"efo" poems
I miss the place of the rising sun;
For nothing makes my hair stand here.
No one to sing me my very ‘oriki,’
Nor the slightest ‘se dada loji?’
I miss the place of the ‘gangan’ beats;
For no meals shakes my tongue here.
No one to make me ‘efo oni kpomo’ with ‘iru,’
Nor the slightest ‘garri’ of ‘ijebu.’
I miss the place of the ‘aso ofi;’
For no clothes touches my sight here.
No one to tap me that very ‘emu oguro,’
Nor the slightest good-sauced ‘eja odo.’
For if not for the clarion call,
Oh! let ‘egbe’ come take me home,
With the real speed of ‘monomono.’
Oluwatmilehin Adejumobi Alabi
Jul 21, 2017
Jul 21, 2017 at 6:03 PM UTC
The sugar in my tea
The only bee that makes my honey
The smile I wear like makeup
The only iru in my Efo riro
The stew on my white rice
The only roaches in my cupboard
The eyes that mirror me
The only sun in my sky
The egusi on my semo
The only shayo that gets me high
The lifeblood that keeps me breathing
The only moon in my nights
The ship that sail my world
The only paddle in my canoe
The ******* that inspires me
The only road I meant to take
The morphine that ease my pain
The only spine that got my back
The woman of my world
The only love that rules my heart.
****
Jun 30, 2017
Jun 30, 2017 at 8:01 AM UTC