POEMS FOR AKINWANDE OLUWOLE BABATUNDE SOYINKA
When Kongi says Happy Christmas
The vexation of man-made gods cannot
Surpass the wickedness of mortal men
So when Kongi’s holiday greetings came as
Merry Christmas in the year twenty twenty-three
The atheist spirit in him is ready for deliverance
For at four scores and almost ten years on earth
The man has not died despite trials and tribulations
For his creator has been so merciful to his soul
Even decades after accolades of a Nobel prize
He still dwells in the forest of a thousand mysteries
Yesterday died and today started mourning
For today will definitely be buried like yesterday
Just like the beatification of an imbecile junta
But tomorrow is ready for a centennial celebration
Of the lion with his jewel from years of childhood
In the interim his creator sent an angel to him
Before the season of yuletide and harvests
To bring to cryptic remembrance the vanity
Behind chronicles of global prizes and laurels
Even as artificial intelligence mocks the grave
Lo! the hybrid forest swamp sent the queen of death
And a nation’s disobedient youths to subdue his prowess
So the fraternity can disintegrate into endless myths
But Kongi invited spiritual specialists and maniacs
To set forth before the dawn of a Generation Z
Now that the king has prostrated for his horseman
The horseman must prepare for the garment of leprosy
For this Abiku ghommid has vowed to embrace old age
So the sequelae can transmute into a beaded string anklet
That prevents ageless wandering as the moon oscillates
For WS – Kongi (Wole Soyinka)
Hamilton. Canada.
KONGI
For this Opera wonyosi,
The Interpreters believed that:
Kongi danced with the Lion and the Jewel
In Igbo Irunmole (the forest of a thousand demons)
Where Death and the King’s horseman lives
Near-away from Ake
From the years of childhood
For which the Requiem for Futurologist –
Predicted the Man died
Before the blackout
During Kongi’s harvest
In the Season of anomie
And as Kongi returned on the road
To Isara, Brother Jero metamorphosed
At the bottom of Idanre hills
As Ogun Abibiman put a
Shuttle in the crypt
Then Madmen and specialist
Scribble poems from prison
On Mandela’s earth
For the Swamp dwellers
With the Strong breed in a
Play of giants to gather
Camwood on the leaves for
Brother Jero to cajole
Child internationale
To support safety on highways
For a Nobel prize.
For WS
December 1999.
Ile-Ife
Bode-law Faleyimu MD FWACS FICS MPH is a Retired Consultant Obstetrician- Gynaecologist; Previously a Lecturer in OAU & UNILAG, Nigeria and Book prize Winner – 1988 BBC Arts and Africa Poetry Award as a contributor to Fate of Vultures: New Poetry of Africa (African Writers’ Series)
