THE CHURCH

"This is my blood, drink"
There is a miracle in the church
The church of Lourdes and the vatican
Rituals of transmogrification, I silently watch
As wafers and wine turned host and blood
With olive and mustard from Jerusalem
Roused in incence and smokes of saintly
Hanging maliciously over the chandeliers
Threatening to dim the lights of reason
Even in the Roman church

"I forgive thee with penance"
There is a war-of-wit in the church
A war with witty words of suasion
Politics, even in the pews that we sit
Otherwise, densely settled on the fonts
Magnanimously competing for space
With the bibles, crosses and beads
Contritions and acts of hearing God
God knows we fight a war-of-wit
Even on the holy pews we sit


"I see generational curses on thy forehead"
Thy forebears too- in bloody rites
There is a seer in the church
In the un-orthodoxed pentecostals
A fortune teller spinning webs of confusion
Of tongues spoken behind the pulpits
Cobwebs hanging maliciously around chapels
There is a prophet of doom
Even in the church of saints
Birthed in the other church- not of Rome

"In the name of the pope"
There is godfatherism, in the church
We know someone who knows someone else
Long tentacles threatening to submerge us
Deacons, knights and bishops with earthly crusts
And appendages surpassing the divine cause
Even God the Father's "Man Know thyself"
Has been  transformed to man-know-man
For we seldom play host to the word of Psalms
But politick and peddle- even in our Father God's arms.

WRITTEN BY:
© Uduak Otongaran
Uduak-otongaran@outlook.com
+2348066010521

WILD CREATURES

In between paranoia and deep misery
She curled in chancery
And abrupt penury
Bankrupt in imagery
Of the blank deception
Her pains dipped in penury

How easy people who love lie
Broken things still die
Meek hearts always cry
Broken people can lie
For find a way out of their life
Integrity becomes a fright
When they meet the light


Though 'they' roll in misery
Here is the summary
Through their misery
A liar once a brother
Is the bitter attire
They both wear on their matter
Swollen faces and broken spirits
Soon smile
Soon start again
Don't lose hope tommorrow is another way
To meet the friends
Who once we're thy enemies

WILD CHILD

I was once a stable man
Till a girl named Ann
Forced the ban
Now I stand a changed man!

I was as stable as a duck
Her lovers showed their glock
Who should we pass the duck?
My bleeding heart she mocked
My humanity she plucked
And shamed me on the block


Many Marys made me mourn
They advised I gather my tears and burn
My heart now looks to scorn
A different lesson for the scion
Now I make many Mary run

Before you say am a fraud
Listen to my tears baud
As silence draw blood
With a sinister god
Who has eaten the sweet flaw
And replace a son
That cannot be hurt!

CHAINED

Don't chain me down with your words
Don't hold me down!
You tear me into shreds
Like a threadbare rag

When you bark orders at me
I shrink
And withdraw into the shell
You have caved me in

Don't look me over
And spit your malevolent decibels
When you are caught like a child
With his hand in a pie

When you stare daggers at me
I look, frightened like a mouse
And take to flight
When I hear your heightened crescendo

Don't look me over!
Don't hold me down!
As you shake and rumble
Like a volcano ready to explode.



WRITTEN BY:
Uduak Otongaran.
Uduak-otongaran@outlook.com
08066010521

THE BROKEN RIB

There goes the broken rib
Of strengths- unknown
Un-sormountable courage
To walk paths none dare
On steps, stripped- her ego lay
Calm to the stare of toads
And tongue of chameleons
But she forced her trods on.

She treads, she prods
Forcing her crushed ego on
For the walk of faith on broken stairs
Crushed, stripped, bared
Wasted- a man's broken rib
Broken- as egg shells
Shells inimical to strengths- of women
Yet, she forces her proddings on.

Of grace, she is a swan
Her strengths: not of muscles
Neither in ached joints or bruised feet
Swimming in seas of purpose
Legacies and full waists
Braids computing figures on a sixth scale
Weakness is strength- strength is purpose
When you force steps, implored on.

Mediocrity dies a thousand deaths
Timidity is barnished to exile lands
For she must win hearts
In her daily walk and work
The levity of tasks- not minding
Accolades are her dearest wish
If Maya, Ophrah, Serena and Adichie lives,
The resilience of women must live on.

WRITTEN BY:
©Uduak Otongaran.
July, 2015

picture by Nigel Pavitt

AFRICAN ROMANCE

I thought I knew it all
The legends of love hall
Smiled at my fall
The horrible mall
My childish thoughts

She was as soft as flagon urn
I was as stubborn as a gaul
Many times made her mourn
Too proud to give it all

I kept my heart from all 'harm'
She ditched it in the swarm!
All her smiles that were warm
Filled my heart with worms

My tepid troubled thoughts
Soon tasted cold darts
From cold rooms and empty spots
That reminded more about love lost
Than the recreation I need for my beard

I wish i learnt how to love
Not hide from loves gloves
Her warm hands are now cold
Colder than my troubled home

Ima ankana nkara!
Ima mmi anforo uyara
Ima mfo ano iduo esit.

PERSUASION

Who should you trust brother?
Your mother's brother?
Or brothers from another mother?
This wanderings make me bother
Your allegiance hangs in the hotel
Your meetings in various brothels
Isn't love....its a cudgel

Have you forgotten Mitchell?
What of Michael?
Our cousins the merkels!
How could evil be in bethel? !

Who should you trust?
Your blood or your guts?
Your friends? Or your own?
Son of my mother! You're grown!


Your friends don't love you
They could sell you
Your friendship has passed becareful
Listen to our counsel
Be the son of the council

ANOTHER GAZE ANOTHER CHANCE

My heart is a flutter of buzzing flies
Ceremonial lilies filled with butterflies
Loaded with lies
Make my eye cry

How can butterflies hurt?
How could comfort be this hot?
How would joy suddenly flop?
How did butter and flies become a word?
While you were here our world
Faded and truth were debated?
Trust to friends were traded
Anonymous stalker berrated!

Ufan ima mmi
Inighe nwan owo
Ini iso odudu
Anyan idem etukudo!
Sai! Andikpe nduduai!

While we are here......
Should we stare?
Should we pray?
Who is the prey?
Where is the lair?
Before you doubt my flair
I give you my hair!



For thosewho are not from Akwa ibom state
the 3rd line says my friend of love
sweet wife of another
 the future of power
the long slender body for the 3rd son
I have goose pimples
this form of praises are used to tease ladies on how much you love them

BUCKLE UP!

With open eyes she wailed

Brackened feathers in polished nail

Soon broke hell

The pounding of life made her frail

Previous advices ring many bells

Immediate lies derailed



Cold words laddened in sweets of butter

Vengeful regret choked words she could utter

The butters stink of gutter

Sweet fantasies no longer bother

To smile when she sees her lover brother

With open eyes, red shook the shudder



I've spoken million silences over her mission

In anger and submission

Silence over commotion

Truths over pontification

We learn in mistakes from exacerbation

The experiences reminds the action

Will it change us? Would it hurt us?

Brackened feathers of polished tears

Silence became the fear

It's too late to regret

You broke our heart

What do we have to debate?

HEALING HANDS

Let there be no Shame

In thinking about your name

Every actions take its blame

Life in its intrigue is a game

let no shame, Shame the realm



Let no Shame be your ambition

Competition is the new innovation

The issues of life unfolds like television

so many lies, yet much deception

Let no man Shame your ambition



There is no shame if a man shed tears

Atleast the pain he can afford to bear

If he bears pain, don't be the source of his shame

In tears, excuses shouldn't be mixed with blame!



Before you accuse, study the ruse

The victim and the abused

There is no shame in truths and fuse

The moment lies is infused

Reconciliation is hard to review