₦airaland Forum

macalurs:
New yam Festival

I was young, when days were old
When gods of harvest bless'd ten-fold
And leafed men in masks esteemed sexy
That danced to please applauding bevy
And the ground shook beneath legendary stunt-men,
The rythm, zealous lads as I, left us chanting:

"Onye akpala nwa-agu aka n'odu
M'odi ndu m'onwuru anwu"^a

More masquerades, excitement at best
When Mkpokiti-- the legends of the dance-- graced the fest
Their charmed ladies dotted in beauty chalk
Left us lads arroused and afraid to walk
And beneath my baked bare torso
My heart pumped palm oil, for the yam was today not tomorrow:

"Onye akpala nwa-agu aka n'odu
M'odi ndu m'onwuru anwu!"



_{a: The chant simply is ibo. It means: May none touch a young tiger's tail, dead or alive}