Queen of the kingdom
The heart of Sàngó,
Giving Sàngó courage.
Sàngó's betrothed
Oya,
Goddess of wind, tornado,
Yet the owner of the marketplace.
Queen of all seas
Creator of lakes and rivers
The waters knows your name
Goddess of storms
Orisa of death and rebirth
Oya,
The mother of nine
Oya,
The undergoddess of Odo-Oya
Oya,
The unbeatable warrior
Oya,
The summoner of rain
Oya,
Sàngó's princess consort
Oya,
Thou who walketh through fire with no burns
Oya,
Queen of courage
Oya,
Goddess of speed and energy
Symbol of faithfulness
Goddess of devotion and perfection
Oya,
Goddess of war
Oya, our fiercely warrior of old

Written Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

A thunder strike carving like it's
Laid visibly on her bare face
Given to her by her race
On a sunny Beautiful day
Forever to be and there to stay.

A stigma of reference
Without any offence,

A significant Identification
That requires no introduction.

Iya mosura,
A woman of story
In the course of history.

Iya mosura,
Our proud okola
That commands a noticeable awareness
Because of the culture of her lineage
That she wears as an image.

Iya monsura,
A beauty of her graceful tribe's delight,
A flawless woman of much worth,
A woman undoubtedly with nature's touch.

     ©Nathaniel Stella

Ogun owed Oxun for the fee he paid
to divorce Yemayá in the watery deep.
Babalu Aye‘s messenger delayed
(no *** in the bargain – price too steep)
until San Martín, divine caballero
deceived the third wife of el Indio Guerrero.

(Obatala‘s beats got lost in transit
the rhythm robbed by macumba-bandit.)

Eleguá cleared paths for He Who Opens Pores.
Black roosters smoked puros at midnight. Outdoors,
Santa Muerte was asked to turn down the noise
so Nana Buluku could get some sleep.

As she gathered Ashé, reduced to a heap
of Yoruba fool’s gold anointed with blood
Oduduwa pretended he understood;
but his mother-in-law knew he never would
until Olódùmarè returned from the feast
having sacrificed roosters while facing east.

The santero drew me a pictogram
to protect me from forces my poem conjured
but the blood of a sacrificed perfect lamb
affords more protection, I knew. He wondered.