Obatala poems on Hello Poetry

Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson May 2020

Obatala

Obatala,
Oba tasa.
Father of all orisas
The irunmole of mankind

Obatala,
The saint among saints.
The archetypal spirit of creativity
Olodumare's right hand
Father of humanity

Supreme deity
Holder of justice,
Wisdom and life.
The quintessential father

King of the white cloth
The eldest of all orisas
Creating mankind,
Drunk on palmwine,
Yet creating beautiful beings.

Obatala,
Danbala,
The father of the sky.
Your divinity,
We looketh upon.

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

This a eulogy to Obatala the long of the white cloth.

ConnectHook Sep 2015

Santería

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.

#pantheism #voodoo #yoruba #connecthook #santeria #animism

Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson Mar 2020

Orunmila

The creator of the universe
Our whole existence
Our tradition and way of life
The beginning and the end

The divination and religion
Of our people
Odu Ifa our literary corpus
The grand priest of Ifa
The mantle of Olodumare

The builder of the Ifa Oracle
Ile-Ife your city of abode
Orunmila,
Orirun ile Yoruba
The master of Aseda and Akoda
The Aalafin of Yoruba land
The Ooni of the Yoruba mantle

Our spiritual system of existence
Orunmila,
The supreme being
The Orisa of all orisas

Esu bows at your feet
Obatala trembles at your voice
Ogun makes an obeisance at your sight
Osun lays down at your coming
Yemonja proclaims your might

The divination of Ifa
The prophecy of the Yoruba heritage
The founder of earthly beings
The Ese Ifa
Orunmila
The principal Odu

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

This is poem telling the literary corpus of Orinmila a Yoruba god.

#tosanation

Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson Jul 2020

Sàngó

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

A eulogy and praises to Sàngó, the god of thunder, lightning, fire and iron.

#sango #deity #god

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