FUTURITI 9/05

(Upon remembering 2nd Year of Gani Fawehinmi’s Death) All garments, to wearing out will tear, This I know. All suns shining, to west will slope to weather, This I know. Death, the streets will not depart, This I know. For all humans from life must expire, This I know. But generations mine born, unborn will care, This I know. To visit scenes mine with no fear, This I know. And disdain not the father they had, For I degarbed them from tears theirs.

NIGHT SMILE.

PATRIS OKIGBOLUMBA (For Christopher Okigbo and Patrice Emery Lumumba)

In the flood of cruel moonlight
And bold blackness of the dark
Patkris you bewailed our fate
To restore the face.
You contraried the winds like an oak
And into huge distance you leaped like a bolt
As our land danced naked
Paddling the darkness.


Segun Oyeniyi in “THE BARD”, SATURDAY SUN, August 13, 2011. Pg 40.

NANS Criticises Daniel Over Students’ Plight.

Akinloye Segun Oyeniyi, THE NATION, Tuesday, September 8, 2010. Pg 4.

NANS Condemns Ogun First Lady

Akinloye Segun Oyeniyi, THE NATION, Saturday, July 31, 2010. Pg 59

ACHES OF OUR WORLD

There’re aches in our world
Run-of-the-mill, run-of-the-mill,
Oh! I’ll shoot out all my swords
Run-of-the-mill, run-of-the-mill,
Hidden in the bellies of my words
Run-of-the-mill, run-of-the-mill,
As my barbed compassion boil
Run-of-the-mill, run-of-the-mill,
To free all from the corruption coils
Run-of-the-mill, run-of-of the-mill,
In this theatre called our world.

Segun Oyeniyi (2008) in Oguejiofor and Uduma (eds) CROSSROADS. Lagos. Apex Books Ltd.

NEVER LIKE OUR ANCESTORS

As the new day welcomes the cockcrow
These footprints I saw
With their hells backing me
And humming, “We’re leaving,
Going away from Africa,
Running away from wars,
Our comprehension beclouded
Our nation mad in the darkness
And never like our ancestors”.

Segun Oyeniyi (2008) in Oguejiofor and Uduma (eds) CROSSROADS. Lagos. Apex Books Ltd.