EDITORIAL

WELCOME

TO

OUR POETRY ARCHIVE

Dear friends we would like to thank you all for taking our monthly web journal to a new height. Our Poetry Archive has got a readership of more than 152300! With this March issue we are completing our second year in web publishing. As you all know from last October 2016 we are publishing special Continental numbers focusing on poets and poetry of a particular Continent in a single volume. We had already published the European special number of OPA in October 2016. Where poets from all over Europe had participated with their poems both with the original version of the poems and the version translated in English. We had done this only to facilitate our European readers to enjoy their favorite poets in their own languages. After the success of this endeavor, last December’16 we published the North American Special edition of OPA, which was a huge success! Now this March we are presenting our 3^rd Continental Special edition covering entire Africa. Readers can read poems of poets from Algeria to Mauritius, From Egypt to South Africa, from Tunisia to Kenya, From Nigeria to Uganda. Still we are not satisfied as all the countries of this great Continent and the various literary traditions have not been covered in this single volume. Yet we can guarantee that our readers will enjoy an African flavor in this special number of OPA. Our specials thank goes to the poet contributors of this volume for participating in this special edition of OPA. More over this March we are introducing a lot of new poets to our regular readers. We hope you would enjoy the poetic merit of these young talents. It is one of the principals of Our Poetry Archive to give the younger generations an opportunity to showcase their individual talents in the international arena of literary fraternity. And we are continuing with this principal from the very beginning of our journey in web publishing.

Is poetry the supreme expression of the noblest human emotions: of love and sympathy; of awareness of the infinite value of life; of the realizations of the eternal truth through the strokes of individual talents of creative genius? Yes poetry is all these together in a single volume of human brilliance! And a poet’s life is the extension of human consciousness into the eternal essence of life and sympathy! His soul belongs to the future as well as to the present of his own time with the cultural heritage of his predecessors. So a true poet lives not only in his contemporary time but also in the time future with his cultural heritage projecting the eternal essence of human sympathy and consciousness.

It is the magic of poetry which every poet wants to live with, to explore and to put an individual signature of brilliance into it. So we with our limited capacity wish to capture this entire phenomenon in this online monthly poetry journal and want to present our readers a flavor of contemporary poetical activity around the world. So next April we’ll again explore the different literary traditions and various poetical heritages that are expressing their cultural excellence through the individual literary brilliance of the present day poets of Europe, North and South America and Australia, New Zealand. So we are extending an open invitation only to all the poets of these regions to participate in our next issue.

Our next Continental Special edition will feature the poets with Asian origin.  So for this scheduled special edition we would also like to invite our friends from all over Asia to participate with their literary contributions. This edition is scheduled to be published in MAY’17. We would request you all, to clearly mention the Month in the subject line of your mail so that we know of which number you are contributing. And it is our humble request to all the poets and friends, please do provide us with your short BIO, written only in 3^rd person narrative with all your submissions, so that we can introduce you with our international readers properly. It’ll also help you to reach to a much wider audience. People will recognize you instantly by your name.

Poetry is also a means to transcend our personal visionary limitations to reach the cultural extensions of our traditions and inheritance in this ever changing world. Poetry also constantly propels us towards the future. And a literary magazine or specially a poetical journal has much to offer to ensure communication between the poet and the readers evolving through traditions and cultural inheritance. So we would constantly keep on trying to establish these live communications, and only to ensure this, like our previous numbers we are presenting poet Silas Abayomi of Nigeria, currently living in US as the “Poet of The Month’ in this special African number of OPA. Readers will find an interview of the poet taken by our editorial team supervised by poetess Deborah Brooks Langford and poetess Stacia Lynn Reynolds.  We are really grateful to the poet for the interview and hope our readers will also enjoy both his poems and interview.

The last date of submission for both the April and May issue is 21^st March 2017.  We would like to request everyone to submit at least 3 poems with one profile picture and the short Bio, along with the explicit confirmation, of your permission, to publish your copyrighted materials to Our Poetry Archive. Our email address is: ourpoetryarchive@gmail.com

Please specify, in the subject line of your email, which edition you are submitting to, to avoid any confusion, and to assure your poems are published in the correct edition. We sincerely thank each poet, poetess and reader who is actively involved in this wonderful blog and continued support of Our Poetry Archive. You are greatly appreciated.

From The Editorial Desk

OPA

A

WORLDWIDE WRITERS’ WEB

PRESENTATION!

PUBLISHED BY

OPA

OUR

POETRY ARCHIVE

ONLINE MONTHLY POETRY JOURNAL

https://ourpoetryarchive.blogspot.com

email us to:

ourpoetryarchive@gmail.com

******************************************

SILASOLA ABAYOMI

OUR POETRY ARCHIVE FEATURED

                     POET OF THE MONTH

SILAS OLA ABAYOMI

MARCH 2017

OPA How long have you been writing Poetry? We would like to know the early stories about your growing up as a poet or writer in general. Who are your favorite Poets? What are some of your favorite genres to read and to write? Had they inspired you a lot, do you believe in inspiration as a guiding force behind writings at all?

SILAS  I have been writing for over thirty years; I grew up among family members who were and still writers, my teacher-brothers fired my imagination, they honed my writing skills in those formative years. When growing up, my older brothers would give me books to read, asked me to summarize. Later, they would give me wide range of topics to write about, which they would assess and critique. In fact, their drilling skills helped me so much that when I got to college, I had already known the ABC of writing, the troika-Accuracy, Brevity, and Clarity upon which writing anchor.

I have so many favorite poets within and outside Africa;

Primarily, I love William Shakespeare, Thomas Wyatt, John Clare, Maya Angelou, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, John Pepper Clark, Leopold Sedar Senghor, Mukoma wa Ngugi, Christopher Okigbo, and Niyi Osundare. Interestingly, the literary work of these great poets have continued to inspire and to influence my work to this day.

My favorite genres include but not limited to Historical Fiction, Romance, Memoir, Poetry, True Crime, Adventure, Comedy, Political History, and Science Fiction.

OPA What has been the toughest criticism given to you as a writer? What was the biggest compliment? Did those change how or what you write?  What has been the strangest thing that a reader has asked you?

SILAS As a writer, the toughest criticism came with rejection of a major work three or four times because reviewers and publishers thought  “too political.” when you live in a politically volatile environment, writers, publishers, vendors, photographers are always at the risk of state suppression. However, these few occasions of rejection, the so-called “stumbling block” literary work turned “stepping stone” elsewhere. The rejected literary writing became literary trajectory that launched me on international scene. Since becoming a poet whose works are read globally, my work’s acceptance rate has continued to grow; I have mentored  many young writers, among those that had asked me-why making poetry out of public issues?

OPA What is your favorite poem you have ever written? Compared to when you first started writing, have you notice any big changes in your writing style or how you write compared from then to now?

SILAS As of today, I have over three hundred poems, several short stories, and a book; to me, I love these pieces; nevertheless, this poem: “The Golden Mother” stands out. The work had reached over 600,000 readers worldwide, and many more accessing it. It is a work dedicated to all mothers around the globe for their sacrifices, services, and care from home front to secular commitments.

No doubt, my work has witnessed significant changes over the years; at the start, I could only write few lines of poetry, a sonnet of fourteen lines; limerick of five lines. In the past, most of my writings always follow same pattern of style- rhythm, alliteration, meter (using dimeter/two feet, trimester/three feet, and tetrameter/four feet) and onomatopoeia. As time progressed, I became proficient in many styles: ballad, blank verse, couplet, elegy, epic, free verse, idyll, lyric, ode, and narrative. Today, I explore different styles in my writings, I use single or multiple styles in a piece; more important, I had transited from a-few-line-poet to a-many-line-writer.

OPA   What has been your favorite part of being a poet or and author? What has been your least favorite?

SILAS As a poet, I have used poetry to reach hundreds of thousands with several socio-cultural, economic and political messages; more significantly, I have continuously used poetry as a change agent through awareness creation. From time to time, I use poetry to educate, instruct, and to set agenda on public issues, which policy formulators have always found very useful.

As an author, I have set a new bar for what poetry and literature should be in 21^st and beyond. By means of my new book “The Watchnight Songs” published in 2014, I have revolutionized Poetry and Literature through innovations ever known in poetry and literature. Now one can visualize poetry, one can “see” and “feel” poetry by means of full-color pictures. For decades and centuries, poetry had been presented with only material contents of single or multiple messages, and in most cases, interpretations highly subjective, even when figures of speech are or were applied to locate the meaning.

Today, poems come with full-color pictures, which make interpretations and meanings of literary works ease to discern.

In addition, the book has created a paradigm shift by using Poetry not only as a language, that is, flowery expression, but also as a medium of communication, like the five popular traditional media that perfection same functions of informing, surveillance, educate, transmission of culture, entertaining, set agenda, and socialization.

On the other hand, I see poetry still far behind compared with other disciplines, even though, poetry and literature have been around for thousands of years. I believe with time, poetry will catch up and out run other disciplines.

OPA  Did you get to quit your day job and become a writer and or author or do you still have a day job and writing is something you do for fun? If you still have a day job, what is it?

SILAS No, I haven’t left my job, rather my job-as a teacher synchronizes with writing, as both are conjoined twins. They are related, in fact, one would say, they are inseparable twins.

OPA   Besides writing and reading, what is your most favorite thing to do? What genre are you most looking forward to explore during your writing career? Why?

SILAS I love photography, perhaps, one may say-reading, writing, and photography complete the cycle of knowledge. If you read without writing, information gathered during reading may be lost, if you read, write, and no pictures or images to etch or inscribe information permanently in mind, the vast knowledge from reading and writing will be lost forever.

Over the years, I have come to like narrative poetry, which is a version verbal representation of event in a sequential way; more so, it helps in relating both historical and political events more than news reporting. In addition, I like epic, descriptive, and elegy poetry.

OPA: Do you think literature or poetry is really essential in our life? If so why? How does it relate to the general history of mankind?

SILAS  Both poetry and literature are very important because  they are the routes to understand how “language  and symbol systems work”; with powerful means of expression-deep feelings, emotions, and aesthetics-poetry and literature convey thoughts imaginatively; more so, through poetry, according to Fareed Siddiqui,  “creeds and system of human values are discussed that a reader may ultimately be enlightened and rejoice.”

Poetry is a source of inspiration, it connects people with their past. Poems like Ballard, Epic, Narratives, Descriptive, Ode, Epigram, Epitaph, Idyll, Lay, and List have one thing in common-they are reminiscence of past or present events preserved for the future generations to learn.

OPA   Our readers would like to know your own personal experience regarding the importance of literature and poetry in your life.

SILAS Poetry has shaped my personality in many ways, it has enhanced my thinking ability, makes me more compassionate about life, gives me the analytical mind to look at issue thoroughly.

OPA Do you think people in general actually bother about literature in general?  Do you think this consumerist world is turning the average man away from serious literature?

SILAS  There is no doubt, people that are thirsty for knowledge care about poetry and literature; even though, today’s world is shifting from a traditional setting to a more science controlled world by means of technology and information, regardless, literature will still have a role, because it anchors on language, and by extension, medium of communication.

OPA Do you think society, as a whole, has a factor in shaping you as a poet, or your poetry altogether?

SILAS Yes, society does, because everyone is a product of a society. Through, culture, education, religion, social values, and human society influence people they raised.  From pass-on culture, a poet is raised; from society’s education system, a poet is trained and groomed; from society’s religious beliefs and creeds-a poet is nurtured and reared.

Because of this development, in most, if not in all cases, these factors shape and mold poets, more so, influence what they write.

Although, foreign influence, international exposure through books, education, travel, and adventure may create a new vista or spectacle; nevertheless, poet’s immediate culture or environment has a powerful impact on its work.

OPA We would also like to know; How do you relate the present literary trends with the literary heritage of your own country? 

SILAS In the last century-the world of humankind was called “Global Village,” but today, the same world is addressed “neighborhood.” This explains how close humans are by means of telecommunication. With social media, twenty-four-hour-news-reporting, international flights, globalization, political, economic and social alliances among humanity-there will be integration among people, poets inclusive, because we live in global village with similar goals and aspirations.

In addition, human needs, wants and desires are same, regardless of where they live; more important, humans have three common enemies: politicians, big businesses, and organized religions-poets will continue to relate with one another on a global scene by exposing aggressors and educating the victims.

Through electronic books and search engines, local poets will continue to relate with fellow poets around the world, creating similar messages for similar problems for different audiences against common enemies.

OPA Do you support feminisms? Can literature play any decisive role in feminism at all?

SILAS Yes, I do. Literature can play decisive role in promoting women’s rights; just as poetry can become a strong medium to advance equal treatment for women.

OPA Do you believe that all writers are by and large the product of their nationality? Is it an incentive or an obstacle in becoming an international writer?

SILAS Yes, I strongly believe that poets are product of their nationality because poets are molded by nation’s collective elements: culture, education, and religion, and political orientation, social and economic ideologies.

 

OPA What 7 words would you use to describe yourself?

SILAS is an easy going and intellectually engaging man.

OPA   Is there anything else that you would like to share or say to those who will read this interview?

SILAS I want to thank the several thousand readers of my writings that had appeared on this platform; more so, those that had commented on my works severally. I have drawn great inspiration from these comments, and I am humbled by your kind words.

SILAS MOYANPOOLA OLAOYIN ABAYOMI was a former Assistant Professor of Communication at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Nigeria. For about a decade, Ola-Abayomi (as fondly called) taught Integrated Marketing Communication, International Communication, Media Economy, and African Communication Systems. Upon re-locating to United States, he changed his research focus/interest from Mass Communication to Linguistics, Anthropology, and Cultural Studies. Abayomi has over three hundred poems, which covered several aspects of human lives; in addition, many short stories and a book “The Watchnight Songs” published in 2014.His writings had appeared in many local, international journals, and several leading online literary journals such as Our Poetry Archive, Song Soptok, High On Poems, World Poetry, Poetry Foundation, Poetry Nation, Allpoetry, Family Friend Poetry. In addition, Abayomi had featured in many anthologies: Anthology of Peace Poetry; Inspired By Gandhi, International Writing Competition, 2014-2015; Where Mind Dwells Consolation, edited by John T. Eber;  Broken Atoms in Our Hands: Nuclear Impact Anthology. Recently, he launched a website: http://www.yorupedia.com, an online Encyclopedia or resource center, which  provides detailed information on Yoruba people of Western Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Cote d’ Ivoire,  and in diaspora. It is a multi-purpose website for scholars, linguists, historians, anthropologists, and students undertaking advanced studies in Yoruba culture, language, and history. Abayomi is a teacher, poet, historian, and a cultural anthropologist.

The editorial staff of this project: Deborah Brooks Langford, Stacia Lynn Reynolds; sincerely thank you for your time and hope we shall have your continued support.

SILAS ABAYOMI

SILAS ABAYOMI

AFRICA! AFRICA! AFRICA!

Africa-home to Nile-

earth’s longest river,

second largest landmass

after Asia;

a centrally located

geo-political confine

nestled by four

continental waters:

Mediterranean Sea,

Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean,

and Red Sea.

Africa-a home to

1.2 billion people-

most racially

diversified continent in

the universe,

an abode to one-sixth of

world’s population.

Africa-the land of ancient

kingdoms and empires-

some that survived to this day,

land of Pharaohs, mummies,

pyramids.

Africa home to multiple and

varied geographical features:

Sahara and Kalahari Deserts,

the open grassland of

Horn of Africa to the

Eastern corridor

with wonderful elevations.

Africa-home to extraordinary

biomes of highlands, un-equal valleys,

deep-inch tropical rainforest,

and natural zoological

gardens;

the Safari-overland journey-of

game viewing from the great

East to Southern Africa,

world largest wildlife reserve.

In west or sunset are

eye-catching landmarks-

buildings, ancient cities and

towns-Ile-Ife, Benin, Gao, and

Timbuktu,

with relics and institutions-the

Sankore University.

In east is Ethiopia-

the land of Sheba-

a continuously inhabited land

of over five millennia;

in the central is the second

largest rain forest on earth-

home to eleven countries of

multiple nationalities.

In her are natural phenomenal,

which predates Christianity

that made Africa a unique continent,

in Africa is Egypt-first world power-

source of human civilization.

In Africa were kingdoms and empires

victim-land to several world powers,

later European laboratory to

experiment colonialism,

epicenter of trans-Atlantic-slavery,

land shared and apportioned by

non-natives for centuries.

The land that sustained Greece,

built Rome, created wealth for

European lords for centuries,

her wealth other people

shared and looted,

her strength non-Africans

maximized to build their

homes,

her lands and resources

they took away from her

by force.

Her sons and daughters,

ferried across Sahara Desert

and Atlantic Ocean to serve in

unknown lands;

land Christendom and Islam

fought to control its soul,

land of un-ending wailing.

Her breasts-source of un-ending

milk-

her womb-life that sustained

many for centuries,

Africa-hand that baked cakes

for many to eat for centuries,

her back-crèche that carried

several people across rivers,

streams at no cost.

Her pains-joy and happiness-

it became for many,

her wailings, like tambourine

it served to others,

her discomfort gave

comfort to others.

WOMAN: EVERY HOME ALTRUIST

Everything in her

serve the good in others,

her daily activities promote

joy and happiness of fellow

humans.

Early in the morning,

her concern is her

household,

throughout the day,

her interest is about

home front’s welfare

At night she takes stock

of services rendered,

her mind she turns to

super intelligent calculator

that take all details of daily

activities.

Her heart-inner room-

becomes a spread on mat

for everyone to lie,

her abode she makes

public square and courtyard,

the temple everyone visits.

Her milk-literal and

symbolic-

she gives to everyone

as nourishment;

her breasts the apple

non-seasonal fruit

every living dine on,

yet never run out.

Same breasts-her soul mate-

upon sighting or touching

elicit joy no money can buy.

Her tummy-the palace-

beyond description,

a multi-purpose mansion

every soul will hire for

nine months.

Her specially designed

door,

all-purpose-door-

through it seed of

life is planted,

by means of it same life

is delivered.

Her back the eternal abaft

that carries and supports

load of life.

Her legs mobile wheel and

the vehicle of life,

her hands-she use to

feed the nation-

same hands are the

repository for the

codes of love.

Her tongue-where wisdom-

resides-

her mouth-bedrock of

smiles;

smiles with potential to

stop a war,

nuclear arsenal

can’t accomplish.

Smiles that define love and

explain love,

smiles that cement love,

smiles the gateway to peace.

Woman-symbolic tree of life,

multi-purpose-palm tree-

that gives what no other

trees have.

Woman-in you life resides,

woman-through you

life is nurtured,

by means of you-life is

sustained, preserved, and

protected.

You are more than gold,

you are more than silver,

you are more than copper,

you are more than diamond,

yes-you are more than emerald.

Woman-the symbol of LIFE.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

From inner room to

open field,

from kitchen countertop

to office desk,

her travails remain the same.

Everyday she tells stories

that draws tears from hearers’

eyes,

unceasingly, stories that elicit

sympathy-she relates to her

listeners;

beyond description account

on inhuman treatment never

run out from her mouth.

Unending pains and sorrows

from society created and

sustained evil-

violence against women-

dossier she keeps;

her take home is violence,

her companion is aggression and

sadism.

Every direction she turns

violence envelops her,

every community-she resides-

cruelty and savagery-

gifts she receives.

Everywhere she lives-

conservative, liberal, strictly and

non-religious, close, open,

traditional or dotcom society,

she lives, grows, and dies in

violence.

At home-punching bag-

she has become in the

hand of uncultured man,

sex-satisfying-object-

she is before a

libido-controlled-stallion.

Rape she suffers continually

from abusers-mostly known-

incest-her captor-subject her

upon,

just as society blames and

condemns her for the evils

that befall her.

Violence against her has no

limit,

violence against her has no

border,

insofar she is biologically

identified as a woman and

distinctively feminine,

pre-birth-infancy-girlhood-

adolescence-and-elderly,

cycle of society prepared

abuse, she undergoes.

Physically-she is tortured,

sexually-she is assaulted,

molested, and violated,

emotionally a she is injured

and damaged,

economically-she is denied

empowerment, made a pauper

to be dependent on

man in perpetuity

Unfriendly custom and practices-

honor killing, dowry violence,

mob violence are her share

and inheritance;

unpleasant-yes-

disadvantageous position

such as pre-natal sex selection

abortion, female infanticide-

she finds herself in most

societies of homo sapiens.

Her biologically configuration

mankind keeps exploiting for

economic gains,

her sexuality-good for nothing-

son-of-Adam turns to

automated teller machine.

Her womanhood,

nature-created-honorable

tool-of-pleasure-and-procreation

mankind has turned immoral,

desecrated, and profaned;

her rights-inalienable and

constitutionally grantee,

continuously come under 

attack by hostage takers,

forced  displacement,

systemic rapists, sex slave

owners,

and forced pregnancyagents

Will all men and women of

goodwill around the globe

keep quiet for these evils to

continue?

How long will our daughters,

wives, sisters, nieces, mothers

be viewed from binocular lens

different from their males

counterparts?

This is the time to

Declare War on

Violence against Women;

Let “Peace on earth

and good will to men”

applies to Women.

THE INK IN MY BLOOD

Speak your mind,

tell your story, and

write your history;

turn your blood to

ink of life,

through your stylus indite. 

Make your blood write 

that you may live,

let your fountain pen remain

eternal companion,

make it talk in your behalf;

your Dip and Ballpoint pens-

sink in your blood-

paint them red

to give messages of life.

Turn Roller Ball, Fiber Tip, and

Gel Ink pens to coding agents

of society’s DNA and RNA,

today’s  events let the pens

code with your blood-

let the blood replicate,

clone, and reproduce

today for your tomorrow.

Put red cells

to work-

hire them to

carry your sayings to

desired destinations,

white cells-please-

train to defend you against

evils in the society,

platelets-instruct to shut down

traitors’ mouth, and plasma

teach to draw you to people

of like minds.

Whatever is your genotype,

whatever is your rhesus,

it makes no difference,

ink-of-life-

make out of your blood;

put your blood to work

to perpetuate real and

historic lives through

documentation.

Even in death,

people will say

your blood had spoken,

your blood had made history,

your had won battle of life,

your blood had created imperishable

testament.

THE GOLDEN MOTHER

In her tummy,

I lain for three hundred days,

a single, but multi-purpose  room;

there I slept and played

there I ate and bathed.

A blanket that warmed me in winter

the linen that refreshed me

 in the summer,

a protective cover of all

times and seasons

from harm and disease.

A gymnasium of every sort-

where I ran and skipped,

where I relaxed 

when wanted and desired.

Where I changed body position,

whenever necessary.

Her discomfort was my comfort,

her varied and numerous pains 

gave way to my happiness  and

joy within.

Her groaning, I care less to know,

her overweight, the load I passed

over to her,

her edema, my waste she carried.

Her arms my couch and

sofa of three years,

her breasts,

my never-run-out-food-pantry;

her legs spinning chairs

that always put me to sleep.

Her laps I bed wet for years,

her clothes I turned to diapers

to hold my waste;

her head-tie I used

as handkerchief 

to clean my face.

Her back-a mobile crèche

without equal,

her mouth-the lullaby

gramophone

devoid of musical instruments,

unbeatable by any

world class musician.

My cries she understands,

my pain, she bears and soothes,

my joy, we both share-

when I smile, she laughs.

My concern her concern,

My emotions, she reads easily,

My feelings, she interprets with

correctness.

Her name I knew before other names,

her voice, I recognized with distinction,

her face, the first image ever recorded

in mind.

When I play she responds

positively,

modest, yet very inviting were

her challenges for my growth and

development;

out of love,

she challenged

me to begin

the walk of life by steps.

Challenged me to crawl by

throwing dice at me,

tasked me to stand up

raising objects

atop of me;

tasked me to walk

by holding my hands,

taught me how to run

by running with me.

From her I learned

first lesson of life,

all-round teacher in

those formative years;

all-time companion,

who does not abandon

even in tough times.

The inner room counsellor-

who assures, supports, and defends;

shall I forget you,

even with a few failings

and noticeable errors?

Never! Never!!Never!!!

May you continue to live,

let your pride of motherhood

manifest to ALL.

SILAS ABAYOMI