Odiedo Stephen

“BIAFRA makes a last wish of MERLIN, Sage Enchanter before the storm wind rides back to BAFRA’S battlefields lost,” the mother tells host MERLIN. “State your wish O mother of lost battles. May your wish be a victory march, not a dead march.” “Thou MERLIN so helped me and mine at this CAER; I ask what heartfelt wish can BIAFRA grant MERLIN as a token of my gratitude that you tutored me in the ways of EARTH whose son is chained by misadventure of the abyss.” “MERLIN’S wish is that BIAFRA appoint her WARRIOR POET laureate and SKALD – that way BIAFRA shall never suffer the hex sowing the land at dawn, the glamour or blight ’pon her bairns at the midnight hour: MERLIN’S wishes for an OLLAVE.”                                       

“BIAFRA’S learnt of MERLIN the root cause of the deep rancour driving my children’s misfortune; reason why my BIAFRA ever snatches defeat out of certain victory - or if victory, pyrrhic. The blight upon my lands: BIAFRA’S womanhood; the marriage bed; the damned unborn; the failed harvest – BIAFRA’S learnt of enraged earth riding ghost ship IMMAMOU in search of her son sold, a slave. I thank MERLIN enchanter; seek leave to return to my lands.” “And my farewell to BIAFRA and child. Forget not the sorrowing POET-SOLDIER’S lament for UKRAINE’S genocide-by-famine,” cautions the sage. “UKRAINKA thanks MERLIN the wise,” UKRAINKA adds. The TABLETS OF FATE will write of earth’s lost sun,” vows BIAFRA.                                       

"NIGERIA'S flag cannot swear a proud oath when IRONSI'S gaze looks deep into NIGERIA'S soul. For what AGUIYI-IRONSI Seeing Eye of NIGERIA'S perfidy sees are children enslaved while the flag flies high. NIGERIA has nought to say to AGUIYI-IRONSI because all the promises that were made now make of NIGERIA a mockery, a hollow reed. For it is the mothers lamenting the abduction of their daughters into forced slave-wives that NIGERIA turns its guns on. Steady of gaze, as unblinking as the sun, IRONSI of witness chronicles of the abominations inflicted on a people by their own flag. Potent is the oath sworn to the flag - and cursed be the traditors that stands by as treason traduces this flag."  

"NIGERIA banished its memory of you, banished history from NIGERIA'S national life, banished history from the school. Yet banishing history could not erase AGUIYI-IRONSI from the national psyche. The more NIGERIA unremembered you the more NIGERIA could not forget IRONSI IRONSIDE. NIGERIA'S best laid plans flounder and sink unto the abyss because NIGERIA has forgotten AGUIYI-IRONSI. What success will NIGERIA ever attain - when IRONSI IRONSIDE'S memory is forever erased? This nation must discover the truth of IRONSI IRONSIDE if ever it hopes to lift the curse upon NIGERIA. And yet. And yet: NIGERIA has chosen to unremember AGUIYI-IRONSI. What hope then for you, NIGERIA'S ETERNAL WITNESS?"

BARAKOA On the tides of Lolwe fountainhead of the Nile, the Ankh, Siaya's beautiful Soul dances the direful Coronach, her chant-song for her beloved river Nile now dead.    As the Ankh dances on the bleak tides the barque of the sun capsizes out of the sky at sunset with the body of her beloved Nile. As the barque of the dead makes the feared journey across the abyss of the damned Siaya's beautiful Soul sings her rage against death. The rage of the Ankh shutters the chains binding the Soul of her beloved and the boat of the dead begins the arduous journey of the return of the Soul reborn.    The Ankh's beautiful dance guides the sun boat out of the abyss of the dead and at dawn the triumphant sun reaches for the sky. As Siaya's beautiful Soul dances the joyous dance of the reborn sun, her bleak Coronach turns into the great song of affirmation , rebirth and renewal.   BARAKOA is a sonnet sequence chronicling the dolorous journey of the Soul, her peri...

 I "No victor, no  vanquished" - cruel-eyed haughty Nigeria’s victorious anthem. “No Victor, no vanquished. Th’ clarion call snotty Arriviste victors flung at th’ cry of ‘woe!’ By th vanquished. ‘No victor, no vanquished.’ Yet Compare this with the vision that brought down The Union Jack ,  raised Nigeria's  forget- The-past new flag: what a comedown no-gown- For-the-vanquished Ezi-Nne! No victor – Th’ vanquished? Lost Biafra’s  starving or dead Children.  You? Nne? Nigeria’s stern,  stricter Than ever victors came out of th’ war fed, Rich, fat - your favourite son fled with bank Accounts,  jet. Ojukwu. Th’ children’s bones stank  II Where were you Nne? Th’ only vanquished - th’ lost ones Of Biafra were hungry, - each  a ruckle Of bones. Skeletal, dying as the sons Of Biafra raced for exile. Dying t’ suckle On th’ teats of Biafra while dying on Camera. Dying right before the gaze Of the world's...