TONGUES OF POETRY (ISSUE 6)
ONYE ỌWAA — Chinemerem Mary Anyi
Ị gbawakwala k’inweghi uche ji
Ụgbọ ala nke gị ọdi iche
Kweenụ k’odoo gị arụ
K’iwee ghara imerụ arụ
Ị chọrọ iru ebe ị na-aga
K’ọbụ ebe ị chọghị ịga?
Vuum.. Vuum.. Onye ọwa
Chai…. Chai….Ọ nwụọla
I bu gịnị n’obi na-eche gị?
Ikwu n’ibé na-eche gị
A gbajielam ụkwụ n’aka
Bụkwa gị ka ọ dị n’aka
Onye gbagherie ọ kwụsị ọsọọsọ
Ọ ghaghịkwa ịgba onye ahụ ọsụsọ
Makana otu, eé otu ihe gemerịrị
E sukeghị gị, mara n’ịga-esukerịrị
Ọ KPATA, Ọ RỊBA! — Chinemerem Mary Anyi
Lee, ọ gbụwala asọ
Ọ na-agbọkwa agbọ
Onye ma nke e nyere ya
Ma ọ bụ nke e mere ya
Ọ nweghị ihe ọ mere onye bu ya
Mana ọ na-atụgharị onye nara ya
Nanị ntakịrị a tanyeere ya
Arụ n’ike asughariala ya
Ngwá ngwa ọ bara ime
Ọ nọghị ọdụ ịghọrọ ime
Ọ dị mkpa ịkwadebe akwadebe
K’ọbụ akwụkwọ ghara ijedebe
Ụgụrụ ga-anara gị ọnụ rachaa
Ma ọ bụrụ n’ileghị anya machaa
Ọkwa ị hụrụ n’afọ e topụtala
Mana onye kpatara ya arịbala
Chinemerem Mary Anyi is the Founder of Relief Pitch, a non-governmental organisation promoting child and maternal healthcare. Her writing career started in 2011as the columnist of Family Line in Citizens Advocate, a weekly newspaper of Ebonyi State Catholic Church. She is a bilingual writer in English and Igbo languages and published her first book, “Biko Egbuchulam” in 2012. Her other works include, The Goddess of Hope, I kissed myself, Red Haze, Her woes, Light my Fire, Guilty bystander, “Okorobia eji agba ugwo”, “Udara Onye uwa”, and “Oku daa ibube.” She is the Secretary of Coal City Literary Forum and a member of ANA, Enugu. She is married to Mr. Michael Anyi of Nomeh Unateze in Nkanu East Local Government area of Enugu state.
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UDO CHORO UDO — Sunny Iyke Uzoukwu Okeigwe
Ngwanum, o buru na udo achoghi udo,
Gini ga-eme? O bu ala agaghi epu mpi?
Doonu nkita ara aka n’nti ya
Ka imara na imkpisi eze ya obu nlekiri anya
A nam aju ajuju: onye ajuju o na-efu ohia?
Udo choro udo, n’eziokwu,
Onye si na ogbahara bu ezi ngwugwu
Ya topee ya ka o hunu ntakasi ahu umu ijere.
Ndi bekee asighi ka ahapu nkita no n’ura n’ura ya?
A nam aju ajuju: onye ajuju o na-efu ohia?
Ebe nwata na-ebe akwa na-atu aka
O bu na i maghi na nne ya ma obu nna ya no ebe ahu?
O buru na Bia si ka enye ya Bia n’udo
O bu na i maghi na udo choro udo?
A nam aju ajuju: onye ajuju o na-efu ohia?
Ngwanum, kedu ihe mere umuibe ga-eji
Lechaa anya baa ohia kpaa nku ahuhu?
O buna oge erugbeghi mgbe a ga-eji
Lebara okwua na-esi onwu onwu ezigbo anya
A nam aju ajuju: onye ajuju o na-efu ohia?
Ngwanum, o buru na ozoo ma dokoo, o dokooro onye?
O buna obughi ehihe ka-eji acho ewu ojii furu ohia?
Ka a na-eche mgbe njinji jiri?
Ihe Bia, Bia si ka-enye ya, o bu ngwungwu ojoo ka o bu ajuala?
Ajuju kam juru: onye ajuju o na-efu ohia?
Sunny Iyke Uzoukwu Okeigwe holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Literary Studies, Imo State University, Owerri, 2006. He has taught English Language and Literature in some schools in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. ‘Dancers at the Arena’ is his first completed work for publication. Three of the poems from this collection featured in Ogele Anthology 2005, an ANA Imo (Association of Nigerian Authors’ Publication.). Some of his poems have also appeared on Facebook. He has authored other two unpublished collections of poems and short stories. His hobbies include reading, writing, playing table tennis and listening to good Christian music.
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ÌKÌLÒ ÒRÀN — Ayobami Oluwatosin Joseph
E bámi kìlò òràn fólóràn
Òwàrà òrò lórí omo aláìgboràn
Omo Yorùbá tó kèyìn sábínibí
Tó so abínibí dohun à n yà léyìn omo bí ibi
Tó so àdáyébá di àdàbà olóhùn tútù
Ó ti gbàgbé pé;
Tútù ló n tutù
Tí ògìnnìntìn tòhun fìnkìn-fìnkìn fí n gbómo lo
Ohun tí ò gbin láyé olúgbón
Tí ò ko kéhe láyé arèsà
Tó wá dolóràngùn-àga tó n yan fanda
Omo Yorùbá so èdè bàbá a rè di ègbin tí à n kó jáde létí
Gbogbo àsà Yorùbá wá dojúko odò
Wón n ré é mumi
E dákun e kìlò òràn fólóràn
E ròjò òwàrà òrò sórí omo aláìgboràn
E so fún un pé
Ìgbèyìn ní n dun olókùú
Àdá á sí
Kó pàsà padà
Kó tó gungi ré kojá ewé.
Ayobami Oluwatosin Joseph is a lover of Literature and a student of Physiology at the University of Ibadan. He is a native of Ogbomosho town residing in Ibadan