Nigeria is Literary heaven

My short 2-week stay, I just got a small/small taste of Nigeria's deep and rich literary history.

• During the second day there, I learned that I had just missed Wole Soyinka by hours during our visit to Freedom Park on Lagos Island.
• Tunde Odunlade, multidisciplinary artist, and our gracious host introduced me to the journalist, poet Jare Ajaye who turned me on to the work of the prolific poet Niyi Osundare (I’m devouring his City Without Walls: the Katrina Poems.) Jare supported my wife's (Caryl Henry Alexander) show during her first trip to Nigeria.
• If you’re ever in Ibadan, do yourself a favor and stop by Dr. Kolonde Mosuro’s Booksellers Bookshop
• I had a chance to read my poem hunger #1 at the Alliance Française Ibadan open mike where I met the photographer/activist Nseabasi Akpan
• I also met the actor Kunle Famoriyo who recited a piece from Soyinka’s The Trials of Brother Jero at a gathering in Tunde’s studio

I was only able to get two names of women poets to explore: Ijeoma Umebinyu, Lola Shoneyin

I’ll have to return for a more in-depth “literary tour” sometime.

Hello (again) World

I suppose it's customary to begin with the Hello World greeting as we geeks typlically do.

Hello World

I've been away, but now I'm back.

Poem: warrior soldier uncle priest

warrior soldier uncle priest

02/23/19

(a twenty-one syllable salute to Col. (Ret.) Rev. George W. Alexander II)

Warrior

If eye were a warrior

would stomp you into heaven

if eye were south pacific

would beat my breast and haka

you fearlessly, purify

the listening air with boom

of bare old hands on djembe

“the warrior is coming

the warrior is returning.”

Soldier

If eye were a soldier

would flag you way up half mast

would twenty-one salute you

with rounds that explode into

white poppies and white lotus

blossoms that rain upon the

spit polish slow parade for

you. Your heart: way too big for

oak boxed folded Stars-n-stripes.

Uncle

If eye were your nephew eye

would remember you with your

family reunion bear

hug that brought me back

(again) from alone into

home. You, well rooted upon

this good green earth, reached out in

faith and love. You remembered

me (hiding in some corner).

Priest

If eye wanted to be a

true servant of all, eye would

grow up to be just like you.

You, a fount of joy, courage,

curiosity, and most

of all love, were fluent in

humanity. You were our

warrior, soldier, uncle,

priest, and Father to us all.