- CACOPHONIC VOICES
Many voices call
They call for my votes
Voices
From televisions, radios, papers
Clamouring for our support
Jingles, slogans, persuasive coinages
Jargon, manifestos jagging at the senses
The eyes tire of seeing
The ears tire of hearing
The voices confuse the will of the electorate
Every contender suddenly seems
To know what the problems are
The problems of the country
Yea! The solutions, too!
But how many of those aren’t empty echoes?
Echoes of familiar voices
Anaphoric reflections of former politicians
Luring the masses with hopeless hopes
Who will bail my country?
Liberate the people from the darkness of PHCN?
Who will liberate graduates from joblessness?
Widows and rural women from hardship …
Students from problems …
Deteriorating educational standards
From the anger of the discontented
The bomb blasters
Militant coercers – tagged robbers
The rapists of our economy
The neo-colonialists holding…
Holding the people to ransom
Voices?
Yea! Voices of contenders
Vouching to be our messiahs
Messiahs metamorphosing
Metamorphosing into pen robbers
They settle the godfathers with the loot
From their silent, secret, innocent thefts
To maintain and stick to their seats
Seats considered exclusive reserves
The right of the plutocrats
Which of the owners of these voices
Will give us a sense of security?
A sense of fellowship and wholeness
From dehumanisation?
I query those voices
- MAN
Bursting through mother channel
At dawn, fresh from the kernel
We blossom in innocent sweetness
Battered later by the elements
At noon, ripened with bitterness
We need a return to Bethel
Birth again of “sapient” internal
At heart, to face the world eternal
We crave now with impatient endurance
Bubbling now in the spirit joyous
At the fountain, we’re made righteous
We await the coming of the Saviour
- SEVERED ON VALENTINE’S DAY
I saw the little looming cracks
Occasioned by his brash pranks
But wished these cracks won’t widen
Widen into a gap that will deaden
The life of our relationship
For this guy, I did worship
I ignored the often-unreplied texts
The glaring untruths in pretexts
He was busier than the busy bee
And had less than little time for me
I saw tell-tales, heard hearsays
Of other cuties he loved to embrace
I held on to a little thread of hope
Though he acted like one on dope
Prayed he would appreciate my worth
Though bringing him to his senses drew his wrath
My rational man told me it was all a sham
But I felt hanging on spelled no harm
The thread of hope snapped as the last straw
When I realised he’ll keep his date no more
He promised we would meet on this Val’s Day
The time passed and I decided not to stay
I went to the city cinema all alone
There he was with Daisy, sitting bone to bone
I hid in a corner and called him on phone
He said he had a headache that made him groan
“Oh!” I said, “I’ll come over, it’s not too late;
We will pray in faith and douse the pain.”
Answered he, “Meeting people will worsen the migraine.”
I replied, “I am already at your place.”
I walked over and saw the surprise on his face
“Such a pretty pickle sure brings on a headache!”
He sneered, “You! Stalking me, I will not take.”
I glared straight at him and told him not to brag
“From this Val’s Day we split; the union won’t drag.”
DR PRINCESS O. IDIALU’S PROFILE
Dr. Princess Omovrigho Idialu was born in Delta State, and married to Rev. Dr. Raphael Idialu. Dr. Idialu had her primary and secondary education (including A’ Levels) in Warri. She had her tertiary education at the University of Ibadan with B. A. (Hons), PGDE, M.Ed., and PhD degrees. She currently lectures at Wesley University Ondo, in Ondo State and she is the Head of General Studies Unit. Dr. Idialu has published in reputable national and international journals. She has also written some books, including, “Say and Write it Correctly,” “A Basic Introduction to Literature and Literary Appreciation,” “The Wise Judge and Other Stories,” “Understanding Selected Classics in Poetry and Prose,” and others. Dr. Idialu has passion for Literature and Communication Skills.
