I found this poem somewhere on my system from many years ago. I think it was a test from one of our English lessons, maybe Introduction to Creative Writing II or Poetry or something. I do remember the course lecturer though, (now Professor) Moses Tsenongu, himself a poet that we looked up to, a past Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors (Benue State Chapter), a position I would eventually come to occupy years later.
It was one of my first less playful poems. The assignment was to write a Valentine poem. Some of my friends asked me how I would conjure one up, since I was not in any relationship. They had healthy laughs at me. Well, I smiled and put on my imaginative hat.
I had fun writing it, so much fun that I ended up writing many more based on the assignment theme. It was refreshing just writing all the things I was writing (though I am laughing at them now). Some of my classmates stole some of the poems and submitted them for their assignments. Hee hee hee. Ah, but did I care? I think I wrote more after that in a style that I have now forgotten. I also remember Andrew Bula, my friend who became the Writers’ League President, a big fan of Achebe then, wrote a piece or two which we made serious notes on. As I think of this poem now, several memories come with it too. Just memories of school then, of my friends, and of a different set of worries that attended us at that time. It is amazing how time makes mockery of those things we once thought were our greatest challenges. Amazing how in retrospect certain challenges become dwarfs. But here we are, at least fourteen or more years later, thinking of those days, remembering the times. And now, looking at how far I have come, I smile at where I have been. Time does change things. Anyways, here it is, unedited:
HURRY NOW…
And, allow us sip our love
Drinking from nature’s abundance
Romance our guide
Valentine our reason
We are tied by destiny’s web
And time claims our sorrow
As the handsome sun dawns today
Delivering us to better tomorrows
Lenrie cried:
“What does it cost to be
Loved and left alone?”
Do not care for the answer
For I beg Nature to cure us of all
Making a twirl to begin our love, our poem, again:
Final note: Thank you, Nket Godwin and Emmiasky Ojex, for your kind comments and reminding me that I have a duty to this blog. One I had forgotten. Bless you.
Final Final Note: My friend and classmate called me after reading this to remind me that Professor Tsenongu was in love in this period and was always asking us to express ourselves a lot. Haha! Ah, the memories. Maybe I should write about these things more. Maybe. Anyway, this was fun. Thank you for obliging me and for reading. It makes my day brighter.
Su'eddie in Life n' Literature 