bent backwards; eyes fixed in upward search Against the noon-day glare patiently waiting for the Spirit of Udala The gentle spirit that drops Udala balls in odd hours of the mornings and noon. Unexpected, the Udala balls fall like the muddling sounds of pestle and mortar Gracing the hard surface of brown and green. All looked and scampered upraised beneath the giant Udala tree Where devotees cluster with search illuminated faces Faces that meet faces; devoutest friends of Udala fruit Far from home; not far from home! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 25 Epigram on a Girl She is a girl! A very lovely maiden! Sweet and tender Gentle and innocent Under natures reign! While in the house While on the road She becomes a prey And needs help amid the mighty flood of mortals’ ill doings! With copious grief, She mourns as her pride is stolen! Still with watery eyes, She succumbs to passion devoid of love, And shows her grief in the secret locket of her failing heart. And screws up her hypocritical face as if nothing happened. At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 26 Early Morning Melancholy I caught this morning’s gaze of daylight Underneath a deep shady tree of sadness. I lay sunken under the breath of morn, Still and silent as if calamity had just begun! I listened to the beats of my heart And felt a cruel pain that bended my neck. I pressed one hand on the aching spot And wished sorrow had no name. This passion lifted me upon my feet, And made me struggle for life. On that very spot of the earth Where melancholy struck in the morn! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 27 Songs of a Simpleton Strike the chord and let my muse flow From the dawn of history To this present day! What is life? Why do men love evil more than good? Past years ago, These are questions illumined by me, A mere simpleton! Who has spent most of his life in the dark of the earth Alone and forlorn! And now my brother, it is time To tell the story of a crime As black as the dark night. Though secret, yet with copious anguish I grieve. When in sweet prime My noble lady goes. Fear or sorrow, I have no power to sing Sadness or pain, I cannot bring the pleasure of past years. I am on the cold hills side Now purple with love’s wound. At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 28 Songs of a Simpleton I still hear the thousand footsteps That raped my noble lady And cut short her breath in the rising morn! There, they laid her in the dirt; And buried her alive in the mud. Near the dark deserted house in the farm! My noble lady has passed away In the silence of the morning. She now sleeps in silence Where slumber does not weary the dead! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 29 (Songs of Reflection) If my scarlet sorrow should impale you Where you walk silent across the field If my purple laughter had faded And the fractured moon, in the aftermath should Stagger If this my voice be muted Before the festival of the flutes Let the song still be sung In your heart Let the song still be sung When lights are out For the agonies of a generation are measured. Obiora Udechukwu “Prelude”-What the madman Said At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 30 In the Dark In the dark, I can see a tiny dot of light at the end of the tunnel Where I lay squeezed underneath a stone buried; The steep cutting rigid and rough upon my skin. In the dark, my mind has withered from the squeeze Alone, I palely wait for nature’s quest No birds sing! No flowers bloom! In the dark, darkness lulled me asleep, And there I dreamed- The latest dream I ever had in the darkest side of the tunnel. I saw pale youths, death pale youths everywhere They cried-‘we need change!’ I saw their starved lips sealed with threats Threats of hunger! Threats of death! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 31 In the Dark Again I saw a figure with a conqueror’s gaze And sure in strange language he said to the pale stricken youths- ‘You are all stars! You are the future! The future of tomorrow! Waiting to catch a falling star!’ The figure said, ‘go and catch a falling star! Get up and catch a falling star !’ Since yesterday, the star continues to fall! The pale youths continue to wait! Hand stretched towards the airy space. I saw the figure’s stern look I saw his horrid warning, I saw the pale youths’ tight lips in the gloam-darkness, Gapping wide in utmost dismay And I awoke, and found me still in the dark In the darkest part of the tunnel Where I see the moon palely loitering. At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 32 Mystery Between the sun and moon, Between the day and night, Between the sky and sea, Mystery is formed in the pulse of hearts! Witnessed by freighted faces and lips Under thrones which draw men to weave the web of mystery Till heart, body and life freeze into nothingness! Nothingness, absolute nothingness! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 33 The Fool The fool said no sense, said no sense He said no sense! Tired men chase money all day long And neglect their health every day! Nonsense! Nonsense! Nonsense! The fat slob of a fool said, nonsense! There is no sense in much chase! There is no sense in nonsense! Nonsense! Nonsense! Nonsense! There is no sense in nonsense! But in every nonsense; there is sense! Make no mistake; there is sense. In every mistake, there is take. Take it or leave it, The fool has spoken! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 34 My Dream Seven years ago I dreamt of a golden city A baby golden city, from Utopia town; But the noxious huge bug squashed its buildings to dust! The city became naked and dumb! And the spaces became void and ugly! A loud and gentle voice echoes; Beware of the bugs, my son beware! Their jaws bite, their claws catch! Beware of the scorpions, and shun Every slimy creepy creature!’ Beware! Beware! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 35 Reflection A little joy here, A little pain there, Life rolls! Like the seasons, Life is also flavoured! Each wound is perfect for the body! Happiness blossoms from time to time, Leaving pain to guide its steps; And plant its seeds on life’s land under mourning. When joy can sweetly flow in the prime of earliest youth. At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 36 The Waste Land Blasted lay that land, We are proud of! Nice weather, Wise men, Nice people, A plenteous crop on green land vegetation! Wise talk of a kind! Now lay desolate the land which once harbored civilized minds, And watered the ground with the finest oil. The land now lay scorned with spluttering, hateful and impotent end. Now, not a plenteous crop grace the land, Only poverty, scarcity and animosity push hard across the sand of time! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 37 Madness The mad man said, There is a strain of madness in every man! We are all mad men! We are all mad men! A minute madness, An hour madness, An endless madness! We are all mad men! We are all mad men! Walking about the streets Head filled with unguarded thoughts, Mouth filled with speeches! We are all mad men! We are all mad men! Mumbling toothlessly in and out With naked foot stalking in different directions Busily seeking a continual change. At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 38 Madness We are all mad men! We are all mad men! We are all mad creatures learned and unlearned Gentle, tame and meek But sometimes put ourselves in danger. We flee from ourselves and sometimes did seek ourselves. Now we’ve become wild and do not remember That the sun steams on the roofs where Rain has once sprayed! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 39 1AM I am spirit, soul and body I am blood, flesh and water I am emotion, feelings and passion I am drunk with yesterday’s woes that I seem to stand upon a shaky ground Because the past has passed away and the future is staggering Today is standing still and the future is a serious matter Because I am bare, speechless and numb! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 40 Freedom Freedom, freedom, where is freedom? The prisoner points to the guard The guard points to the boss The boss points to his master The master points to the heavens And said, This world is a haunting place! No one is free! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 41 (Woes of Man) Yes! My heart is withered The tremors have dropped from my caresses And my passions are spirited now As abandoned lumber. Chinweizu “Spring Memories”-Energy of Crisis and Other Poems. At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 42 Scars of the Mind We will fight! Once again, I say, We will fight, When they least expect it! The scars of rape Over our minds and body Like red-hot arrows on the chest Have finished us! We are the incubators of the future, Great girls of innocence; Subjected to man-made torture Under the full glare of sunlight gaze! Under the darkened clouds of the sky! We are the young pure maidens, Young lovely maidens Whose innocence has been pulled to the mud Among reedy rascals! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 43 Scars of the Mind United in vision, We will respond with the flames burning in our hearts! Yellow, blue and red flames! The past is burning us with red-hot flames! The future is steaming with red-red flames! And the smell of flames hit our nostrils with passion! A child- a girl in her zero year So brief her presence on earth Is consumed in an unwholesome flame; Which the middle aged maidens dread! Young lass in her prime, Consumed within the infernos of home and streets Crying each minute in a broken monody. A woman clutched tightly around the neck As flames waves distil her body. At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 44 Sinking recklessly in the guarded flames! Scars of the Mind We are now lost in the flames! We cannot keep silent And allow the prodigal take our best portion And return with the wicked-slit of his tongue To placate our raging mind! Nowadays, we grow out Abandoned; Recklessly abandoned! Trapped on the open and closed space Here! There… At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 45 On bended Knees On bended knees I crawl to your presence with awe! On bended knees I see each day pass into nothingness! On bended knees I become a sadder and wiser man! On bended knees I watch the world unfold! On bended knees I become calm and quiet! On bended knees I went like one that hath been stunned! On bended knees I rose to see morrow morn; The sunshine I once craved for! The freshness I once desired! Full of sweet dreams, health, and endless joy! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 46 Solitude Under the greenwood tree Solitude hangs on my throat And turns my merry notes into a melancholic tune! Under the watch of rough weather My spirit is not finely touched To produce the lyrics that nature lends Like a thrifty goddess clouded in the glory of her creator! Under the greenwood tree No birds sing and the sedges have shrivelled In the ancient lake that nourished many plants! Under heavens watch I see horrid warnings I see starved lips I see withered sedges from the lake I see no birds sing a fairy’s song I see wild eyes searching aimlessly! I see solitude! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 47 Deceit Senorita Senorita The first time you came You brought red roses And spread them gently under my nose; Searching my eyes with deeper gaze. Senorita Senorita The second time you came You brought perfume And scented my body With white jasmine Caressing it with your long fingers! Senorita Senorita The third time you came You kissed my cheeks And coated my lips with your saliva. I became numb and stunned! As what I love, I may never like too much! Senorita Senorita The last time you came You touched my balls and vowed to be mine At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 48 Deceit I gave you my heart and money! You got me drunk and vanished! Only to reap me of my heart! What’s this? Is it love? For whose sake all the vows be? At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 49 A Phone Call A phone call The lady said to the man. And I will reveal your secrets to the world! I am the woman from the streets Whose heart has been butchered. One phone call And I will cast out your sins And spread them on the roof top! Money is my joy, my life, my crown! I am the lady in her prime Who has been shunned by a ragging poverty Accompanied by pity and ruth for years. So I cannot shun the broad way that oils my mouth with food. Candy is sweet This you said! Sugar is nice This you said! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 50 A Phone Call Honey is the best This you said! Capturing my heart with your fancied talk And shined me with your hot embrace. You waked and fled No money! No love! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 51 Confusion Rose-cheeked Papali said, The king is dismayed and full of discord. I will catch his conscience And play the harps to sooth his sorrows. The king said, I want to die Let me have the song That gallops fury away And springs rhythms in joyous syllables. Rose-cheeked Papali said, Rest in soft peace and listen to the crickets sing! There, no falling houses thunder on your head No anguish fever dew on your forehead There, you sojourn alone! Alone, alone on the cold land side! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 52 A Valediction to Dolly (for Professor Dolly Chinwe Ekpunobi) She came in silken grace A maiden clouded with white lily And garlands of stars upon her head! Pretty Dolly she was called, A simple maiden of honour and beauty Decorated by heaven’s beaming gaze of lights And a simple heart laced with virtues Uncommonly seen amongst men! Dolly’s beauty swept men away And lured them into a deep sleep Leaning together with parted lips naked and bare! She carried herself with uncommon grace A genius under nature, under God, Ennobled with unconscious love and reverence Till the sun declined a radiant shot on her! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 53 A Valediction to Dolly She sat on a low bench waiting for the sweet hour Upon the silent path with no visible shades. She prayed more and talked less When that dark hour came; Dolly embraced her end in joyful ecstasy! She now sleeps in the calm earth, and peace is there! So calm and still! So still and calm! A silvered image of tranquility! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 54 (Songs of Liberation) Day by day Night by night That day will come When Africa will be one That will speak our freedom Ifi Amadiume “One Uhuru”- Ecstacy At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 55 Now’s the Time Now’s the time Time for action and less speech Time to mend the fallen fences once admired by other builders Time to rebuild the houses now turned shanties Time to rebuild narrow unkempt and meandering paths called roads Time to cleanse the cities of rubbish piled high on the streets. Now’s the time! Time to separate the wheat and the chaff Time to create a huge space between good and evil Time to create happiness and spaces between hatred and love Time to be more open than closed! Now’s the time! Time for change and chance in a haunting world as fierce as death Full of strife that never falls amiss Swallowing everything due for man! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 56 Now’s the Time Now’s the time! Time to change powers that chase men as preys Time to bridge the endless gap between the poor and rich Now’s the time! There’s not much time to waste with all those ills which haunt us while we breathe. The speedy eager chases stealing men’s pace and breathe panting to die. Now’s the time! Time for mirth and fun! Don’t let the scoundrels screw you! For life’s just a few drops To live in hell and die a first death! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 57 Xenophobia Damn you all! You dark brothers stink! You came to the South gate and built your tent there! You hypnotized our girls just like the sun with your purple-brown coloured faces Only to burn their hearts with steaming hot words! You stole our lands and took up our jobs! You left us idle staggering day and night in the streets like the whoreson dog! And now, you dark brothers, it is time For us to tell the truth to you! To tell the story of a second crime committed against the South! We want a hero: an uncommon want, To tell this new story; not like Nelson Mandiba Mandela Who fought the white cabals with wits and long speeches Only to bring in an ancient friend that sticks closer than a brother. Therefore, we need a hero to take our ancient friends away Far away to their lands before the devil possesses us again to cut them open! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 58 Xenophobia Chase all the dark brothers away and let us reclaim our land! A land slowly passing into nothingness; full of drug barons and street merchants! Chase them away and let us reclaim our land! They scrape for the ambiguous and dig for the profound in every corner of our streets, Because Money is their master! They shoot and kill leaving dead bodies littered everywhere, Because Money is their master! Away you black brothers from the west away! Away from our lands! Our souls are full of discord and dismay! For our spirits are fiercely touched And the madness in us must not be cured until you leave! Our madness speaks volumes! Our madness trespasses beyond friendship Where the conscience becomes deadened each passing day! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 59 Zenophobia Words are indeed strong, and a small drop of words makes the mind weak! Words fall like dews upon mighty hearts, and produce a rage that consumes a whole clan! Words rolling from the mountain–springs in the South have plunged us into solitude! We are now on a wild secluded atmosphere! And the thought of deep seclusion still stares us in the face! Many years are past; many lengthy year, and again we hear These painful words rolling from the South mountain- spring! “Damn you all! You dark brothers stink!” We are stunned and pained; and ask each other: what’s this? You cut us open, shot and pushed us to the wall! You’ve pushed us beyond our limit and we are held sore bound! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 60 Zenophobia Now’s the time to bare our hearts! You have threatened us enough! Threats of hell and no hopes of paradise! We are your black brothers! Black brothers from the once rich land called the Giant of Afra! We stood behind you through thick and thin! We left our land and enriched yours with our strength and talent! We married your women to form a stronger bond! You left every job for us, and say ‘our brothers are industrious and stupid!’ They can help us build our country! Now, the South stands tall and you want us to leave! Oh South brothers! Oh South brother! Cease thy raging chants and let us be! You chanted in the past against the white rulers; you got your freedom! You chanted to rule your country; it was granted! Now you are chanting for your brothers to leave your land! You have killed us enough! You have jailed us enough! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 61 Zenophobia Look homeward brothers, now, and melt with ruth! We have bled enough! We have bled enough! Look homeward brothers, now, and melt with ruth! Look homeward brothers; I say, look homeward brothers! Tomorrow is too fresh to smear one’s hand in mountainous excreta; And today paints a dry picture of hapless youths! But one thing at least is certain- This life flies; so does time! And a bard may chant too often, but not too long! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 62 The Voice The voice of one crying bitterly is heard in the dark nights. It is a lamentable time for man! A head falls- there, there, there… A second head falls-here, here, here… A third head falls –there, there, there… Where the masquerade dances in the dark nights. The voice of one crying bitterly is heard in the broad daylight. A plague has befallen the land. The stream now flows backwards. The wind blows with no direction. The cloud fleets uncontrollably and gallops away with such fury and force. The heart beats randomly leaving an awed man rooted to a spot. The voice rants and rants! The voice rants alone in sweat and blood! The voice breaks constantly ripped by loneliness! The voice becomes silent and dried-up like the dead leaves in winter streets! The voice is silent… The voice is no more… The voice, the voice… At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 63 The Poet said The poet said, Let words form muse Let the air invoke the future To plant in the land crocus and petal. The poet said, There is no way back Daylight is cracked And night swallows everything. The poet said, Don’t let the present shove you down Don’t let it act like it owns you The righteous cannot rot in ignorance Life is a damned short loan Don’t take your chivalrous ornament to the cemetery Where strife falls amiss! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 64 Arise Arise, ye sons of the rising sun! The jackals and hyenas are on a spreeing chase, To ravage your warrior sons. The black hyenas howl The black jackals howl back in joyful ecstasy. They howl in unison, Ready to pounce on sight the children of the rising sun! They dart their tongues into the air waiting patiently to eat them alive! Awake, ye sons of the rising sun, And take the mantle with your hand For your arms are not weak! Awake! Do not conceal defeat Your fathers’ labour must not be in vain! Arise, I say arise and take up the mantle! You have tarried so long, so long; And the spirits of your fathers are ruthlessly restless! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 65 Arise Arise, I say arise! Arise and do not dread the darkness that covers the sky Nor the power that made darkness loom over the land. Many sons were slaughtered in the past, Many children hungered by the lingering wars; Yet your fathers’ strengths were not crippled By the scourge of hate and fear Or the guns and knives that mocked their mortal bodies. Arise, I say, arise! Embrace your language as your strength The sliver cord binds your language to your heritage; And unity in an undivided accord pulls down the enemy’s camp. Arise, your dreams must not be cut shot By the mere howling of hyenas And the continuous howling of the jackals! Arise and fight for your right and freedom At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 66 Arise Snatched in the broad daylight under your fathers’ watchful eyes. Arise and let your lordly men hewn strong like an ancient rock, To wrestle the future into their hands. To stir the looming darkness and clear the clouds! Arise and stand undivided! To dismantle and build anew, For each morning, opportunity- Like the sun-dawns anew! Arise! Do not stand and wait! Put your brains to use And let your mortal frames Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. At last the sun will rise! After sunset, The sun will surely rise! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 67 The Dance This is not the season to dance And roll your waist like the Calabar women This dance is a new one An alien steps of secret drums Hidden in the unseen path of the gods. This is not the season to dance Because happiness has gone on tour And laughter lives in exile in an unknown land. Where mortals cannot thread. This is not the season to dance For we are in the hands of traitors Who are a swarm of mysterious bees Haunting daily the threatened In dry secluded atmosphere! This is not the season to dance For war looms on the surface And our leaders have grown wings To flee our land if war afflicts! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 68 The Dance This is not the season to dance But a season to seek refuge In the bosom of unity Which gathers more legs In the lyrical eloquence of the gong, This is not the season to dance But a season to invoke an eagle Possessed by the gods To wrestle power from generals’ hands And disrobe them like mad men In the middle of the road! This is not the season to dance But a season to fight the war Red-eyed without fluttering. To seize and salvage our land! This is not the season to dance But we must dance day or night To gather strength and battle the tide In order not to drown on the high sea. We must dance We must dance Till we speak freely of freedom. At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 69 Accolades I have seen men pouring accolades like rain On robbers who emptied the public treasury And defiantly stood to placate the raging people. A cheerful leader, a worthy man A man from Jupiter A god-sent The Honourable! I have seen men pouring accolades like rain On die-hard prostitutes who roam the streets Naked and shameless without guilt or remorse A beautiful lady A free giver A honey pot A Bae! I have seen men pouring accolades like rain On yahoo boys who steal people’s money without mercy And divert their hard earned currency in fraudulent transactions A sharp boy A correct guy A money bag A Malay guy! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 70 Accolades I have seen men pouring accolades like rain On all shades of ills and vices Driven by quest for money or vanity! No accolades for virtues No accolades for good deeds! No accolades for good people No accolades, no accolades! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 71 Sunset in Afra At sunset, Afra is not weakened At dusk, she will not be silenced by the fractured moon Which staggers lazily in the fast darkening skies. When crickets plod the sleeping paths In songlike voices Seeking to be heard! Let their voice be heard Let their voice not be muted To utter the deepest secrets of the nights An untold tales silenced by the hands of time. At sunset, Afra will not die She will live out the darkness And shade her scales like a python Fresh and renewed, She will rise tall and stand. Afra will find the black goat before dusk Afra will survive Afra will rise again Afra will surely rise again! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 72 To my Country It is enough! Enough of these killings and bombings! It is enough! There is a feeling of fear in the air. It is enough! Our land is now soaked with blood. Blood of the innocent, blood of the guilty, Spilled maliciously on the surface of the earth. It is enough! These killings have taken our joy away And put our economy in downward slope That our country now becomes So open to the bare world. It is enough! We are determined For no joyless form shall control our mortal lives anymore! Nor take our strength for granted! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 73 To my Country It is enough! We are determined, To take the future with our hand, The hand of unity, Heralding a new dawn! A new song! It is enough! Power must change hand to spring love And shun malice, hatred, and anguish! Power must change hand, To bring in a good desired change. A change borne out of goodwill! A change conceived in an unembellished womb, Natural womb that holds true to God’s creation! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 74 Sweet Spirit Sweet spirit from the east side Raised a sweet hurrah And my passion is sweetly spirited That I now imagine things I must seize this moment To salvage and burst afresh To rekindle the dying fire in me I must gather strength to walk the stage In order not to drown in agony And drench in sorrowful compassion I must battle and rescue me I must lean on the sweet spirit To teach me how best to fight Ooh sweet spirit of the east Fall afresh on me! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 75 Sweet Spirit Agent of history Unravel untold secrets! Oooh sweet spirit of the east Renew my strength in joyful ecstasy Never to exist in vacant nothingness! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 76 Dread at Dusk At dusk, I fear that I may cease to be Upon the earth’s starred scary zone Up up in the cloudy skies decorated with stars I see shadows of light on high romance As I trace the silver lines twinkling I relish deeply the faery power of creation When I behold the darker part of twilight A darkish colour clouded my memory Like shadows with strong magic hands There, I stand alone on the shore of the world Lonely and forlorn like a full-ripened grain Abandoned in the quietness of the field At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 77 Dread at Dusk At dusk, solitude beckons My pen gleans the loitering darkness On books piled high on the shelves There I pen my fears in the charactery of my sadness Till sleep drifts me to unconscious malady. At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 78 My Song My song will climb the ladder of wisdom To feed the ailing crowd with thought provoking lyrics And sweeten the ears with a honey-tune. I will let the air hear the chorus of my song To awaken the muted in broad daylight To fill up the space between the skies and the lands. My song will climb the ladder of change To turn back the hands of change And let the villain taste the pain of wickedness. I will recruit my song to fight this war With ten thousand musical chords To invoke the musical strains Like armed men firing bullets into the crowd. My song will gather the waves of history To tell the truth betrayed by a clan So terrible the lie, so terrible the deceit! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 79 My Song My song will travel all roads For I have seen people scampering for shelter On a road where four foot paths meets. My song will climb every wall To greet every homestead Like a nightingale, I will rain my song as accolades Like dews sprayed on the grasses. At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 80 (Songs of Hope) Soon enough Between the false paths And the road untried Between wish and will We shall awaken Odia Ofemimun “For B.J”- The Poet Lied At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 81 Hope Yes! Our hope will not wither Our passions are knitted together in unity So strong and true! No vague ignorance can strike us again No beast can swallow us again No acid rain can burn us again Behold, our new hope is rising Our armies are of new order Daring against all odds Indeed, our hope has not faded It has not been squeezed out Like crumpled orange rind Our hope is alive Rising, rising, rising… At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 82 Echoes Here we are echoing our new song Many stuffed men on dry ground Here we are standing on withered branches Many voices echoing the new song Here we are singing For what we believe Our hope is not dead It will grow into a star A light for our future generation A guide for our children! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 83 Sacrifice The sun is sinking fast The day is dying fast But my hope is still awake! Without a second thought My soul would yield This one sacrifice; To save the souls of thousands alive. One sacred sacrifice I would give Before abiding in the breast of the earth; Dead to self, and dead to death To keep one sacred hope alive One divine hope Hope of eternal freedom! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 84 Flag of Dawn On the hills of life The flag of dawn appears Signaling a new order Proclaiming the day is near; The day light will shine In darkness and burst forth That day, all wrong will be revealed That day, justice shall stand straight And every hurt healed. That day, righteousness and peace Shall walk the earth bare with a sea of glory Spreading from pole to pole unto earth’s remotest part. Surely, that day will come When the flags of dawn Will stand on golden sand At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 85 Flag of Dawn That day will come When our land will be delivered From error’s chain. That day will come! I say, that day will come. When the land will be calm! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 86 Vows Sing, o people! Our vows are yielding hope Our prayers are yielding answers! Through this weary pilgrimage We are a succeeding race Under man, under God! Sing, o people! Our wandering footsteps are guided Our prayers are not in vain For our Great watchman Towers above our affliction. Sing, aloud! I say, sing aloud! Let your hope be rekindled To save your souls from wrong To save you from the snares of evil At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 87 Vows Sing aloud! I say, sing aloud And press onward with better hope For life’s duty has just begun To win this race more bravely. Sing aloud! I say, sing aloud Faint not nor fear For the future will win To tell the tale in the unseen future! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 88 No More Trembling No more trembling We are now strengthened with mystic powers Without a veil on our face No more trembling Even when joy sinks before us lowly Surrounded by thorns and scorpions No more trembling When mystery surrounds us Piercing our bonded hearts deeply No more trembling For we do not fear again! We are no more earthly minded And our service makes us glad and free! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 89 Exultation With shouts of exultation, I applaud you all, Children of light Swallowed by the thick darkness of the night Day by day, day by day. With songs of exultation, I applaud your determination To stand so thick and strong And bear the burden of the day. With the lyrics of the flute, I applaud your strength in labour Which ends with sunset rays For rest to rule the weary. With the sound of drums, I raise the song of harvest To separate the wheat and tares To cast the tares into the fire To salvage our fields! At Sunset by Ifeoma Odinye 90 Exultation With claps of exultation, I urge you to raise a song of hope To remain faithful to that final harvest-hour Ripening with great dreams!