Toast from Miombo – The New year Eve poetry journal is marked by the lyrical oiling from the land of yams ,the land of many tongues ,spirits and gods , from the land of ogun -the god of iron and the road.The land of chimamanda , the land of soyinka , the land of achebe , the land of the great sarowiwa. I mean the land of gari and fufu.Ngozi Olivia Osuoha is a poet of great lyrical authority. She shapes her words with the dexterity of a sculptor. Miombo continues to reach out to poets from around the globe, Africa and Zimbabwe.Thank you Dawuro Africa for publishing our great poet Ngozi. Thumbs up!
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Ngozi Olivia Osuoha.
OIL AND GAS; MAMA’S TWISTED FATE
Oil, the treasure that invited Jude
And made Mama crude,
The fortune that turned him rude
And tied Mama, nude
Oil, the wrath of blessing.
He is still around
And Mama bound
He gallivants sound
And Mama in wound,
Whatever he does pound
Mama the mortar on ground
Gas, the thick smoke she breathes.
Oil the scars on her body
The disease in her bone marrow
The thorn in her heart
Oil, her commotion and confusion
Gas, the thick smoke she breathes.
The blessings she did pray
The pain they always flare
The breakthrough she did hope
The barrier they do rope,
Oil, the prayer God answered
The skull they splintered
Gas, the supplication she made
The poison in her bread
Oil and Gas; MAMA’S TWISTED FATE
Letter to Mandela.
Frying people like potato
May cause nightfall in Soweto,
The message of Mandela
Preaches no violence for Madiba,
The dream of your fathers
Contributed to your prison diary,
Where then is UBUNTU?
There was a country
With half of a yellow sun
Almost wiped by gun
By an adverse enfrontery,
A victim of circumstance
Searching for greener pasture,
UBUNTU is murdered.
Papa Africa, call them to order
Enough is enough.
#KILLING OF STRANGERS IS UNAFRICAN
Devouring Shepherd
Band of wolves
Legion of lions
Cluster of tigers
Grazing in farm land.
The devouring shepherd
Roasting men for his beast
Idolizing his cattle
Immortalizing his livestock
A bloody missionary
Hunting human
Safeguarding animals
Awkward shepherd
Satanic shepherd.
Calabash for Fela
Chop and quench
Confusion break bones.
No agreement
Overtake don overtake overtake
Sense wiseness
As dog eat dog
Who no know go knows
The noise for vendor mouth,
Africa, center of the world.
Lady, excuse o
Observation is no crime
Mattress, go slow
Fear not for man
Truth or death
Black man’s cry
Sorrow, tears and blood.
Why black man dey suffer
He is Mr. Follow follow,
Unnecessary begging
Open and close
Shakara, kalakuta
Original suffer head
Everything scatter.
Monkey banana
Eko, he miss road
Trouble sleep, yanga wake am
Opposite people,
Stalemate
Beasts of no nation
Zombie, water no get enemy
Teacher, don’t teach me nonsense.
Lover, afrodisiac
International thief thief
The underground spiritual game,
This is sad
It’s no possible
The best of the black President
Mr Grammarticalogylisationalism is the boss.
Kinsmen
Unborn, they finish your corn
Born, they break your horn
Torn, they become your thorn
Worn, they have you sworn
Morn, they make you mourn
Turn, they force you return
Kinsmen; they make and mar.
Timid, they make you stupid
Solid, they make you liquid
Cupid, they force you bid
Vivid, they have you hid
Kid, of you, they get rid
Grid; they label you all they did
Kinsmen; they make and mar.
Bred, they dye you in red
Sacred, they sow instant hatred
Fed, they ruin the day you wed
Stranded, they dismantle your shed
Led, they scatter your bed
Crooked, they are and wicked
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
Blunt, your head they hunt
Font, they have you burnt
Tall, they divert your call
Hall, they partition your wall
Real, they make you cereal
Deal, they break your seal
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
Beautiful, they make you fearful
Thoughtful, they make you dreadful
Tolerant, they keep you uncomfortable
Vigilant, they turn it regrettable
Godly, they make you unholy
Lively, they declare you unruly
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
Fair, they shave your hair
Pair, they blow your stair
Grateful, they make you cold
Old, they sell your gold
Careful, they make you unjoyful
Grateful, they make you sorrowful
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
Brave, they turn you a slave
Gave, they become your wave
Proud, they thicken your cloud
Loud, they turn angry crowd
Sane, they get you insane
Jane, they block your lane,
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
Rich, they make you a chief
Poor, they pronounce you a thief
Nice, you pay the price
Wise, you will never rise
Brilliant, they make you ignorant
Gifted, they make you non vibrant
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
Educated, you are in trouble
Uneducated, you have it double
Arrogant, you become a trumpet
Kind, you be their magnet
Daring, they become jealous,
Amazing, they get envious
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
Talented, they leave you behind
Destined, they make you blind
Humble, they make you stumble
Loyal, you they tumble
Discerning they set you ablaze
Learning, they become your maze,
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
Domineering, they crown you a king
Quiet, they steal your ring
Unfaithful, they make you lord
Unreliable, they buy you a sword
Unfair, they make you a hero
Enthusiastic, they limit you to zero
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
Fool, they use you as tool
Wool, they wear you to pool
School, they allow you to cool
Zoo, you they pour their stool
Great, they make you sweat
Fit, they make you a misfit
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
You, they can never cuddle
Instead they mount hurdle
They seldom mean well
Rather they hasten hell
They forget karma, Nemesis
And the God of oasis
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
If you are a coward
They climb you; step forward
If you are calm
They cut off your palm
If you pray for rest
They give you unrest
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
No matter the ties
They believe in lies
Despite the link
They make you sink
If you are alone
Never can be a drone
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
Their legs, they spread
The gangs, they head
Their trap is unbelievable
Their catch is unthinkable
Harsh is their set-up
Runs over, their cup,
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
None bought you a pen
Done, they become a den
None, saw you through
Done, hoping for breakthrough
Always, they wish for calamity
Alert, pray for immunity
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
Charity begins at home
Integrity not for all but some
Handsome, they drag superiority
Rome is known for chastity
Even in their closet
The world cannot get wet,
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
Foolish and portable majority
Wise and brave minority
Principalities and powers
Municipalities and towers,
Both rally and crave
All light we wave,
Kinsmen, they make and mar.
But wherever they are one
Nothing is left undone
Undiluted is their brotherhood
And sincerity their food,
Whenever they stand
They all understand,
Their chord is strong
And their rope too long
Whatever they agree
That becomes their decree
When they pull their strength
All the miles, at length
No matter who wins the lotto
Forward is the motto
They can never be stranded
Though not up to hundred
They honour their deity
And respect the laity
Their truth is sound
And stands the ground
The offender is scolded
And the other unfolded
They conform to the rules
And cover up the holes
Their secret is concrete
And their decision complete
Nothing can stop them
Because unity is their anthem
Success for one, success for all
Failure to one, mourning they call
Unity is their address
And peaceful their progress
Love they share together
Care, they give forever
Kinsmen they actually make, they also mar.
Ngozi Olivia Osuoha is a Nigerian poet /writer/rhymer/thinker. She is a graduate of Estate Management. She was a staff of Intercontinental and Sterling Banks Plc respectively. She has experience in Broadcasting .
Over sixty five of her poems /articles have been published in over ten countries, including UK, US, Canada, Ghana, Liberia, India, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, Kenya, Zimbabwe, among others.
Some of her unpublished works are world record breakers and she also has several longest poems.
She is the second daughter but fourth child among six children. Her parents are senior citizens, after a distinct service in the teaching field.
Her passion and poetry earned her names like Pen goddess, queen of rhymes, princess of poetry and many more from her vast readers and fans.
Her page NGOZI OLIVIA OSUOHA is also known as @INKOCEAN
To her, writing is life, life is writing, living is a book.