What do you hear of me?
What rumors slip from others’ lips?
They speak of me, evil mistress, eyes that pull in, and a body that gets caught in your windpipe.
You are unable to swallow me. You chew on me and hastily spit me out. You choke on me.  
The wit I possess is too quick for your bruteness. You dismiss my thoughts.
I am just a woman, nothing less, and nothing more.
Bore to serve you and bear your seed.
What do you hear of me? What slips from others’ lips?
Am I a murderous harlot? A bitter witch with nothing better to do.
Do serpents sit atop my brow, shall I turn you to stone?
Am I Charybdis, shall I swallow you whole?
They are unable to chop me up into bit sized pieces. For some reason, they do not love me as a collective.
What do you hear regarding the treatment of me?
You only hear yourselves, deafening my point of view.
I hear I have scorned every one of you. Do you hear of who scorned me?
Have you ever questioned what may have made me this way?
What makes a mistress so vile?
The mistreatment of a loving deity can mangle many.
I was hanged on a hook, a piece of meat left to rot.
I was once pure and heavenly.
I will ask once more,
What have you heard of me?
What tales have slipped from others’ lips?
Have you stopped to think what created me to be so evil?
I am the evil mistress. I will chew you up and I will eagerly swallow you in all your whole.
I know my motive. What is yours?

No gods, no fate,
not even yielding to chance
To live this one life
in full acceptance:

This will only happen once!

A stubborn strength
born of a conviction
That there is no soul
in need of absolution

That life is not made meaningful
by abstract metaphysical contortions
in favor of a jealous,
angry, cruel
deity
Purportedly in love with creation

Such is the choice of the humanist
in staunch opposition
to the zealot, the spiritualist
To stand on one's own feet
Acknowledging the grand mystery
Not willing to submit.

Jakuta, the son of Aganju
The fiery son of Obatala
Violent ruler, grandson of Oduduwa
Sàngó, the one who screams with thunderbolt
A betroth to Osun, Oba and Oya
The husband of Oya
Sàngó, the third Alaafin of Oyo
Sàngó, god of thunder and lightning
Sàngó, the clappings of thunder,
His making.
Sàngó, maker of lightning
Sàngó, the dragon that consumes other dragons with fire
Sàngó, killer of Gbonga with his ferocious fire
Sàngó, Arabambi Oko Oya
Sàngó, Eleyinju Ogunna
Sàngó, Olukoso Lalu
Sàngó, the breathe of fire
Sàngó, Olukoso
Sàngó, Oloju Orogbo
Sàngó, the rescuer of Alaafin Ajaka
A favourite to the bata drums
Sàngó, Akara yeri yeri
Sàngó, the killer who was never killed
Sàngó, he who waves his double-headed axe
Sàngó, Oba koso
Sàngó, god of justice
Sàngó, god of dance
Sàngó, god of virility
Sàngó,
Xangó
Changó
Sàngó, Agodo
Sàngó, Afonja
Sàngó, Lubé
Sàngó, Obomin
Sàngó, the caster of thunderstones
Sàngó, god of iron
Sàngó, god of fire
Sàngó, the archetypical god
Sàngó, god of power
Sàngó, god dominance
Sàngó, king of Alujá
Sàngó, a great deity
Sàngó, a notable Magician
Sàngó oo
Sàngó oo
Sàngó oo
Olukoso oo

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson