Monday 25 June 2007

When Abiku met Zeus

Ok, I'm going to be jobless through out this week. I don't have anything to do, just been chillin in my room all day. So, I decided to post the peom I read out during a short story and peoetry reading event. I got the inspiration thinking about Nigeria, and how we would be, if we fused our Nigerian values with western values. It's unarguable that the world is now controlled by the West. The world now runs in a system that is western oriented. You cannot achieve most goals, until you have gone through the system. You have to go through western styled education, gather knowledge on innovations and so on. Nigeria has values which I believe are great, and values can also be borrowed from the west that will be beneficial to Nigeria. Hence, I used Abiku(goddess or spirits known for preying on children if not appeased) to represent nigerian values, and Zeus (mythical greek god, leader of Mount Olympus) to represent western values.


When Abiku met Zeus

The brown grass shriveled in fear as her feet thumped on it
It has lost its essence. Its greenness is now hidden in the dry and grey pelt of pain
Her eyes roll in pride as she is oblivious to the curse she leaves behind
Even the cold and skin sucking wind becomes a storm on trying to caress her legs
Legs longer and straighter than the stream that meanders through our homeland, move in unison to the clump of her hair bundled like compressed black wool.
The sounds of the bronze anklets precariously tied to her ankles and the sobs of the children
Serve as music that inspire her rhythmic moves
Yes, her hips sway moving to the strands of coral beads
Picked from the shores of the sea, where childrens’ tears flow
Yet, her eyes do not loose focus of staring at her reflection on the scarlet sea
Taking glances at the tear impregnated eyes of the children
Leaving a quick impression of captivity in their heads.
"This is our chance" won’t even trickle out from the splintered lips of the children
Their mothers will stand helpless behind the mahogany tree
Even their fathers will be held still, as their spears get blunted by Abiku’s palms
Their gun powder will not burn to propel the wooden sticks that mere mortals dread
They should have known better.
The trees were wiser as they let their branches sway to Abiku’s call
The sea had foresight, as to pour libations at the feet of Abiku
The sea even cast its harvest of fingerlings
Abiku dances casting pain at the enlarged belly’s of the mothers
Waiting patiently for their unborn,
The mothers tighten their hands to their talismans, reciting their prayers
Still dreading the inevitable.
The sound echoes through the dark walls of the chambers
Pillars that hold the slate roof tremble
The foundation lying majestically on the smoky and fluffy clouds
shake as it tries to call out Zeus’s name.
His roar conquers all ears that fail to be covered
His horses pace swiftly, trying to lessen the pain from Zeus’s whip
The steel wheels held to the chariots sculptured by Persian gods
Move over huge clumps of cloud that pass for rocks
His voice startles the eagles that have come to revere him
Thunder bolts tear through the clouds as he roars in anger
All who have failed him are now stemmed to ground as they are lifeless
Like the rocky facade they now possess
Yet, she failed him, The thought intesifies his anger
His eyes gleam in red as he hurries to the traitor who dare defies his wife
His hay-like silver hair shines through the paths that have been darkened
By the ashes from the thunder bolts
The sun starved roses that now creep around Mount Olympus,
Twirl in pity for the traitor
But, Zeus rides ahead, with revenge in his eyes
Soon the wrath of his anger shall befall he that deserves it,
The smell of the traitor clings his nose.
The deed shall soon be done
Suddenly, the rattling of the anklet
The clapping of flesh and singing of beads draw his ears.
He halts, bringing the horses to a rest
He peers through the shrubs on the mahagony tree
Surprise sculpts the face anger had tampered with
Her coal black skin that glimmered, stole his eyes
Beauty like this had eluded him through out his timeless existence
He leaps off his chariot still not seizing her attention
He held her hands and she turned to him, not even venerating his presence
She breaks loose from his hands, and disappears into the woods
He chases her leaving all behind
Finally, he grabbed her and she submits to his powers
A union they formed as they vanished from all of existence

I was watching videos on youtube and came across these short films. I guess they were shown on mnet, and I found them quite interesting and real.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2LlrHpiPZn4

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lYa2PS1itIo