{"id":2278,"date":"2017-11-07T13:01:53","date_gmt":"2017-11-07T13:01:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/?p=2278"},"modified":"2017-11-07T13:01:53","modified_gmt":"2017-11-07T13:01:53","slug":"from-the-connect-centres-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/from-the-connect-centres-i\/","title":{"rendered":"FROM THE CONNECT CENTRES I"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 1.7.8 -->\n<div class=\"quads-location quads-ad1\" id=\"quads-ad1\" style=\"float:none;margin:0px;\">\n\n <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.1.7.8 Content AdSense async --> \n\n<script async data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\">\nvar quads_screen_width = document.body.clientWidth;\nif ( quads_screen_width >= 1140 ) {\r\n\/* desktop monitors *\/\r\ndocument.write('<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5983616716487778\" data-ad-slot=\"\" ><\/ins>');\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n}if ( quads_screen_width >= 1024  && quads_screen_width < 1140 ) {\r\n\/* tablet landscape *\/\r\ndocument.write('<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5983616716487778\" data-ad-slot=\"\" ><\/ins>');\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n}if ( quads_screen_width >= 768  && quads_screen_width < 1024 ) {\r\n\/* tablet portrait *\/\r\ndocument.write('<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5983616716487778\" data-ad-slot=\"\" ><\/ins>');\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n}if ( quads_screen_width < 768 ) {\r\n\/* phone *\/\r\ndocument.write('<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5983616716487778\" data-ad-slot=\"\" ><\/ins>');\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n}<\/script>\n\n <!-- end WP QUADS --> \n\n\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>FROM THE CONNECT CENTRES I<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>ROHINGYA BLEEDS\u2026 | Maryam Gatawa<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With a wounded and broken heart, I reach for a splint of my rib honed as pen, for pieces of my soul, inked from my blood, hot and raging. I bear a foreboding of tomorrow that may come for me, for you and our brethren in Myanmar.<\/p>\n<p>If tomorrow comes, I will tell of atrocities meted upon Rohingya, and fresh blood flowing the grounds of Myanmar, of raving bullets that decorated the walls of Aleppo, of houses drowned in Makurdi, abuse of the Niger, of wars, senseless fights, gunshots and bombing blasts of Yobe, Borno and long forgotten places across our world.<\/p>\n<p>If tomorrow comes, I will show you scars of written lines etched on my back, painful tattoos littering my skin and the world shall witness raw milk of inhumanity forced down our throats in turns, and compulsion for innumerable innocents.<\/p>\n<p>If tomorrow comes, ask me what happened here and then, I will close my lids for welled up tears to roll, I will tell of cringing shrieks, groans and cries of our brethren in Rohingya, of my battered kindred and defiled blood of humanity.<\/p>\n<p>Should history ask of Rohingya, I will report of our docility, and how we were rapaciously raped her. I will speak of folded hands and crossed legs adept at watching humanity die. I will say, we saw the oppressed gushed with blood that flowed in the wild, contaminated our soils that dried up.<\/p>\n<p><em>Rohingya bleeds\u2026 ohhhhh\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p>If tomorrow comes, and the morning dew falls on leaves smeared with blood, I will dump this din of death for sea banks and shores of peaceful abodes, tell tales of human-turned-beasts, and monstrosities clothed in human skins bearing my name, your name, our names.<\/p>\n<p>Sadly, I\u2019ll tell these tales to the copper moon shining over the seas, re-echo touching moments of drowned children, mothers burnt before helpless eyes, wailing sounds of daughters standing over corpses of their parents, people buried beneath the rubbles of razed villages and corpses strewn across the lands.<\/p>\n<p>My shadow shall know this pain, of how we watched humans die because fairness and justice died when the world deemed it otherwise\u2026 the pain brimming in me, is greater than the ruffling waters of the sea, great enough to shake the world to its foundation, and bring down the skies upon our skulls.<\/p>\n<p><em>Rohingya bleeds\u2026 ohhhhh\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p>When shall we be free of darkness engulfing our souls? When shall we dig for pieces of us, lost in the sea of blood and demented souls? Who salvages the remains of humanity, wandering and lost to inhumanity? Until the sun rises and sets in-between the day, the air blows the gentle night breeze, dropping soothing dews upon the petals of a morning rose, can we breathe peaceful air.<\/p>\n<p>If tomorrow comes, I will neither sing a song nor write any poem, I will never ask your return home. I am not ready to leave the banks and shores of the seas. Let me not sound days, months or years, calling your comeback for a salvage filling our hollowness of countless problems.<\/p>\n<!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 1.7.8 -->\n<div class=\"quads-location quads-ad2\" id=\"quads-ad2\" style=\"float:none;margin:0px;\">\n<script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<script>\r\n  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({\r\n    google_ad_client: \"ca-pub-5983616716487778\",\r\n    enable_page_level_ads: true\r\n  });\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>The bleeding world of Rohingya speaks of stopped pulses, eyes forever closed, seized breathes, wounded and broken hearts, tear drops and falling sweats, flooded ravines and killing valleys, splash of blood, painting the four corners of our walls.<\/p>\n<p>Oh Wanderer!<\/p>\n<p>When you come back, you&#8217;ll take the weight of our atrocities, slump and break your arms, crack your knees and shatter your tiny veins, you will be ears into a painful journey stirring pools of regrets leading to rivers of penitence. You will feel the damage and weight of your absence.<\/p>\n<p>Rohingya bleeds\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Myanmar is burning\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Come back home love,<\/p>\n<p>a soul awaits to cuddle you in,<\/p>\n<p>a tiny heart will warmly<\/p>\n<p>comfort your tired<\/p>\n<p>cracked heels.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Come back home to me,<\/p>\n<p>Else our stories, our identity<\/p>\n<p>and our humanity,<\/p>\n<p>shall be written in red<\/p>\n<p>for me, for you and for all.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG-20171031-WA0002.jpg\"><img data-attachment-id=\"2279\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/from-the-connect-centres-i\/img-20171031-wa0002\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG-20171031-WA0002.jpg?fit=720%2C960&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"720,960\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG-20171031-WA0002\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG-20171031-WA0002.jpg?fit=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG-20171031-WA0002.jpg?fit=720%2C960&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2279 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG-20171031-WA0002-225x300.jpg?resize=225%2C300\" alt=\"IMG-20171031-WA0002\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG-20171031-WA0002.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG-20171031-WA0002.jpg?w=720&amp;ssl=1 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>Maryam Gatawa<\/strong> is a young brilliant poetess and writer who lives in Kano, Nigeria. She is a graduate of Economics from Bayero University, Kano and a human activist with special concern for orphans. Writing and reading are what give her great joy as a passionate lover of arts. Some of her appetizing literary works were published in the African Writer Magazine, PIN Quarterly Magazine, Tuck Magazine and local Papers. She takes delight in travelling, chatting and brainstorming.<\/p>\n<p>Maryam writes from PIN Kano Connect Centre where she serves as a Co-Rep.\n<!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 1.7.8 -->\n<div class=\"quads-location quads-ad3\" id=\"quads-ad3\" style=\"float:none;margin:0px;\">\n<script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<script>\r\n  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({\r\n    google_ad_client: \"ca-pub-5983616716487778\",\r\n    enable_page_level_ads: true\r\n  });\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FROM THE CONNECT CENTRES I ROHINGYA BLEEDS\u2026 | Maryam Gatawa With a wounded and broken heart, I reach for a splint of my rib honed&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[481],"tags":[486,485,482,483,44,484],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2306,"url":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/pinquarterlyjournal\/","url_meta":{"origin":2278,"position":0},"title":"PIN QUARTERLY JOURNAL (ISSUE 8)","date":"November 7, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"PIN QUARTERLY JOURNAL (ISSUE 8): EDITOR\u2019S NOTE Strokes & Scars \u00a0 When your skin becomes a pamphlet of scars drawn by strokes of unsavoury experiences, give a pen to your scars and let them draw countless savoury lines, assuaging your pain, grief and disillusionment. Devising overriding themes for the PIN\u2026","rel":"nofollow","context":"In \"Activities\"","img":{"src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2691,"url":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/call-for-photos-from-the-neighbourhoods\/","url_meta":{"origin":2278,"position":1},"title":"CALL FOR PHOTOS FROM THE NEIGHBOURHOODS\u00a0","date":"July 22, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"CALL FOR PHOTOS FROM THE NEIGHBOURHOODS\u00a0 From the neighbourhoods is an initiative of Poets in Nigeria (PIN) dedicated to photos reflecting the totality of our neighbourhoods. Photos selected, with names of owners would be on display at coming PIN events across the country. Sampler (1): Open your window, snap a\u2026","rel":"nofollow","context":"In \"Activities\"","img":{"src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2962,"url":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/an-address-presented-by-eriata-oribhabor-president-poets-in-nigeria-pin-during-the-inauguration-of-pin-ijaye-ojokoro-connect-centre-lagos-and-announcement-of-nigerian-students-poetry-prize-2019-ca\/","url_meta":{"origin":2278,"position":2},"title":"AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY ERIATA ORIBHABOR, PRESIDENT POETS IN NIGERIA (PIN) DURING THE INAUGURATION OF PIN IJAYE OJOKORO CONNECT CENTRE, LAGOS AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF NIGERIAN STUDENTS POETRY PRIZE 2019 CALL FOR SUBMISSION OF POEMS","date":"January 19, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY ERIATA ORIBHABOR, PRESIDENT POETS IN NIGERIA (PIN) DURING THE INAUGURATION OF PIN IJAYE OJOKORO CONNECT CENTRE, LAGOS AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF NIGERIAN STUDENTS POETRY PRIZE 2019 CALL FOR SUBMISSION OF POEMS Distinguished Poets Friends of Poets in Nigeria Members of Ijaye Ojokoro Community Gentlemen of the Media\u2026","rel":"nofollow","context":"In \"Activities\"","img":{"src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2278"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2278"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2278\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2280,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2278\/revisions\/2280"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetsinnigeria.org.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}