Night Rain - J.P Clark

What time of night it is

I do not know

Except that like some fish

Doped out of the deep

I have bobbed up bellywise

From stream of sleep

And no cocks crow.

It is drumming hard here

And I suppose everywhere

Droning with insistent ardour upon

Our roof thatch and shed

And thro' sheaves slit open

To lightning and rafters

I cannot quite make out overhead

Great water drops are dribbling

Falling like orange or mango

Fruits showered forth in the wind

Or perhaps I should say so

Much like beads I could in prayer tell

Them on string as they break

In wooden bowls and earthenware

Mother is busy now deploying

About our roomlet and floor.

Although it is so dark

I know her practiced step as

She moves her bins, bags and vats

Out of the run of water

That like ants gain possession

Of the floor. Do not tremble then

But turns, brothers, turn upon your side

Of the loosening mats

To where the others lie.

We have drunk tonight of a spell

Deeper than the owl's or hat's

That wet of wings may not fly

Bedraggled up on the iroko, they stand

Emptied of hearts, and

Therefore will not stir, no, not

Even at dawn for then

They must scurry in to hide.

So let us roll over on our back

And again roll to the beat

Of drumming all over the land

And under its ample soothing hand

Joined to that of the sea

We will settle to sleep of the innocent and free.

Aaah. . .some peeps wan burst their veins and give themselves HBP cos of my post. Anyway, me just dey joke. I'll be posting some poems later

there was one poem by okop bitek i think if i got the name correctly, i think the title was' song of otiono' a woman's song to a cheating husband. beautiful work, we used to read it in secondary school.

dumodust:

there was one poem by okop bitek i think if i got the name correctly, i think the title was' song of otiono' a woman's song to a cheating husband. beautiful work, we used to read it in secondary school.

Songs of Lawino.

Dimka 76:

Songs of Lawino.

dimka thanks, you're on point

NIGHT FALL IN SOWETO OSWARD MTSHALI

Nightfall comes like a dreaded disease

seeping through the pores

of a healthy body

and ravaging it beyong repair.



A murderer's hand

lurking in the shadows,

clasping the dagger

strikes down the helpless victim

I am the victim.



I am slaughtered every night in the streets

I am cornered by the fear

gnawing at my timid heart;

In my helplessness I languish.



Man has ceased to be man

Man has become beast

man has become prey.



I am the quarry to be run down

by the maruading beast let loose

by cruel nightfall from his cage of death.



Where is my refuge?

Where am I safe?

Not in my matchbox house

where I barracade myself against nightfall


I tremble at his crunching footsteps,

I quake at his deafening knock at the door

Open Up! he barks like a rabid dog.


Nightfall Nightfall!

Why were you ever created?

Why can't it be daytime?

Daytime forever more?

abenelo:

NIGHT FALL IN SOWETO OSWARD MTSHALI

Nightfall comes like a dreaded disease

seeping through the pores

of a healthy body

and ravaging it beyong repair.



A murderer's hand

lurking in the shadows,

clasping the dagger

strikes down the helpless victim

I am the victim.



I am slaughtered every night in the streets

I am cornered by the fear

gnawing at my timid heart;

In my helplessness I languish.



Man has ceased to be man

Man has become beast

man has become prey.



I am the quarry to be run down

by the maruading beast let loose

by cruel nightfall from his cage of death.



Where is my refuge?

Where am I safe?

Not in my matchbox house

where I barracade myself against nightfall


I tremble at his crunching footsteps,

I quake at his deafening knock at the door

Open Up! he barks like a rabid dog.


Nightfall Nightfall!

Why were you ever created?

Why can't it be daytime?

Daytime forever more?

My Favorite.
Please can anyone write J.P Clarks " In Prison" for me?
It goes this way "In prison,the clouds assume importance . . . "

i remember having to cram and act night fall in soweto in secondary as my 30 marks for continous assessment in literature. pls who has the words for "oh elephant"

[center]Death’s Dark Corridor -P Shaka-

A streak before my eyes
Light intense and so bright
But a moment ago was I cold
As I lay on my side to die
Worst was the anticipation
What would it feel like?
Was the question
Would it hurt?
Or will it end abrupt
The intensity of my emotions
Ripped from my warmth
I lay bare
To embrace the cold
Of deaths wintery glare
All is silent
All is dark
And a still engulfs a frozen heart
My soul is sadden and heavy
I yell but no one can hear me
Once again I am humbled
By the mysteries of creation
For this I can’t explain
The feeling of joy
And yet the greatest pain
And the deepest longing to hear my name
My body and brain
Is dead
And with it all that I every knew
And for once I am naked again
To atone for the life I led
Life flashes before me
I have no memories
Of all this pictures that I see
But one thing is certain
That little boy was me
But who was he?

-P Shaka-[/center]

TELEPHONE CONVERSATION - Wole Soyinka
The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. "Madam," I warned,
"I hate a wasted journey—I am African."
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was foully.
"HOW DARK?" . . . I had not misheard . . . "ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK?" Button B, Button A.* Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis--
"ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?" Revelation came.
"You mean--like plain or milk chocolate?"
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,
I chose. "West African sepia"--and as afterthought,
"Down in my passport." Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. "WHAT'S THAT?" conceding
"DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS." "Like brunette."
"THAT'S DARK, ISN'T IT?" "Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but, madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blond. Friction, caused--
Foolishly, madam--by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black--One moment, madam!"--sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears--"Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn't you rather
See for yourself?"

Butterfly Chinua Achebe

Speed is violence
Power is violence
Weight is violence

The butterly seeks safety in lightness
In weightless, undulating flight

But at a crossroads where mottled light
From trees falls on a brash new highway
Our convergent territories meet

I come power-packed enough for two
And the gentle butterfly offers
Itself in bright yellow sacrifice
Upon my hard silicon shield

beneli:

Afrique/Africa-David Diop

Africa my Africa
Africa of proud warriors
in ancestral savannahs

Africa of whom my grandmother sings
On the banks of the distant river
I have never known you

But your blood flows in my veins
Your beautiful black blood
that irrigates the fields

The blood of your sweat
The sweat of your work
The work of your slavery

Africa, tell me Africa
Is this your back that is unbent
This back that never breaks under the weight of humiliation

This back trembling with red scars
And saying no
to the whip under the midday sun

But a grave voice answers me

Impetuous child that tree, young and strong
That tree over there
Splendidly alone amidst white and faded flowers

That is your Africa springing up anew
Springing up patiently, obstinately
Whose fruit bit by bit acquires

The bitter taste of liberty.

omgggggg, my lit teacher celebrated me in front of my class mates for penning this down exactly in the exam, we exhaustively debated the bolded part and made refrenecs to ''The Root'' (kuntakinte); to think that i let go of Eng.lit and hardly revisited.

Thanks @ op for this thread, i bet this will be one of the cuss-free thread that will exist on NL . so much to make ones time worthwhile

where can i get the lines to  ''Night Rain'' by Prof JP Clark

eldee:

Night Rain - J.P Clark

What time of night it is

I do not know

Except that like some fish

Doped out of the deep

I have bobbed up bellywise

From stream of sleep

And no cocks crow.

It is drumming hard here

And I suppose everywhere

Droning with insistent ardour upon

Our roof thatch and shed

And thro' sheaves slit open

To lightning and rafters

I cannot quite make out overhead

Great water drops are dribbling

Falling like orange or mango

Fruits showered forth in the wind

Or perhaps I should say so

Much like beads I could in prayer tell

Them on string as they break

In wooden bowls and earthenware

Mother is busy now deploying

About our roomlet and floor.

Although it is so dark

I know her practiced step as

She moves her bins, bags and vats

Out of the run of water

That like ants gain possession

Of the floor. Do not tremble then

But turns, brothers, turn upon your side

Of the loosening mats

To where the others lie.

We have drunk tonight of a spell

Deeper than the owl's or hat's

That wet of wings may not fly

Bedraggled up on the iroko, they stand

Emptied of hearts, and

Therefore will not stir, no, not

Even at dawn for then

They must scurry in to hide.

So let us roll over on our back

And again roll to the beat

Of drumming all over the land

And under its ample soothing hand

Joined to that of the sea

We will settle to sleep of the innocent and free.

hahaha, i didnt even check the top page before i posted my request.

You are great

One amazing thing about these writers was their ability to evoke so much memories and imagery in one and make the heart tender and filled with contemplative thoughts, especially after understanding the background against which they penned down certain poems, you could almost feel their pains, anguish and joy at those moments although one is far removed from the plot.

I just called home and confirmed that my ''West African Verse'' is tucked away in an antique book shelve courtesy of my teacher-mama, its quite a distance from where I am, when i get it, i will scan pages to those in need, hehehehe

nice,nice, can anyone post ''when a strainer takes in water" i have forgotten the author now but it remains indelible in my mind for its afrocentric flavour.

Eldee and Abenelo you just just made my day, infact am grinning.

These poems bring back sweet memories.

My favourites are 'Telephone conversation' and Nightfall in Soweto.

I cant remember well but i think there was one 'Letter to. . . ( about SA apartheid too)

i remember my days in high scool,i love poetry ;d

holydante:

hahaha, i didnt even check the top page before i posted my request.

You are great

holydante:

omgggggg, my lit teacher celebrated me in front of my class mates for penning this down exactly in the exam, we exhaustively debated the bolded part and made refrenecs to ''The Root'' (kuntakinte); to think that i let go of Eng.lit and hardly revisited.

Thanks @ op for this thread, i bet this will be one of the cuss-free thread that will exist on NL . so much to make ones time worthwhile

where can i get the lines to  ''Night Rain'' by Prof JP Clark

ONE OF MY BEST TOO

wow, i think am a scholar cos have read abt 75% of d poems posted above
it jst reminded me of lit english lecturer

holydante:

One amazing thing about these writers was their ability to evoke so much memories and imagery in one and make the heart tender and filled with contemplative thoughts, especially after understanding the background against which they penned down certain poems, you could almost feel their pains, anguish and joy at those moments although one is far removed from the plot.

I just called home and confirmed that my ''West African Verse'' is tucked away in an antique book shelve courtesy of my teacher-mama, its quite a distance from where I am, when i get it, i will scan pages to those in need, hehehehe

Can you call again to confirm, don't raise my hopes abeg!!!

AFRICA - Chime Hilary

africa here i come, africa
africa of the black soul
the soul of an ancient culture
the culture of your timid tribes.

its your voice i hear africa
your voice of the talking drums
your beaded drums and the royal trumpeter
the metal gong of your town crier

i have come to see your music dance
i have heard of your ageless minstrels
have i not heard of your swinging hips?
i have heard enough and have come to watch
wouldn't you dance for me africa

africa here i come africa
would you not show me to your tribes
the timid tribes of your sweetened tongues
the varied tongues of your virtuous men

africa, black soul africa
tell me about your gods
your gods of the sky and of the mother earth
your gods of the hills and of the rivers abound

show me to your kings africa
your kings of the ancient dynasty
the ancient dynasty of rusted spear and shield
africa, here i come africa

God bless you so much for this


wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Lament of the Flutes - Christopher Okigbo



TIDEWASH……Memories

fold-over-fold free-furrow

mingling old tunes with new.

Tidewash, Ride me

memories, astride on firm

saddle, wreathed with white

lillies & roses of blood,



Sing to the rustic flute:

Sing a new note,



Where are the Maytime flowers,

where the roses? What will the

Watermaid bring at sundown,

a garland? A handful of tears?

Sing to the rustic flute:

Sing a new note,



Comes Dawn

gasping thro worn lungs,

Day breathes,

panting like torn horse -



We follow the wind to the fields

Bruising grass leafblade and corn,



Sundown: I draw in my egg head.

Night falls

smearing sore bruises with Sloan's

boring new holes in old sheets -



We hear them, the talkative pines,

And nightbirds and woodnymphs afar off ,



Shall I answer their call,

creep on my underself

out of my snug hole, out of my shell

to the rocks and the fringe for cleansing?

Shall I offer to Idoto

my sandhouse and bones,

then write no more snow-patch?



Sing to the rustic flute.

Sing a new note.

such a lovely topic. i was just contemplating last week on how to get West African verse to buy.

eldee:



Can you call again to confirm, don't raise my hopes abeg!!!

lol, sure i dont have to do that to you, i was told its ''dog-eared'' and tucked in there but its kinda light years from where i am presently, you can call good old CMS bookshop and find out if they have it in stock (that is if you are in Nigeria) i will do my best but not now certainly.

cheers

One million Gbosas for the following geniuses:

1. Whoever started this thread
2. All the wonderful people that posted one work or the other.
3. Whoever posted SONGS OF SORROW by Kofi Awoonor

I love you all.

Thanks for this thread. Brings back great memories.

This thread is great, not like most other threads that elicits bitterness.

Please anyone that wants to reader further should try to get a copy of [/b][/i]Poems of Black Africa by Wole Soyinka[b][i] contains the works of Koffi Awoonor, Kwesi Brew, David Rubadiru, Oswald Mshali, Ngugi wa Thiongo and whole lot of Africa's great poet. Just check any of the old bookstores

oh my God, Africa by JP Clark is a classic, can recite it till date, i am loving this thread!!! Lemme share a poem i wrote:

Love is Love - Fado

Love is love
Love is like a dove
It spreads its wings
Without a fling
It expects no sting
But just wanna sing
Great songs of inspiration
That has no fixed duration

Love roars like a beast
Looking for nothing but a feast
It ignites like a flame
And trades no blame
It has no pride
But simply wants a bride
To cherish and to hold
Not to tarnish and scold

Love has no width and length
But dwells on trust and strength
It’s only for the strong to desire
And for the weak to retire
Love heals with ease
And can only thrive on peace
So love like u mean it
If its love, its not deceit

holydante:

lol, sure i dont have to do that to you, i was told its ''dog-eared'' and tucked in there but its kinda light years from where i am presently, you can call good old CMS bookshop and find out if they have it in stock (that is if you are in Nigeria) i will do my best but not now certainly.

cheers

I don't live in Naij . . . tried ebay and Amazon, the only copy I found is about £100.

.