Burnt Boats

Isuwa Gaius Alu

Description

'Burnt Boats' is a collection of poems written by Nigerian poet Isuwa Gaius Alu. This includes poems like 'Abiku', 'Silence', 'Bruised', 'Hole in a Rope' and 'Native Woman'. 

Sujets

• Poet
• Burned
• Boat
• Poetry
• Poem
• Collection
• Burn

Informations

• Publié par: Publiseer
• Date de parution: 09 juillet 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 3
• EAN13: 9788828353218
• Langue: English

Extrait

Burnt Boats
By
Isuwa Gaius Alu
Copyright 2018 by Isuwa Gaius Alu.
For more information about the author, write to the author from: [e-mail].
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the author or the publisher.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
DEDICATION
BURNT BOATS
ABIKU
JONAH S CORNER
SILENCE
BRUISED
HOLE IN A ROPE
NATIVE WOMAN
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
WAITING FOR DEATH
FALSEHOOD
MAMA
BEGGARS
ARISE
SHATTERED
CIRCLE
DESPICABLE
AS I PRAY
LOVE
SUPER DEITY
HOPELESS HOPE
AM I NOT?
PROPHET ELI
ANAME (MY MOTHER)
FLESH
MOPPET (For Isaiah Abraham)
SADDUCEES AND PHARISEES
DARKNESS IN THE LIGHT
I BADE DEATH GOODBYE
BIA! HOW FAR?
WE WAIT!
SONG OF HOPE
DARKNESS DELIGHT
LETTER TO MY SON
TONIGHT
AFRICAN CHILD
LIVING WORD
TELL ME MAMA
ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
MESSAGE TO THE GODS
NOT A MAN I
NOT A MAN II
STOOGE
WHERE WE LIVE
THE NIGHT THE GODS SMILED
WHEN GOD IS DEAD
ALUTA!
LETTER TO MY DAUGTHER
VOICE FROM THE STREET
ANCIENT TALES
ODE TO SUNSET
SOUR-VIVAL
BIOGRAHPHY
DEDICATION

T o God.
Oyindamola Akinyemi Bliss (MiCi), who believed in me.
Friends, My Family, Poets, Lovers Of Art
And To My Unborn Kids.
BURNT BOATS

T hese swinging sounds of blames
echoing far away from the shallow
depth of our carefulness


This dirge that pierces our ears
with sharp fangs of regret
as we celebrate sadness
from shallow depth of carefulness


are we not the ones:
the ones that left our fuel
at the hands of a match lit?
swallowing in our joy; our boats


how do we, then, crossover
when our boats are burnt?
how do we, then, crossover
with burnt boats?
ABIKU

A biku,
the dry pale song
of shattered nine moons.
the scorching joy of temporal excitement.
when will you wear mama rest?
the breaking thought of aching push,
the sour song of joy.
when will you stay?
Abiku,
you have severally severely putrefied
the feelings of womanhood,
you really have eaten
the sweetness of blissful union.
your light is of quicksilver,
your smile is a peace killer,
your comings are pain leavers.
oh! abiku, oh! abiku.
Abiku,
the door is open again,
in static position we wait!
perhaps this time,
you ll stay forever
and wear mama rest.
for her flesh is vexed
(and) her strength is messed
even happiness, her soul rejects
so abiku,
pare sadness from our doorstep,
smooch our hearts, tenderly with joy-
come abiku, this time come
and wear mama rest!
JONAH S CORNER

W e sip sleep like tea
With lousy eyes fixed on passing times
The quaking of the earth doesn t perturb
Beneath the deck, the very lower deck
We hide from storms and waves
We find comfort in Jonah s corner
How many days, how many nights before Tarshish?
Perhaps you should wake us when we get there
Beneath the deck, the very lower deck
Let us hide from storms and waves
We find comfort in Jonah s corner
Cast your lots! Throw us out!
Let the whale swallow us!
Who knows? We might turn for Nineveh
Before then, let us please,
Beneath the deck, the very lower deck
That we might hide from storms and waves
For we find comfort in Jonah s corner
SILENCE

S ilence!
Let s hear the sound of quietness
The wiggling and giggling of unseen beings
Welded into realms that transcend humans
Hush!
Let nature cuddle and sing us
Sensational melodies to inspire us
And bask us into unending treasures
Sssh!
Can you hear silence talking?
She speaks wisdom of ages for ages
She whispers serenity into our soul!
BRUISED

A sk a question, one or two
what you d get is a bag for fools
love some friends, one or two
and you d be termed as best of fools
Smile at them, they d smile at you
check their smiles, they d be just tattoos
laugh with them, they d join you too
better be careful, they are disastrous too
Watch your heart, it might be their tool
hide your weakness, it s a weapon too
scratch their skin, you d be torn into two
but love says we should love them too
So for love sake, let s love them too
God is love, so we are too
in all we do, let s let love rule
it s hard though, but this is the truth!
HOLE IN A ROPE

A t the foot of my ears
Live the sobs of your dead mother
All I heard are tears of a hurt mother
Loving love of a loving mother
For a broken girl of a wayward daughter
I still hear her voice
Naming many a night
Of showing you the path of light
That shoved her cares into steaming fright
As you walked careless-full out of sight
The aroma of her words
Still hang in my nostrils
The ceaseless pain of her kneeling knees
Like crack disc, saturate my senses
Her words ring in continuous tenses
Always pleading in God s name
Not to put her in shame
To always remember your family s name
Always pleading in God s name
To ease her heart of worthless pain
Now, sitting at the end of the road
Having hind-sight of words you were told
Delicacies that can t be bought or sold
And your only option is the hole in a rope?
Awero, wait! There is still hope
Listen carefully and hear
The sobs of your d