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OUR SHOTS OF POETRY (16 TANKAS-12 TYBURNS- 8 TRIOLETS -4 RONDEAUS)
EDITED: LEONELL ECHA EB FLIP CHALLENGE / 1ST ANTHOLOGY
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TABLE OF CONTENT 16 TANKAS
12 TYBURNS
8 TRIOLETS
4 RONDEAUS
Copyright © Ebartsorg 2016 EB FLIP CHALLENGE / 1ST ANTHOLOGY
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CONTRIBUTORS 1. Agboola Damilola 2. Jennifer Dafwat 3. Prudence Obadan-Enujiofor 4. Pizat Lepdung 5. Onyinyechi Okpala 6. Rudolph Adidi 7. Ayoola Emmanuel 8. Thomas Bot 9. Vera Bonny 10. Daisy Odey 11. Sharon Olanrewaju 12. Adeoye Adetoba 13. Victoria Aliyu 14. Anre John 15. Oluwasegun Oriogun 16. Leonell Echa
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DEDICATION
To every poet, writer & reader.
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16 TANKAS THEME: EMPTY OLD MAN Poet: Agboola Damilola Free giver of self… Outside, sat and played his flute. Dark night after night He emptied out his bright light Vessel. Empty. Loud. Earth bound. Poet: Jennifer Dafwat Gathered at his grave The village with wares from him Bought. Borrowed. Received. From him were all treasures got Empty old man now asleep. Poet: Prudence Obadan-Enujiofor His wrinkled eyes spoke Of choices made yesterday His days courted shame His leaking thatched roof and hut Resounded his misery. Poet: Leonell Echa On this broken leaf Stood an ancient weary shed No windows, no doors Holes sent water through his walls Shutting his eyes closed like doors.
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Poet: Pizat Lepdung Understandable Why your highness seldom speaks Now he blows the flute Under the baobab trees Village crown no longer fits. Poet: Onyinyechi Okpala When the floods came in, Like women in a travail, That flood that wrecks hopes, The empty old man cried tears, For he could see but not speak. Poet: Rudolph Adidi He owned just dead guts As the gods filled empty pots He ate with much hate Diffident stares knocks in fate Had death buried his Black skin? Poet: Ayoola Emmanuel Hair all silvery His bald patch betrays wisdom Mouth jabbers folly As frail fingers clutch bottles He reeks of empty nothing.
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Poet: Thomas Bot Smoking from his pot, Eyes glued to the toddling sun. Oh what squandered youth! Death has been fair to his friend While he whirls this wilderness. Poet: Vera Bonny Stripes of binary Scattered across feeble limbs Grey gnawed age old fist Too late to save dying dreams Helpless he watched them wither. Poet: Daisy Odey With milk, white wine I smother the pangs of regret. I fear i feel nothing And I fill with what I feel Sings the drunk empty old man. Poet: Sharon Olanrewaju Under the moonlight, We dance round his lonely frame. His eyes dead as night, Wrinkles ringing untold pain. Jail, we heard took him away. Poet: Adeoye Adetoba Eyes wizened with age Shrunken sights blurred over hope Of dreams once sparkling Now soused in pools of regrets He stands empty and hollow. EB FLIP CHALLENGE / 1ST ANTHOLOGY
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Poet: Victoria Aliyu All, bear they jewels From his wisdom, drew they wells Full empty old man Leaving grave feeling cheated Shakes hands with death satisfied. Poet: Anre John Spay-striken old man This mad sun has labored long Stay beaten Grand dad Sing that sad Saharan song The fading vibes of your gong. Poet: Oluwasegun Oriogun Search for sad old tongues In the eyes of tired men It is always same Men will be filled with stories As they approach their last breath.
12 TYBURNS THEME: FAMILY Poet: Agboola Dami Randy Sandy Candy Mandy Family ties Randy, Sandy tight Sibling love like Candy, Mandy, right
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Poet: Pizat Lepdung Flowers Powers Suited Rooted Blossom strong o flowers, powers seep Family tree suited, rooted deep. Poet: Victoria Aliyu Breathing Seedlings Breeding Siblings From family, breathing seedlings groom Society's breeding siblings, bloom
THEME: DREAMS Poet: Rudolph Adidi Very Scary Eyrie Airy Why does it feel very scary here? Sleeping is so eyrie, airy fear. Poet: Emmanuel Ayoola Sleeping Leaving Slipping Spilling His dreams, he is sleeping, leaving out His mouth always slipping, spilling pout EB FLIP CHALLENGE / 1ST ANTHOLOGY
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Poet: Onyinyechi Okpala Blocking Mocking Locking Shocking I in my thoughts, blocking, mocking mates At my dream's door, locking, shocking hates THEME: ATTACHMENT Poet: Daisy Odey Ageless Tireless Loveless Heartless Coal red burns the ageless, tireless will To thaw you, my loveless, heartless will. Poet: Thomas Bot Mothers Smothers Bothers Brothers' Our flaws and flings mothers smothers all Healing her of bothers brothers' fall Poet: Vera Bonny Clinging Cringing Bringing Singing To love small hands clinging, cringing lot Little hearts joy bringing, singing soft
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THEME: CHANGE Poet: Adetoba Adeoye Rumbling Mumbling Tumbling Grumbling Shrill cries from the rumbling, mumbling sky Change, it purges, tumbling, grumbling high. Poet: Prudence Obadan- Enujiofor Teeny Weeny Healthy Wealthy Would you then stay teeny weeny or Ride through fortune's healthy wealthy door? Poet: Sharon Olanrewaju Mildly Blindly Idly Wildly Amidst war, he mildly, blindly strived Then in crime, he idly, wildly thrived.
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TRIOLETS
THEME: LIFE IS MY BIRTHRIGHT
Poet: Agboola Damilola Life is my birthright It's only right to live after my birth Not until the forth night Life is my birthright Gifted by an angel dressed in white I am not entitled to death Life is my birthright It's only right to live after my birth Poet: Thomas Bot Life is my birthright, A right I sail turbulent tides to keep; The snares of death, schemes of man and nature's tides. Life is my birthright, Like a king guards his kingdom, I guard it with pride. Death lurks, a nightmare, where life lays beautifully asleep. Life is my birthright, A right I sail turbulent tides to keep.
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THEME: FORGET ME OLD FRIEND Poet: Sharon Olanrewaju Forget me old friend, I have done the same. For times change and tides do falter, Hurting you was never my aim. Forget me old friend, I have done the same. Do curse me but move on, unashamed. Now, learn to lean on a new shoulder. Forget me old friend, I have done the same, For times change and tides do falter. Poet: Rudolph Adidi Forget me old friend, if you do, these tales will hunt As memories have created a past with light Just let my story be the only one burnt, Forget me old friend, if you do, these tales will hunt Horrors of our companionship will crawl to taunt When it comes, just make this poem your cite Forget me old friend, if you do, these tales will hunt As memories have created a past with light
THEME: PAIN CAN SAVE A MAN Poet: Victoria Aliyu Pain can save a man who was once a foolish child; The myth of a successful, wise man. For each stroke he received, and every slap dialed, Pain can save a man who was once a foolish child. He took caution from the scars on his body, roughly tiled, The fear of mama's rod, was the rise of this great man. Pain can save a man who was once a foolish child, The myth of a successful, wise man.
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Poet: Vera Bonny Pain can save a man Its strength to feed upon From a perpetual ring of torture Pain can save man Its cold hands to warmth nurture When sour feelings maims his mind Pain can save a man Its strength to feed upon. THEME: FAR FROM THE TREE Poet: Prudence Obadan-Enujiofor Far from the tree where dreams blossom On a plane where feat and wit hold sway Has life not taught thee to thrive above bottom? Far from the tree where dreams blossom Beware, its fruits may spring in foursome Lo, dreams are daydreams without effort in play Far from the tree where dreams blossom On a plane where feat and wit hold sway Poet: Onyinyechi Okpala Far from the tree, the harvest sun is set Over the hills, the sweet breeze blew To the unfertile lands, drops of rain met Far from the tree, the harvest sun is set Wooing , winning and getting the best pet Comes the season, cassia hills turn blue Far from the tree, the harvest sun is set Over the hills, the sweet breeze blew.
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RONDEAUS
Poet: Sharon Olanrewaju My demon! All night, always near. Your consistent care, so sincere. You make me cry, you make me mourn. I hail thee now, most Able One! Always here, my lost soul to tear. Your whispers make me sink in fear. You point me to my scar and sear. Then the noose as my last option. My demon! Now I'm dead; have your greatest cheer! But in the grave, it has come clear: I never should have heard your scorn. I let you have the fight, you won. I regret I held your words dear, My demon.
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Poet: Victoria Aliyu Ode to regret could not be this When ink meets paper, call it bliss The chemistry found, more than myth Pure words come alive as they breathe Their lips eclipse, call it a kiss Do not push the man you like, miss Cos he has no mansion of his Soon, you'll begin to gnash your teeth Ode to regret Competition ends, not dismiss Writing brain, thinking pen still is Rules, regulations to write with Every syllable is now pith. If for the prize you have no piece, Ode to regret Poet: Onyinyechi Okpala Ode to Regret, my love made sand While heaven is a foreign land Love is a treasure not flower And pleasure, it last just an hour Obviously not my husband Love is not for the strong, so sad Ode to Regret, me like a lad Love at first pours like a shower Ode to Regret Scepter, gold and Crown non I had Still I stand with a lifted hand Tired weak but I have the power Like a lion, waiting to devour My pride and glory he took, my bad Ode to Regret. EB FLIP CHALLENGE / 1ST ANTHOLOGY
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Poet: Thomas Bot I'm the felodese who's slain Time to feel the pangs of its pain My folly brought night over day Making a beating heart decay I cry my tears concealed in the rain Our love was pregnant with good grain Clumsy hands and heart let it wane Now faced with price too dear to pay I'm the felodese I must hence find our groove again How do I mend a spine so sprained? Solemnly, now I kneel to pray As love bows dead, no harvest day We ploughed, it grew, there was no rain I'm the felodese.
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CKNOWLEDGEMENT
Thanks to all the poets who took out time to be part of this exercise. If there ever comes a time when it occurs to you to stop writing, that should be the time you should keep writing more than ever. You guys have been great so far. We hope to work some more with you all. We are poets, poetry is what we do. Thanks. EB
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