Poem: What’s in the name ‘SoyINKa’
W-ords O-ften L-eaving E-ars, S-eeking
O-ther Y-ardsticks, IN K-nowing A-ll. END
Poem 13-7-2024: ‘SoyINKa’, INK KING@90
INK runs in the SoyINKa name
In the same vein
A DNA prediction of wwword.fame
A birthright nom de plume, aflame
A profound English word embedded in a Yoruba name
Coincidence or destined for SoyINKa@www.fame
A Master of the www -wordwideword
Of the www-wisewordworld
Of the www-worldwidewole
A Master of the mega-thINK
Of the computer, biro, QuINK
Of the milito-political last to blINK
A Master, connoisseur of wine, the drINK
Of the age-youth lINK
Of the prison’s bolt clINK
A Master of the title written in Kadahar, INK
Of the escapologist’s slINK
Of the world Griot/Maestro interlINK END
Poem: Ode to the sage – SoyINKa @90 On The World Stage
SoyINKa, Nobel Laureate, giant among iroko trees,
Injected SoyINK A into the meek trembling leaves
Morally towering above the militarised intimidated forest
Shielding earth, pregnant with a democracy harvest
Labouring to birth a free and fair Generation Next
Inspired by SoyINKa’s fiery worded text
Kongi’s shadow, refuge for cowed civilians
Dirty-slapped, earlobe gripping frog-jumped millions
Victims of bloody milito-political crossfire,
Making Nigeria a democracy forest funeral pyre
Every democracy dividend
Read Also: Soyinka: 90 essay finalists chosen
Costing blood, graves, voters, dead in the end
The SoyINKa iroko, sharpened to a giant pen tip
Writing inspired lines on oppressed lip
Survived accusations, myriad lies
Assassinations, armies of spies
Melting into forests, in motorcycle flight
Disappearing, theatrically disguised, day or night
SoyINKa sharp words punctured military balloons
Freeing democracy butterflies from prison cocoons
Each SoyINKa weightywiseword barbed sentence
An arrowhead of struggling democracy resistance
The Sage’s halo, white-haired crown, camouflage of calm
A white-hot flame, a helmet against political harm
SoyINKa’s silhouette plume which, like snowy Kilimanjaro’s peak
And Everest, even as we speak
Still dances on piano keys Ago-Taylor, Ebrohemi,
and to drumbeats Mbari, Ife and www.Safari
Leading democracy skirmishes vs milito/civilian koboko
Seeking to cut down our revered iroko.
SoyINKa’s Pyrates’ gourd gurgles first gravely, then gaily
Laughing at its cutlass admirers giggling expectantly
SoyINKa the Pirate Poet searches brain, book
Seeking the lost definitive word in every dictionary nook
SoyINKa, Corps Marshal, strapped helmet to okada head
Strapping seatbelts across Nigeria’s chest, cutting the dead
Does SoyINKa, Hunter, Democracy Defender, dare to sleep?
One eye open, ear cocked, Sage’s sleep is never deep
The hunter asleep, searches the forest for discordant sound
Among myriad African tunes rumbling from the ground
Hunter gunfire’s acrid smell heralds fresh-kill blood
While tearful gas shrouds democracy’s blood-stained mud.
SoyINKa, Freedom Fighter, without your life
Where would we be in Africa’s perennial political strife?
We changed MILITARISED to DE-MILITARISED ZONES
And fight to change DEMOCRISIS to DEMOCRACY ZONES
Nigerian citizens have become DEMOLAZY,
Politicians have become fiscally DEMOCRAZY
We will never forget ‘THE (IN)COMPLETE WORKS OF WS’
SAGE SOYINKA@90 , no less
Going on 100, I thINK
Enshrouded in computer clouds, today’s Kandahar INK
New SoyINKaesque irokos+ need continued nurture
For Nigeria to have a rich apolitical future
Aluta continua, Vitoria e uncerta!
Not yet uhuru. To Nigeria be true
Sage ‘SoyINKa’@90. THANK YOU
And 90 Gbosas just for you, too! END