Wednesday, July 20, 2011

"...do you also sleep with the Eastern builders’ wives..."

...Omonoba...
Our people say:
Eng: You cannot fatten a pig on the market day - Nigerian Proverb.
.....................................................................................................................
Hello,

I'm sorry about my well spaced out posts in the last few weeks. As soon as I return to my scheduled life, I'll be back on here.

The other day at the close of work, I asked a colleague if he would like to write a poem...

Me:  Guy, let's do a flash poetry exercise
Guy: What's that?
Me:  We write short poems in a short amount of time.
Guy: Uh huh...
Me:  So, you choose a word and we each write a poem that relates to the word in, say, eight minutes. Then we share poems.
Guy: Let's do it!

It was so much fun, we ended up doing four poems each and then we had to go home. Guy confessed that poetry is beautiful. GUY...CONFESSED that poetry is beautiful. Okay!
The rules were that the poem had to have eight lines, be written in eight minutes and contain the randomly  chosen word.

Here are the ones I wrote:

1.
Chosen word: Inadvertent 
It is only wise that I return home,
To where my sadist father’s bones rot
And my bitter mother’s skin moulds
- Where my heart deserted long ago
………………………………...................
I am their child: at most, they fed me
Though our scores are on hold for beyond here
For now, it is inadvertent that I face my silent fears
And return to put their ghosts to rest.

2.
Chosen word: Evolve
Oh! How Alero has become a woman,
In 72 inches of skin like new honey…
… And with a waist lined with spring like her mother’s,
Her mother - My husband’s first lover.
…………………………………………………
Temisan, my own child, walks unlike a horse
And talks unlike a lady ready to give palmwine to a man.
When this ‘thorn’ in my garden will evolve into a flower,
I do not know.


3.
Chosen word: Window
More than before, these days,
Your jalabia cloak smells of hibiscus incense,
Like the ones the Eastern women make.

More than before, you travel to the East,
To “sell your windows to the Eastern builders”
And perhaps, drink with their wives.

Do you also sleep with the Eastern builders’ wives,
While they burn hibiscus incense?

4. 
Chosen word: Prayer
With this warm dinner, I beg you my husband,
Never wake me up again for prayer.
My faith is like the receding desert
And my heart is in despair.
.....................................................................
Only last week, I rocked my child to sleep
And combed her black, bushy hair.
And I prayed and prayed for her ill to flee
Is dead, like my only child, the answerer of prayer?

[We decided to rhyme on the fourth one. If you've read anything of mine, you'll see that I abstain from rhyme 
as much as possible. This was not the easiest or 'funnest' one to write.]

P.S: Guy is Guy's real name.

Thank you and God bless,
NakedSha.

21 comments:

  1. I loved the one about Alero and thorns becoming roses...

    i should hone my poetry writing skills too... :))

    I have missed your posts...

    I need more male friends like Guy

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  2. I like Alero....y'all are talented writers if you came up with this on the spot.

    "Guy"? funny name.

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  3. Evolve and Window were the best for me. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. I loved Window and Prayer. Good job.

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  5. I enjoyed EVOLVE.. Indeed, poetry is beautiful.
    LOL - I see you in every line of those poems. haha

    - LDP

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  6. @Kiah, Thank you. I miss being on here too. Please, dabble in poetry ans see if you like it. You could be a passive lover too. God bless.

    @ Aseni, Thank you. :)

    @ Myne, Thank you and you're welcome.

    @ Okeoghene, Thanks a bunch!

    @ LDP, I'm glad you enjoyed it, thanks. You see me in every line? Hmm... :)

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  7. Wow. while I am not very much a poem person, I love these ones..short,sweet and comprehensible.


    HoneyDame
    honeydame1.blogspot.com

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  8. @HoneyDame, thank you. Sometimes, impromptu is the way to go.

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  9. I like evolve... and inadvertent. I applaud the ability to come up with these on the spot. They are really good. *pats both backs*

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  10. Wow! See talent o! I like all four. the beauty of 'Evolve' and the daring of 'Window' scream at me though:)

    Hope a collection is coming out soon. Would love to review. What is happening with the book club suggestion o?

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  11. I see you've read Osondu's VOA. Kindly share your thoughts at Adura Ojo Presents, pls:)

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  12. @Etoile Oye, Thank you.

    @Adura Ojo, Thank you very much. I guess we could discuss by e-mail.

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  13. @Etoile Oye, Thank you.

    @Adura Ojo, Thank you very much. I guess we could discuss by e-mail.

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  14. @Etoile Oye, Thank you.

    @Adura Ojo, Thank you very much. I guess we could discuss by e-mail.

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  15. Your post title caught my eye. glad i came over to read. I liked 'evolve' best. It made me chuckle.

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  16. @ Ginger, thank you. I'm glad you were able to chuckle.

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  17. Your poems are beautifu, i can't write any form of poetry to save my life. Good to have you back, pls blog more.
    p.s I loved Window and Evolve

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  18. These are lovely! You guys wrote these in 8 minutes each? Amazing

    Adiya
    Muse Origins (Creative Nigerian Features)
    Muse Origins

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  19. i am so in love with your blog!!! when i read this post i could hear angels singing in my head ''halleluyah''.like saying ''finally have found the perfect male blog to follow''. as for the poems......did i mention i love poetry (am abit rusty as a poet though) your choice of words is so perfect and i must applaud you and guy (is he Spanish?).nice one!!!

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  20. Pls check out my blog,just wrote my first poem.I'll like to know what you think.

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Your comments are my maggi!