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In the first part of this article I talked about the polity and how we follow our leaders stupidly; now let me talk about how we follow our religious leaders…

The political leaders are not the only ones who dictate the happenings in our society; the spiritual leaders too contribute in no small measure. The spiritual leaders not only teach morals according to the teachings of the Holy Books, they also help to motivate our spirit through their teachings when the storms of life come knocking and as well shape our general belief. Thus, they have enormous influence on our way of life and also command lots of respect amongst us. In fact, the impact of the spiritual leaders on the people cannot be over emphasized. Even without taking time to digest it, the words of our spiritual leaders carries a lot of weight particularly among their members. Our perspectives on various issues as it affects the society and our general beliefs are most times influenced by our professed faith. Also, some of us tend to imitate our spiritual leaders in talking, walking, dressing etc. Mere physical appearance of some people is enough to tell you where they belong.

Considering the level of our religiosity as evident by the crowd at the various religious gatherings, one would have thought that our society should be free from certain ills that have continued to ravage our nation. That our nation is still one of the most corrupt in the world, and the fact that we continue to kill one another on the altar of ethnicity and religion either means that we are not being fed with the right spiritual and moral foods or we refuse to abide by the teachings of our spiritual leaders.

Though, there are followers who have sworn to take the path of destruction despite the warning and advice of our spiritual fathers, but then, judging by the way we imitate our spiritual leaders, I think we are good followers. Through the teachings and the way of life of a few of our spiritual leaders, they have proved to us that we must pursue the good things of life at all costs without first pursuing the giver of all good things. Just the same way some of our religious leaders are ready to do whatever it takes to increase their congregation and in-turn accumulate enormous wealth and influence in the society, the people too are ready to do just anything to acquire wealth and power.

Already we know that most of our political leaders accused of embezzling our common wealth are members of the two dominant religions. Regrettably, they always occupy the front seat at our religious gatherings, even if they come late because their pockets are deep enough to make big donations. Rather than condemn their evil acts and ask them to repent, some of our spiritual leaders use their position as the spiritual head to request the congregation to pray for them so that they can move up the political ladder. Ours is a pathetic situation, where political officers swear by the holy books (Bible and Qur’an), and walk into their offices only to steal funds meant to provide infrastructure for the masses. It is pitiful to know that government funds are stolen to sponsor party supporters and family members to religious pilgrimages in Mecca and Jerusalem. This is a clear case of stealing from man to give God. May God save us from our Saviours!

Furthermore, many at times, the messages of some of our spiritual leaders have further helped to divide the country along religious and ethnic lines. I wonder how the nation would make progress, if we do not work together, irrespective of our religious and ethnic affiliation. Even amongst those who profess the same faith, there is division arising as a result of differences in the mode of worship. Those who do not belief in a particular style of worship are tagged “unbelievers”. Considering that the level of moral decadence in our society has continued to rise despite our claim of religiosity, it would not be wrong to say we are simply following our leaders. After all, some of those who are supposed to set the pace are themselves involved in more despicable acts than their followers (Apostle Johnson Suleiman of Omega Fire Ministries is an example here; but with a caveat. What if the man is innocent? What if he has settled his mistakes with his God? What if anyone who emulates him wrongly fails to settle with God and eventually end up in hell?).

At the peak of insurgency in the northeast, it was on the news that one of the states affected by the crisis budgeted millions of Naira to offer prayers for the state. This goes to show how much we belief in the Supreme Being as a people. Therefore our spiritual fathers have a duty to feed us with the right teachings that would not only nourish our spirit being but would also translate to national unity and progress. Much of the vices in our society would not have come to being, if those charged with the responsibilities of upholding morals are not setting bad examples themselves. It’s high time our spiritual leaders walked their talk, so that the people, particularly the youths, who see them as role models would not be misled. The foundation of a peaceful and prosperous nation heavily rest on the shoulder of our spiritual fathers.

Shola Olayiwola is a freelance writer. He loves to write and defend the course of his country.

In the first and second parts of this article I talked about our political and religious bodies respectively. Now let me take if further down to the basic unit of any nation; the family…

Atiba was a loving husband and caring father until he lost his well-paying job. After several months of job hunting, one of his friends was able to find him a place in a private school. His new job as a teacher wasn’t paying like his former job as a factory manager. All efforts to get a better paying job proved abortive. As a result, he could not meet the needs of his family as they were already used to high life. As a factory manager, he was provided with accommodation and a car among other benefits, which were taken away after he was sacked. His wife, Salia, too did not help matters as she nag him always for his inability to provide adequately for the family like before. He became frustrated and sometimes he finds solace in alcohol and smoking. Whenever he was drunk, he beat his wife at the slightest provocation even in the presence of their only son, Rufai. Most times, Rufai would cry while trying to stop the father from beating his mother. Although, he was only 4 years old, he was quite aware of his father’s change of attitude.

One day, Atiba returned home from work and was welcomed home by his nagging wife with the complaint that electricity officials have disconnected them because they haven’t paid their bills in 3 months. Rather than comment on the wife’s complaint, he requested for his food. His wife then insisted he must tell her what he was going to do to get the officials reconnect them. This however got Atiba angry and he left home to hang out with his friends hoping that before he returns his wife may have found her sense of reasoning. On returning home in the night, he was already drunk. He stood at the door knocking but the wife responded that he should go back to where he was coming from. Even the intervention of their neighbours who came to plead with her to open the door was not enough to appease her. After waiting for about 2 hours outside, the wife finally opened the door for him. Atiba, who was visibly angry, pounced on her as soon as she opened the door. Unfortunately, the wife didn’t witness her husband go to jail. She collapsed and died in the hands of Atiba who descended on her with punches.

Rufai grew up with an aged grandmother who couldn’t take adequate care of him, both morally and intellectually. He grew from being a street hawker, to being a bus conductor, and ended up in jail after he became a street thug.

The family is the smallest unit of the society. How a child turns out in future largely depends on the way he or she is brought up by the parents. Although, there are those who prove to be black sheep, whom despite their parents’ efforts still didn’t emulate them. However, most children see their parents as role models and if they lack exemplary character their children can emulate, they are bound do what they see their parents do. The inability of parents to manage their marital issues in private, but choose to wash their dirty linen in the presence of children is partly the reasons responsible for the various disorders in our society. Of course, improperly managed marital crisis is the reasons for divorce and when couples part ways, it is the children who suffer. In the case of Atiba, his son would always remember him for those punches that sent his mother to her early grave. The armed and pen robbers in our society are products of a family. Likewise the cultist, street urchin, fraudsters, terrorists and others are products of a family.

A violent and corrupt free society begins from the family. Parents must not only teach their children the way to go but must also live by those principles. A man who tells his son not to tell lies, but would always instruct the child to tell a person he does not want to see that he is not at home is already grooming a liar. Likewise, a woman who says to the daughter that anyone who steal is a thief, but hides stolen item in her daughter’s bag while on shopping with her in the supermarket is already grooming an armed robber. If a child is rude to elders or always hostile to others, he or she is probably portraying one of the parents’ characters. A man who out of anger or frustration like Atiba pounces on his wife probably has nothing good his son can emulate.

The task of nation building does not rest on our leaders alone, it starts from the family. Just as the Holy Book taught us, husbands must love their wives and live up to their responsibilities as the head of the family, so that their sons too can emulate them when they grow to have their own family. So also, wives must respect/be submissive to their husbands and be good role models to their daughters so that they also would take the same to their husbands’ house in future.

Shola Olayiwola is a freelance writer. He loves to write and defend the course of his country.

My heart is clouded with fear
Which turn my moon dark
With corrosive malt dear
And a deep gash mark

Above the ground my sight I guide
Before my feet I sway
Like the bell side by side
To Fight my days and sort my way

All the joy of evil I bear
Like the dark knight I cry
As I wallow, my heart cries I hear
In reedy, my strength and voice sound high

To my heart I bear the root of cloud
As my agony strives and sound loud
In the mist of the sky
My heart is dark and dry.

***

OGUNSEYE ABOLANLE Suliamon is a 24 years old Poet. He had his National Diploma in Mass communication at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic.

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As we are all aware, Nigeria is faced with many economic and social problems of stupendous and frightening proportions. Many of these problems, such as unemployment, extreme poverty, ethnic and religious issues, have been there since independence. Fifty-six years after, we are yet to make headway out of these evils.

So many intelligible solutions have been proffered by our past and present political leaders but these challenges are still there. Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo once said “Ethnicity and religion undermine and threaten our national concord and sense of oneness.” He further stated that unemployment breeds frustration, resentment and anti-social tendencies; that poverty breeds envy and hatred of the affluent, antagonism to society at large and rebellion; that ignorance breeds misunderstanding, promotes oppression and exploitation, and eventually provokes social clashes and collision. Since independence till date Nigeria has produced about 15 different leaders (both military and civilians) yet none of them has been able to deliver our mother land from these evils bedeviling her. Two of them President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Mohammed Buhari were opportune to rule Nigeria both as military and civilian leaders. (Their efforts actually seem like nothing in many quarters. Perhaps, this verifies the fact that military or civilian rule is not the main problem).

So who will save us from this current path of economic and social downturns? Is it the old generation of politicians who had everything perfectly planned out on paper but were unable to lay a solid foundation for the country? Or the current crops of politicians who are ready to take advantage of the gullibility and ignorance of the people to get to power, only to serve their own selfish interest. Can we depend on those leaders who shun our hospitals to go abroad to treat headache, or the one that schooled in the country but didn’t see any school in the country good enough for his children to attend? This type of leaders can’t save our mother land. If the hospitals and schools in the country are not good enough for them, then they are not fit enough to lead us, after all it’s their responsibility to fix them. Some of them do one small project and they begin to make noise. Maybe we should remind them that providing the people with good roads, water, electricity and other public infrastructures is the reason why we elected them in the first place, so they shouldn’t come and be bragging about it. After all, they didn’t provide anything with their personal resources; they are not doing us any favour!

In the buildup to 2015 elections, some were carrying the message of transformation and others pursuing a change agenda. Be it transformation or change, if it does not create the enabling environment for businesses to thrive, give employment to the army of unemployed youths, put food on the table of our people and if it does not guarantee our security and freedom, deal ruthlessly with ignorance and injustices in our society, it is meaningless. Even after 56 years of independence, there are many patriotic Nigerians who have not given up on their mother land while many others don’t think anything good can come out of our “Jerusalem”. They think we are already a failed state. Though I strongly disagree, if these challenges are not properly handled we might end up as one.

I know we are all praying for a miracle, the followers of the two dominant religions are praying, so also the traditionalists. And I know that the Man up there hears prayers. But we must not forget that faith without works is death. It wasn’t faith alone that revolutionized the economies of countries like Malaysia and Singapore; it was a combination of faith and work. Malaysia, a multi-ethnic nation like Nigeria, is said to have been able to maintain ethno-political balance, with a system of government that has attempted to combine overall economic development with political and economic policies that promote equitable participation of all race. Also, Singapore, a small and under-developed nation, has emerged from tumultuous financial, social and political changes over the years to become the first world metropolis that it is today.

Nigeria is in need of a visionary leader who has a clear mental picture of what Nigeria should be and is ready to give it, whatever it takes. A leader who will refuse to be tribalized or religionized but only see himself as a Nigerian. We are in stern need of a “do leader” and not one that makes unnecessary noises or sets up endless committee without acting. Every nation is unique in its own way, so in our case, we need not just a good leader, but someone who is not afraid to step on toes of the “godfathers” and dismantle the “cabals” that are profiting from the disorderly state of Nigeria.

While we are still thinking of the other attributes of the kind of leader we need, we must be wary of those professional politicians who want to divide us along ethnic and religious line, or who want to mock us and take advantage of our weaknesses by trying to buy our conscience with branded rice, meats, oil and other souvenirs. These politicians do not have anything to offer but are only after naked self-interest. Our nation is never in short supply of intellectuals with these attributes mentioned earlier that can make our mother land great. Some of them have even attempted politics in the past but our system frustrated them out, either because they don’t belong to a popular political party or because they refuse to toe the line of those in the game before them whose pocket is deep enough to respond to our immediate greed.

I submit therefore that the task of building our mother land is not in the hands of our leaders alone, every citizen has a part to play to make her great. We must look beyond our immediate benefit and think about the future of our children who are the next generation. We must look beyond political parties and beam our search light on individual candidates. Where our leaders fail to live up to expectation, we have the constitutional powers to remove them. America was built by Americans; Britain was built by Britons.
Only Nigerians can build Nigeria.

Shola Olayiwola is a freelance writer. He loves to write and defend the course of his country.

Since year 2010, the idea of celebrating fellow poets has become a pleasure for us at EGC media, especially with the use of #31daysPoetry. It is an online festival of a sort where we usually showcase Poets and their poems at random.

Since it has been a while since we held our hitherto consistent Poetry event #BB (Be Blessed) in Ibadan, we decided to honor some of the Poets that have graced our stage from inception in year 2011. Our record shows that over 250 dexterous Poets have performed or read their poems at #BB before. Some of them include Torpedo Mascaw, The Poet Donna, Efe Paul Azino, Uche Uwadinachi, Soonest Nathaniel, Funmi Aluko, Jumoke Verrisimo, and Tade Ipadeola. We also have Poets who have become like families and attended more than one edition like Graciano, Kukoro Iruesiri Samson, Eagles Voice, Kemistree, Samurai, Su’eddie Vershima Agema, Olulu, etc; the flock from which we will draw the 31 Poets to feature in this edition. We call them “The BE BLESSED HALL OF FAME.”

In diversion from what we used to have, what you should expect to see every day of July 2017 include:

- -A super Poet

- - His/her Poem

- -Interview of same Poet

Venue, every day, will be HERE.

For enquiries/support/advert/sponsorship you can call +234-703-4198-264 or mail egcmails@gmail.com

We bet you know it will be interesting.

Join us to share every day with your friends online… After all, if we don’t share works of one another, who will?

The submissions for BATTLE OF WORDS POETRY SLAM SEASON 1 is nearing close, and many who have already entered for the Slam are hoping to qualify for the finals. But when SHRAF unveiled the list of 6 judges for the Slam it was obvious that the organization wants to make a massive impression and “kill them hard”, with the caliber of Poets on the list.

See the judges below (in no particular order), you will understand why:

1. ADEYEYE OLUMUYIWA: He once served as the Public Relations Officer, Vice President and President of English Student Union of Lagos State University (LASU) Anthony campus. He is presently serving as the Secretary General (National) of All Nigeria Conference of Evangelical Drama Ministers (ANCEDRAM). He has written, directed and produced several Stage Drama Productions, which includes: ‘Towards the mark’, ‘The master’s plan’, ‘Mirage’ and others. He has also featured in several Stage productions like ‘True light’, ‘in a time like this’, ‘died for nothing’ and many more. He also featured in some Christian movies like ‘Ogun ajogunba’, ‘Subtle foxes’, ‘Ipinle mi’, ‘Bio tie gbami’ and many more. A lover of poetry, who writes on daily basis, he will likely be looking more at dramatic presentation of the Slam finalists.

2. THE ENIGMATIC, OLUMIDE BISIRIYU: He is a Writer, Spoken Word Poet, and Actor. Though he started writing poems sometime around 1994, his works in Spoken word poetry started sometime in year 2005 when he began performing at shows. Enigmatic coordinates various online activities such as #EGCtop50 Poets who rock Nigeria annually, and annual 31 Days of poetry, with his EGC media. He has been featured in several online and real-time poetry anthologies. His film, FULL PROOF was the first film with spiritual undertone that boxing will be used to drive home a message (cancer awareness) in Nigeria and the first of any kind of film to use Spoken Word as soundtracks. He has since gone to perform in all geopolitical zones of Nigeria, across various major poetry events. He holds his own poetry event, called "Be Blessed", in Ibadan; and #BB as it is fondly called also has an annual Slam edition. He will likely be bringing his experience as a spoken word poet and Slam judge to the table.

3. IFEANYI BERNARD, PRESTIGE: Ifeanyi Bernard, also known as 'Prestige' is a spoken word Artiste, a teacher. He started experimenting and expounding his spoken word skills in 2013, by participating in poetry slams as a swordsmith and as a judge. From "The Truth" to "I'm a man" to "Death and Dreams", Ifeanyi Bernard has performed one explosive poem after another, focusing his theme on the strongest thing in this world, “the truth”. He believes that poetry is a revolution of the mind and is very capable of moving the universe if poets are aroused into action. Prestige was also the winner of the first Be Blessed Poetry Slam in Ibadan few years ago. He will likely be bringing his winning experience to the table for Slammers.

4. OLUMIDE “KING OLULU” HOLLOWAY: Popularly known as King Olulu, a “Poetprenuer”, Spoken Word Poet, Content Producer, Writer, Creative thinker, Concept developer, Business Strategist, Event Manager and Promoter, Fun lover, Dreamer and Doer.He is the founder of War of Words Africa, which is tagged Africa’s biggest poetry show. His burden/ visions are to develop a vibrant poetry industry in Nigeria and Africa, which will allow the attainment of Education, Empowerment, Enlightenment, Expression, Employment, and Entertainment. His War of Words Slam is of repute in Nigeria and has produced very good poets. He will likely be bringing more of what makes “War of Words” thick to the table.

5. CHERRY ENTAFIELD: Her birth name Cherry Amarachi Ozoalor. She is a spoken word poet, a Dentist and a performer. Her writing skills traces back to her father who has a shelf full of handwritten as well as typed poems that never really saw a publishing house. Her debut spoken word performance was in 2007 in front of the assembly ground in her Secondary school during the students-anchored assembly on Fridays. She founded the association “Entafield, University of Ibadan” in 2012. The association hosts “An Evening of Short Stories” annually, where she also invites other artistes to perform poetry. In 2016, she performed at the 30th Anniversary of the West African journal Luncheon, DENTISCOPE before over 1000 audience. She moved to Lagos in 2017 leaving a job as a Dentist in a private clinic to pursue her Spoken Word career. She calls herself the 21st century Genius and a phenomenal lady as her poems are tailored towards Greatness, Love and Patience. She will likely be putting passion first as she performs her duties as a judge.

6. FOLU AGOI: Folu Agoi, is the acting President of PEN Nigeria (Nigerian Centre of PEN International[1]), erstwhile Chairman of Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, Lagos Branch (March 13, 2004 – October 13, 2007), winner of BBC Poetry Competition (2001) and several other awards – including Prof Wole Soyinka Award for Literature (2007) and Mother Drum Golden Award for Excellence (2012). He is a creative (and academic) writer and poet, on account of which he has travelled around the world – to Europe, America, South Africa, in particular. He is also a literary activist, critic, book editor, publisher and teacher. An adjunct lecturer of English at University of Ibadan (in collaboration with Michael Otedola College of Primary Education) and guest lecturer of Creative Writing and Communication Skills at National Broadcast Academy (formerly Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria Training School), GRA, Ikeja, Lagos. He has a number of books and other publications to his credit. What he will likely be bringing to the table is glaring, how to write well.

The submissions for the slam ends on 30^th June while the slam will take place on the 22^nd July, 2017 at 28, Owokoniran Street Surulere, Lagos, with the 10 best poets from the written stage competing for the grand prize by performing the same poem they submitted for the written stage.

The event will have a fusion of music to entertain the guests. Poets such as Beloved, Fr33zinPaul, Tom, Clemency Green, and a host of others will delight the audience with fine Spoken-word Poetry. Multi-Talented, Lagos based comedian and Actor, MC CABAL will be MC of the event.

For more information on this event or to sponsor it, contact Stephen on: +2348163800077 or send a mail to srafng@gmail.com

(... HER POEM ...)

Sometimes I wonder where my sanity lies-
Be it in the sanity of wild thoughts and lies
or in sanitary towels of unconsciousness
where they've been moped dry.

Sometimes I ponder on my sanity-
What is sane in this lane of no purity
with masked dignity I tread in?

Probability is the core of every step,
Lifting one after the other with

no certainty of a landing.
Where then is the propeller of this step

that ushers into s future that stutters?

Sometimes I ponder

on the reality of my saneness-
What do I want?
What do I get?
A Zee in zeal for an a in hay or

whatever exchange is brought,
seeking for a change in the course

I never dreamt will cross my course?

Whilst pondering I wondered on and on

discovering pondering is a wandering process

that wears and tears

cos it involves running

to and fro the boulevard of imagination,
casting up and tearing down

what never was, never is and will never be,
Seeing a tomorrow of

beautiful doom from a today of tactless gloom,
Living a future without a foothold

on the fulcrum in this present,
Yet presenting and representing

realistic euphoria to fellows

in the conference room of idleness.

I really sit to think of the various yesterdays murdered

which already accrued to years or murder-

my own murder

cos I die daily

not thinking of what is left of my essence

and the depreciation in my stock of virtues.

'tomorrow I shall start this'...

dies as a diss when peers 'steal'

what I never had in reality,

yet I grab a seat to mourn

for the loss of the concept

I buried in the graveyard of my mind.

(... HER INTERVIEW ...)

EGC: Your Real Name & Stage Name

YELE: Oluwa Olamiposi Omoyele… Yele.

EGC: Discipline/What You Do
YELE: Law.

EGC: Other Creative Art Forms You Practice

YELE: Writing, photography, and event management.

EGC: What Made You Go Into Poetry

YELE: The love of mysteries made me love poetry.

EGC: Kind Of Poems You Write/Perform

YELE: Any kind of poetry that appeals to my head and soul.

EGC: People Who Inspire You In Poetry

YELE: Romeo Oriogun and Adedayo Agarau.

EGC: What You Hope To Achieve With Poetry

YELE: A reformation from mental revolution

EGC: Your First Time At Be Blessed

YELE:BB 6… Year 2013 or 14. Can't recall exactly

EGC: How Many Times You Came To Be Blessed
YELE: I lost count.

EGC: Poets You'd Like To See At Next Be Blessed

YELE: As many poets as possible.

EGC: Most Memorable Edition Of Be Blessed And Why
YELE: BB 13- I relate to it in an unusual way.

EGC: What You Missed About Be Blessed
YELE: The energy and love in the house. The infilling and fire it rekindles.

EGC: What You Like About EGC
YELE: The fact that it is a home of many talents, tapped and untapped.

(... HIS POEM ...)

It’s Glass

Can't see it

But can feel it

The limits

The restrictions

And the rejections.

Can't stop now

Too late to turn back now

Too far gone

And don't want a life of regrets.

Its Glass

It talks and writes

Sometimes it says NO

Most times it is... Silence

But the silence hurts more

Makes me Brain fuzzy

And Heart broken

But still I rise

Can't stop now

Got a life to live

It’s Glass

And it’s a wall

Sooner than later its coming down

It can't break me

Like Hulk, Me smash

Not sure the pressure point

So I am squeezing and smashing all points

Something got to give

Don't know how

But I know why

I'm born Great

It’s Glass

Ready or not

I'm breaking through.

(C) King Olulu, not from Zulu. 2017

(... HIS INTERVIEW ...)

EGC: Your Real Name & Stage Name

OLULU: Olumide Holloway aka King Olulu. not from Zulu

EGC: Discipline/What You Do

OLULU: I'm a Poetprenuer, writer, spoken word artist and Business Strategist

EGC: Other Creative Art Forms You Practice

OLULU: Writing and idea generation.

EGC: What Made You Go Into Poetry

OLULU: Poetry seduced me, first she wrote me words, then she spoke words to me.

EGC: Kind Of Poems You Write/Perform

OLULU: As me emotions direct, but main themes are love, life, and social issues.

EGC: People Who Inspire You In Poetry

OLULU: Hmmm, I can't name names cos both old and new poets inspire me alike.

EGC: What You Hope To Achieve With Poetry

OLULU: Develop it into a vibrant industry in Africa.

EGC: Your First Time At Be Blessed

OLULU: I think Be Blessed 1.

EGC: How Many Times You Came To Be Blessed

OLULU: Trice. I think Be Blessed 1, 6, then 12.

EGC: Poets You'd Like To See At Next Be Blessed

OLULU: Enigmatic Olumide

EGC: Most Memorable Edition Of Be Blessed And Why

OLULU: BE Blessed 1 ...the first time always stays memorable.

EGC: What You Missed About Be Blessed

OLULU: Not been able to come regularly

EGC: What You Like About EGC

OLULU: The progressive consistence of the team and its ideals.

(... HIS POEM ...)

Let the falling leaves tell the tales of dying branches

To the growing shrubs

Let it feed their plush green

With a dose of its faded brown

Let the setting sun tell the raging day

It will never live to see the night

Tell the moon if it should ever copulate with the sun

it would birth but off-springs of darkness

Tell the sons of the sun, that

they can only shine in the light

Tell those that were denied wings by the gods

That they can only fly with words

So I plant my heart into the earth

To unearth the melodies of my mind

I float my memories amidst sea waves

To watch them glide alongside giant whales

I unsheathe my ink flow

To animate boundless tales

I unbridle my armory of words

To give flight to my rooted being

Cause words give me wings

I spread out my words as wings

And float alongside the desert winds

Molding grotesque images of love and unity

Justice and equity

With the smoky white puffs of the night clouds

I sit atop the floating edges of mount Olympus

Engaging in a feast of words with the golden gods

Wielding an artifact more potent than Poseidon’s rod

With words I am god

I bring alive and kill

Those images jumping around in the creativity of your mind

With words,

I traverse universe in the blink of an eye

I drift in and out of galaxies at will

I’ve got one foot on the hot desert sand of the Sahara

While the other shiver from the frosty cold of the North Pole

Words makes the world

Words light fire in the heart of men

Words are pale shadows of forgotten names

Word can wring tears from the hardest hearts

Words are like honey, its sweetness is corny

Words are like air, we live and breathe them

Words are nemesis, they hunt us

Words are messiahs, they save us

Words are the silence on dead nights

Making the whirring world stand still

Words give us wings

I would hurl words into the overwhelming darkness of the human mind,

And wait for an echo

If an echo does sounds, no matter how faintly, I would send other words

To tell… to teach and to fight

To create…To enlighten and to empower

To lift up to unattainable heights

To give wings to those denied the gift of flight

To fly

Cause Words are our wings

And with words we fly

(... HIS INTERVIEW ...)

EGC: Your Real Name & Stage Name

BELOVED: Ajijola Habeeb. Stage Name is Beloved.

EGC: Discipline/What You Do

BELOVED: I studied Economics at both my undergraduate and post graduate level. I work as a brand consultant - Creative Director at Luminous Creatives.

EGC: Other Creative Art Forms You Practice

BELOVED: Aside from writing, i do graphics design and i play around with pencil drawing every once in a while.

EGC: What Made You Go Into Poetry

BELOVED: hmmmm, poetry, unlike most other people poetry started for me as a play thing, it was an avenue for me to express my creativity. I didn'thave any of those escape means or solitary partner kind of relationship with poetry when i started writing, those came later on.

EGC: Kind Of Poems You Write/Perform

BELOVED: My poems are majorly themed around prevalent societal issues, mymuse are tilted most to issues concerning violence, terrorism, unity
and related subject matters.

EGC: People Who Inspire You In Poetry

BELOVED: The author of every single wonderful poem i've ever read inspire me, from Rumi to Edgar Allan Poe, William Carlos Willian, Maya Angelou and to those closer to home Warsan Shire (i really really adore any word that her pen scribbles), Titilope Sonuga (If her words could take a female form, i'd marry them without thinking twice), Romeo Oriogun,Anis Modjani, Emi Mahmoud (This is another poets that makes me feel almost the same way Titilope's word does) and countless others.

EGC: What You Hope To Achieve With Poetry

BELOVED: I hope to achieve a whole lot of things with poetry, first and foremost of which is making a living (inside this poetry me, i must hammer). It is the duty of everyone who wields a weapon to impact, a poet's pen should teach, it create and should destroy when necessary. All these i also hope to achieve with my poetry.

EGC: Your First Time At Be Blessed

BELOVED: hmmmm, I think it was BB 8 or 9 I can't really remember

EGC: How Many Times You Came To Be Blessed

BELOVED: Fourtimes, I think

EGC: Poets You'd Like To See At Next Be Blessed

BELOVED: Undispituedly, Titilope Shonuga, Donna (again), Rez and Efe (those ones sef don do for now)

EGC: Most Memorable Edition Of Be Blessed And Why

BELOVED: That would be BB 13, because i won the slam

EGC: What You Missed About Be Blessed

BELOVED: I like their zeal and tenacity, the drive to always go on. When i first knew EGC sometimes back it used to be our own small thing to me, but with persistence it is now of national repute.

(... HIS POEM ...)

From my hotel window,

I see yellow sun leap off golden rooftops

Into the heights above.

Abuja’s reminder of the brevity of my existence.

I see metal caress air

As defiant cars swoop past men in grandeur.

Trees sway in the wind,

Dancing to the heartbeat of the earth.

This city on a hilltop tells its own story,

Tales of capitalism, of fatherland, of cabals,

Her buildings stand with elegance, head raised in pomp above vain thoughts of men.

Yet I wonder… was this beauty not born of others sweat?

I say to myself, “blood is thicker than water”

Surely, a leader must keep his word.

Somewhere in this dark room a voice replies in a whisper,

“It seems you forget that oil is thicker than blood”.

From my hotel window,

I see orange sun set atop lofty mountains

Revealing diamonds arduously hidden in the sky,

A twinkle here, a twinkle there and a man’s hope is born.

Velvet curtains shiver, as a cool night breeze blows by

Carrying along gory news from the south,

News of dying crops, of poisoned soil,

Of Mother Nature forced to drink the bitter mix of blood and oil.

Sons slain for the cowardice of their fore-fathers

Become nothing but forgotten names time left behind.

Patriotism was sold along with the soul of my nation,

Yet I wonder… was this gore not born of others greed?

They say the black gold has coveted the eyes of my countrymen,

That this oily tear of the earth has drunken them,

They say we are a people fast-heading to destruction.

I ask, can oil make my people forget who they are… one nation bound in freedom.

(... HIS INTERVIEW ...)

EGC: Your Real Name & Stage Name

ANGEL: My parents birthed me as Gabriel Ehijie, but i go by the stage name ArchAngel.

EGC: Discipline/What You Do

ANGEL: I’m a poet/spoken word artiste.

EGC: Other Creative Art Forms You Practice

ANGEL: Aside poetry, I also write songs and script for short films.

EGC: What Made You Go Into Poetry

ANGEL: I would say i found it as a means of self-expression.

EGC: Kind Of Poems You Write/Perform

ANGEL: I’ve been told i write celestial poems, but i prefer to think i write poems that connect with the souls of people and stir them to change their outlook/perspective on life.

EGC: People Who Inspire You In Poetry

ANGEL: locally, Ken saro Wiwa and internationally, Khalil Gibran.

EGC: What You Hope To Achieve With Poetry

ANGEL: i hope to stir the minds of people to make their immediate environment a Heaven on earth, after all man is destined to live once.

EGC: Your First Time At Be Blessed

ANGEL: My first time at 'Be Blessed' was the BB13 edition.

EGC: How Many Times You Came To Be Blessed

ANGEL: Unfortunately, i have only been able to attend it twice, my second time being the BB14 edition in which the spectacular movie 'Full Proof' was premiered.

EGC: Poets You'd Like To See At Next Be Blessed

ANGEL: I would like to see Dike Chukwumerije perform at the next edition of 'Be Blessed.'

EGC: Most Memorable Edition Of Be Blessed And Why

ANGEL: My most memorable edition of 'Be Blessed' would be the BB14 edition because of the amazing young talents that graced the stage that day, and also because i was among the opportune few that first watched 'Full Proof' due to it being premiered that day.

EGC: What You Missed About Be Blessed

ANGEL: I miss the artistic atmosphere.

EGC: What You Like About EGC

ANGEL: i like the fact that EGC is not operating on the stereotypical notion that Lagos is where all the talent lies but also letting the world know that there are amazing talents in Ibadan.

(... HER POEM ...)

Lagos is a whore,
She is home to all and sundry
Even the air she breathe reeks
of congested kisses of different lovers
I heard she never sleeps,
That her door is wide open day and night
Streaming of corporate workers and petty traders

Lagos is a terrible lover,
She screams at you at the oddest hour of the night
Begging you to roll your body into her
You are behind the steer and you dare sleep
She screams at you,
Knocking the tired sense out of you.

Lagos is a deceitful friend,
She wears clothe with price tag
Expensive enough to buy plots of land in her father's village
while she sleeps in a room not worthy
for a slave in her father's house
Eko for show

Lagos is home for none,
Abode for all.

(... HER INTERVIEW ...)

EGC: Your Real Name & Stage Name

LADY KAY: Karimot Odebode (Lady_kay)

EGC: Discipline/What You Do

LADY KAY: Law/ Student

EGC: Other Creative Art Forms You Practice

LADY KAY: Fiction

EGC: What Made You Go Into Poetry

LADY KAY: The urge to express myself in a unique way

EGC: Kind Of Poems You Write/Perform

LADY KAY: Poems that mirror the society

EGC: People Who Inspire You In Poetry

LADY KAY: Maya Angelou, Rasaq Malik, Warsan Shire, Beautiful Nubia etc

EGC: What You Hope To Achieve With Poetry

LADY KAY: To make the world see poetry in a lighter and interesting form

EGC: Your First Time At Be Blessed

LADY KAY: At the University of Ibadan

EGC: How Many Times You Came To Be Blessed

LADY KAY: Once

EGC: Poets You'd Like To See At Next Be Blessed

LADY KAY: Arch Angel, Donna Ogunnaike etc

EGC: Most Memorable Edition Of Be Blessed And Why

LADY KAY: The first time I came. It was amazing because I got to meet people of like minds and it was an opportunity to read out my poem to the world

EGC: What You Missed About Be Blessed

LADY KAY: I haven't be coming but the one time experience was once in a lifetime

EGC: What You Like About EGC

LADY KAY: The ability to welcome all kind of poets irrespective of experience

(... HIS POEM ...)

The sojourn of life
Long forlon like the playgroup kite
Flown at will to and fro in sites
Rough and stocked, yet painful spites.

Joy and mourning
Our irrevocable cross.., yet lost in this journey.
Thick, dark tunnel, Oh! that this cloud turn sunny.
That morning, when? when will you come in?

Why not as rosy as his?
Should these ills be flicks
From Mr. Destiny’s wheels?
Hmm…a bitter-sweat pill?

Deeply interested, …yet appearing bleak.
Killing, this feeling, sick!
Why these thrills?
Why these tricks?

Book? they both read.
Abilities, dexterities? they, both huge.
Yet rosy’s his and ugly his dude’s
Pre-destined for ‘fame’ and ‘doom’?

Decades after
Fate, still not differing matters,
Despite him trying harder.
What a fate? even faith left him sadder.

Inherited from nature?
Or restrained by nature?
What an emotional torture!
Leaving him no option.

These things appear trickily unfinished.
In our individual wisdom, we look just foolish
Your wisdom, too rich.
For ours to reach.

We only strive to rise
Your die is long cast
Who are we to ask?
Baba God, its your sole task.

©BankHALL™ - (December, 2011)

(... HIS INTERVIEW ...)

EGC: Your Real Name & Stage Name

BankHALL: Real Name is Bankole Kolawole. Stage Name is BankHALL (Formerly with pen-name ‘WhizDaPoet’).

EGC: Discipline/What You Do

BankHALL: Spoken Word Poetry Performance; Accountancy/Freight-Forwarding.

EGC: Other Creative Art Forms You Practice

BankHALL: Essay Writing, Short-Stories, Blogging.

EGC: What Made You Go Into Poetry

BankHALL: I discovered I had a gift of coining words to produce a special effect, sometimes I am being called a Lyrical Poet by fans as a result of the musicality in my performance.

EGC: Kind Of Poems You Write/Perform

BankHALL: Page and spoken word poems

EGC: People Who Inspire You In Poetry

BankHALL: Any poet who’s has got depth embellished with loud imageries and musicality in his/her poems.

EGC: What You Hope To Achieve With Poetry

BankHALL: Taking spoken word poetry to mainstream entertainment, i.e. that even the man on the street can understand, enjoy and be willing to part with his hard-earned money for the art, without necessarily been a learned or literature-inclined.

EGC: Your First Time At Be Blessed

BankHALL: Be Blessed 12

EGC: How Many Times You Came To Be Blessed

BankHALL: Three (BB 12, 13 and 14)

EGC: Poets You'd Like To See At Next Be Blessed

BankHALL: Dike Chukuwumerije (Convener of NightOfSpokenWord, Abuja), Bash Amuneni (Jos Biggest Performance Poet), Kolawole Oluwaseun (PariOlodo) – Winner of Abuja Literary Slam (1st Quarter) 2017, Titilope Sonuga (1^stFemale Spoken Word Poet to perform at Nigeria’s Inauguration, 2015 for GMB).

EGC: Most Memorable Edition Of Be Blessed And Why

BankHALL: For me, personally it’s BB13, maybe because It coincided with my 30^th birthday and my love was there to sing me some birthday poems in Chinese language, coupled with a surprise performance for me by Adeyemi Agarau and Victor LyricPoet – I owe those two guys a lot.

EGC: What You Missed About Be Blessed

BankHALL: Diverse talent on display, especially from the younger generation; teenagers, precisely.

EGC: What You Like About EGC

BankHALL: EGC helps the unknown become known.

(... HIS POEM ...)

Omoyele, your dark brows and lustrous eyes

Leaves the sky teary

Your lips are filament of scarlet

The earth you tread is endowed

With pastoral eglantine

Your beautiful smile lights up the day

Like the burning disk of noon

Your nose – pretty pointed like Nefertitti’s

Rose high above like the spire

Of Saint Louis Cathedral,

Kissing the lips of gentle wind

Far above the scorn of mere mortals

You are the portrait in my heart

I find no words befitting to portray

My lines of poetry are only shreds of mystery

In you, I find silence a beauty

For you convey an aura of elegance!

(... HIS INTERVIEW ...)

EGC: Your Real Name & Stage Name

PAUL: Alowo Paul (talkingdrum)

EGC: Discipline/What You Do

PAUL: An Educationist ( I Teach) Bsc (Ed) Business Education NCE (Business Education)

EGC: Other Creative Art Forms You Practice

PAUL: Music/drama/…

EGC: What Made You Go Into Poetry

PAUL: I just love poetry. I can’t really explain why but I would say it afford me the opportunity to express myself in a more intriguing way. And I saw the untapped avenue in poetry I love to explore.

EGC: Kind Of Poems You Write/Perform

PAUL: Narrative, free verse, ballad and others.

EGC: People Who Inspire You In Poetry

PAUL: People who inspire me in poetry are many. I can’t just tell you that one person did inspire me in poetry.

EGC: What You Hope To Achieve With Poetry

PAUL: What I hope to achieve with poetry. I believe with poetry I can also help spread the light. Reaching the 'unreached'.

EGC: Your First Time At Be Blessed

PAUL: I can’t remember. Perhaps 2014.

EGC: How Many Times You Came To Be Blessed

PAUL: I never missed the event from the moment I started attending. So, I’m wondering what is taking you too long to announce the next event.

EGC: Poets You'd Like To See At Next Be Blessed

PAUL: I’d like to see myself mount the stage to minister. And other poets like Solar Speaks, James Ademuyiwa, Graciano, Efe Paul and one other guy that love to free style. I can’t recall his name (Torpedo).

EGC: Most Memorable Edition Of Be Blessed And Why

PAUL: I think it’s BB15, not so sure but I love that event because it reveals the truth to me. That I can do better and help spread the light in every land mile.

EGC: What You Like About EGC

PAUL: EGC is a creative platform. I think I like what they are doing. Keep up the good work and don’t relent!

(... HIS POEM ...)

Downward leads to a stream,

Happy pitchers on dry heads,

Poking thirsty cheeks to smile,

Every down leads well.

A seed's funeral,

Killed by a so(u)n,

Brings leaves- fresh harvest,

Every down leads well.

Now he runs,

To walk, he once fell,

Again and again,

Every down leads well.

A thrown lemon;

To your thirsty face,

From it make a lemonade,

Kill that thirst.

Again and again,

Every down leads well,

No matter what,

Never cease to try.

(... HIS INTERVIEW ...)

EGC: Your Real Name & Stage Name

ISRAEL: My name is Akinbode Oluwatobi Israel. Popularly known as Todas.

EGC: Discipline/What You Do

ISRAEL: I studied Chemistry from the University of Ilorin. A teacher (volunteer).

EGC: Other Creative Art Forms You Practice

ISRAEL: A writer (poet). A dancer. A choreographer.

EGC: What Made You Go Into Poetry

ISRAEL: Poetry is the highest art of language. I love writing with few words to speak volume. That's why I always add this saying to my profile: "I love to write in simplicity to influence this complex world of ours. "

EGC: Kind Of Poems You Write/Perform

ISRAEL: I have no particular genre. I write flexibly.

EGC: People Who Inspire You In Poetry

ISRAEL: My act of writing is in-born. I decided to go into poetry in 2013 during my youth service. Everyone I have met on many platforms have encouraged me to move on and made me see that I have a long walk in poetry. Everyone I have met have made me re-buckle my shoes. Everyone is good.

EGC: What You Hope To Achieve With Poetry

ISRAEL: I count myself not have apprehended but this is one thing I know and is that I still have a long way to go. Many awards still winks to my empty shelf and with God's grace I will surely attain.

EGC: Your First Time At Be Blessed

ISRAEL: My first time at BeBlessed was BB13. I was among the 10 finalist that year that qualified for the spoken stage. Unfortunately I didn't succeed above the first round. BeBlessed 13 is an encounter I won't forget. It was fun!

EGC: How Many Times You Came To Be Blessed

ISRAEL: I have only been to Be blessed once and that was BeBlessed13.

EGC: Poets You'd Like To See At Next Be Blessed

ISRAEL: One poet I would love to see is Sir Kukogho Iruesiri Samson. He is a poet I have longed to see. I will love to see Victor Adewale perform again. Vicdex. Inioluwa. Twistar. Graciano. BankHall. Kemistree and the guy (*laughs)...let me just stop here because the list is endless (I don't want to offend anyone).

EGC: Most Memorable Edition Of Be Blessed And Why

ISRAEL: Na BB13 o. I didn't eat puf-puf that year. The thing finish before dem reach me.

EGC: What You Missed About Be Blessed

ISRAEL: I missed lines...punchlines!

EGC: What You Like About EGC

ISRAEL: EGC is a body that has good eyes, straight legs, strong hands and a functioning heart. EGC is a perfect damsel that arouses the sleeping strength in every poet.

(... HER POEM ...)

I was the grass
that bore the brunt
of duels
between two elephants

I was ignored
and my dreams
trampled upon

I believed in lies;
my heart became
synonymous with pain

I was a joke,
subject of no seriousness,
equal to a custard pie

I was abandoned
and left to wither,
but I thrived!

My heads didn't bother
about the borders
I burdened myself with

But today I say no!

No to the lies I told myself,
that the scars are old
and memories buried

No!
I refuse to lie that it doesn't hurt
to see footprints of war
all over my dreams

No!
Regret is not a path
For my mind to tread
No!
The antidote for my future
Is not war with my present

Yes!
I am grass, but
these droplets aren't dew
They are teardrops
from a broken root
That I sprung from.

(... HER INTERVIEW ...)

EGC: Your Real Name & Stage Name

Bliss Oyindamola Akinyemi / MiCi

EGC: Discipline/What You Do

BLISS: Mass Communication

EGC: Other Creative Art Forms You Practice

BLISS: I write short stories too.

EGC: What Made You Go Into Poetry

BLISS: I didn't start with poetry, I started by writing the things I had no one to tell as songs and over time it all boiled down to poetry.

EGC: Kind Of Poems You Write/Perform

BLISS: I write the kind of poems that come to me; they could be about anything, hardly about love though.

EGC: People Who Inspire You In Poetry

BLISS: A whole lot of people do.

EGC: What You Hope To Achieve With Poetry

BLISS: To see people find solace in between the lines of my words would be great.

EGC: Your First Time At Be Blessed

BLISS: Season eight. October 2014.

EGC: How Many Times You Came To Be Blessed

BLISS: That time till the premiere of Full Proof in October 2016.

EGC: Poets You'd Like To See At Next Be Blessed

BLISS: I can't list them

EGC: Most Memorable Edition Of Be Blessed And Why

BLISS: Being on the EGC /Order team made all editions memorable.

EGC: What You Missed About Be Blessed

BLISS: I miss the outdoor scenery. People get distracted but I miss all that beauty.

EGC: What You Like About EGC

BLISS: The previous team of people I used to work with.

(... HIS POEM ...)

(for ibadan)

we wait for the sun to crawl back

into the belly of pregnant clouds

so we'd wear an emblem of a city

that plants in our feet the urge to run

and dream with our nostrils sniffling the tongues

waiting to wear a new language

we all wait in this city, for mothers

who break their dreams into half loaves

and feed their children on how to breathe

within the confinement of water, i know

how my mother named this city, i know

how my father ran with a torch to search

for shadows crawling the walls of molete

on the skin of this city is a circus of men

who leaves home in search of fire in the eyes

of lasses nibbling the mouth of brown bottles in Asas

swaying to soft beams of Apala, nodding and tapping to the groove

there they stretch hopes like the thighs of virgins

and the morning wakes too early for their feet

and boys break their arms trying to take a letter home

and boys leave without saying goodbye and

i had my first girlfriend in this city and i kissed her

in the dark walls behind the trees too old to shut their mouth

my father wakes every morning with a grumble

like this city is shifting and healing the sores in his mouth

my mother had her fifth child in this room

a memory of names made a graffiti on the brown rooftops

they sat in twos and threes cutting the pieces of Amala into a lake of vegetables

the men hang their bottles in their armpits and kept their footwears on their heads

rain came that evening, and we all said a prayer of thanksgiving

(... HIS INTERVIEW ...)

EGC: Your Real Name & Stage Name

AAA: Adedayo Adeyemi Agarau @tohquality

EGC: Discipline/What You Do

AAA: Writer/Photographer/Student

EGC: Other Creative Art Forms You Practice

AAA: Photography

EGC: What Made You Go Into Poetry

AAA: Upon realizing that I could be more than I imagine myself to be, I opened myself to the inner possibilities. I was out of secondary school, freshly admitted into the Prelim Programme of a polytechnic when I knew that I could not just continue life in such a boring manner. Nothing new happened until poetry came. Started following from 2go, the chat groups, them met Rasaq Malik Gbolahan. The hopeshe gave me still pushes me.

EGC: Kind Of Poems You Write/Perform

AAA: I write the kind of poems I can read and tell myself that this is poetry. Although, I like to explore the themes of war, boy child, family, loss and love.

EGC: People Who Inspire You In Poetry

AAA: Gbenga Adesina, DM Aderibigbe, Romeo, Rasaq, Safia Elhillo, K-tops, Mesioye, Fatima Asgar, the list is endless.

EGC: Your First Time At Be Blessed

AAA: Sometimes in 2014, I was sitting at the penultimate row with my friend, Adewoye Ibrahim, wondering if I’d ever take to the stage and perform.

EGC: How Many Times You Came To Be Blessed

AAA: 7 times

EGC: Poets You'd Like To See At Next Be Blessed

AAA: Chika Jones. That guy is a revolution.

EGC: Most Memorable Edition Of Be Blessed And Why

AAA: 2015, Jumoke Verissimo was around doing her poetry reading, she needed a volunteer. I acted as Ajani. Her words sank deep into me. I knew I wanted to be better. That day, she planted another seed. It is how I grow.

EGC: What You Missed About Be Blessed

AAA: Beyond the poetry, it is the people who fill the white and blue chairs. The ones that smile back at you as you fill their ears with the water in your mouth. The ones who tap their feet and snap their fingers when you strike a chord in them. Be Blessed.

EGC: What You Like About EGC

AAA: I appreciate the consistency.

(... HIS POEM ...)

Because we've drawn dividing rules on
the scrolls of righteousness,
Insha Allah, I'm a Christian and the
gods are my witness.
So, "Allah Ak'bar in Jesus' name";
Let's keep meddling in this cheating game.
Here, religion kills the fainting,
While the culprit is relieved.
Morals see the renting,
While the hermit mourns more than the bereaved.
If Jihad is a charading Teletubby,
Why do we still count the blood in the Tesbih?
If fishing and being selfish are not the same,
Why do classes access the assets' game?
The chaplet enslaved us,
Covered us with the blood of Jesus.
The turbans hide our heirs
The Hijabs seal our caring tears.
Even now, christianed jihads roam from Rome,
Roam from Rome to confluence here into pogroms.
Men of gods become gods of men,
Replacing sensible harangues with shameful 'Amens'!
These holy profane elephants
Shrink the traditional good into mere ants.
Their whiteness stain our blackness with darkness.
Their white collars baptize the noose, 'kindness'.
Back-to-sender these religions
off from these regions.
They're cancerous, get us surgeons.
But if we can't be sanitized by dialysis,
We'll still grope for the peace that will pieces Isis.
Until then, we'll meddle in the cheating game.
Until then, it's "Allah Ak'bar in Jesus' name.
Allah-luyah, amen!
©GRACIANO
06-12-2015
02:00PM.

(... HIS INTERVIEW ...)

EGC: Your Real Name & Stage Name
GRACIANO: GRACIANO ENWEREM (Grrraciano)

EGC: Discipline/What You Do

GRACIANO: Poet, Writer, Teacher and Media consultant.

EGC: Other Creative Art Forms You Practice

GRACIANO: All forms of writing. (Poetry, Scripts, essays etc)

EGC: What Made You Go Into Poetry

GRACIANO: It's a long story. Shortly put, poetry was the easiest way for me to express myself and archive my experiences without wasting so much time, paper and words. Unlike prose, because of the cryptic nature of page poetry (which by the way was what I started with), I could express myself assertively and still won't get into trouble with some principalities.

EGC: Kind Of Poems You Write/Perform

GRACIANO: I've experimented with virtually all the types of poems that would interest my readers and still serve the purpose of helping me to express myself adequately. But for my spoken word poems, if it's a versed poem, I make use of choruses and refrains but if it isn't versed, I'd just resolve to doing the free verse.

EGC: People Who Inspire You In Poetry

GRACIANO: For my page poetry, those that inspire me are William Shakespeare, Professor Isidore Diala and Ugochukwu Iwuji (Aluta UG).

My rebirth into writing and performing spoken word poetry was inspired in 2008 by Professor Niyi Osundare's articles and poetry while my Gospel poems are greatly influenced by Rev. Tari Hudson Ekiyor.

EGC: What You Hope To Achieve With Poetry

GRACIANO: I hope to achieve virtually everything that poetry has and can ever offer: Expression, wealth, stardom, edutainment and a means to archive my legacies.

EGC: How Many Times You Came To Be Blessed

GRACIANO: I've been to Be Blessed twice.

EGC: Poets You'd Like To See At Next Be Blessed

GRACIANO: Poets I'd like to see at the next Be Blessed event would be all the Poets at Be Blessed 13 (Those that competed), I'd like to see how they must have improved. I'd like to see Samurai, Kemistree, Prestige, The Goddess Diana-Abasi and if it won't be much of a stretch, I'd like to see Torpedo Mascaw and Ma'am Donna.

EGC: Most Memorable Edition Of Be Blessed And Why

GRACIANO: My most memorable time at Be Blessed would be at Be Blessed 13. Yes, because asides workshops, the kind of poetry event that I fancy a lot is the slams. Though I wasn't allowed to compete and was instead, relegated to judge it, I still felt all the goosebumps and spasms in the right places and times. The Goddess, Diana-Abasi Iquo Eke and the Truth man, Prestige (fellow judges) added to the fun.

EGC: What You Missed About Be Blessed

GRACIANO: I miss the Open Mic Sessions, because that was where some very good poets from the west that I adore a lot had had their first go.

EGC: What You Like About EGC

GRACIANO: I like EGC for being the first brand to have awarded poets based on their meritorious performances, for trying to experiment with all the kinds of poetry events... though I wish they work more on the Open Mic and start something about nurturing young poets by way of workshops, seminars and symposia. Thanks a bunch and more grace.

(... HIS POEM ...)

An epitome of integrity has never existed

A man that we all should look up to has never been born

Little wonder, the world is ruled by wolves

Who pretend to be sheep

And our rams follow the dogs to eat from the dunghills

As if we are made off the same clan

So let’s pretend we are all human

I will help you to succeed

I will take you to the abroad

To wine and dine with the people who rule the world

While we pretend that you never owed me

All I need to do is to collect your salaries

Let’s pretend you are the president

And I am the kingmaker

Call me jagaban, cabal, or whatever

You may have the mouth that is speaking

But I have the brain that is working

Let’s pretend we are asleep

Perhaps our lives won’t take a dip

Maybe we will be lucky to differentiate those who love us

From those who only want to ride us

Maybe we pretend we are all dead

And finally we put into the open the truth our fellow humans dread

That shedding crocodile tears could fill up the ocean

When actually what they have for us is nothing but hatred

III

Let’s pretend that we never worshipped

This God that has no war-ship

Who wins wars that He won’t even attend

What kind of a god goes into battles

Asking his soldiers to sing praises

instead of using ammunitions

Though I’ve seen His miracles and heard of His testimonies

I prefer the gods of America, North Korea, or Russia

Who win wars by shaking the earth and

making the unbelievers to fear

Anyway, let’s pretend we are holy

Even when we go a-whoring

Raising holy hands like we command His presence

While in the club our dirty hands we raise

to Davido, Techno, or Phyno

But, let’s pretend we do not sin

Though our iniquities could sink the titanic

After all, it’s not a thing that our eyes have not seen

Some pastors feed us with deceit like it’s daily tonic

“Akoda oro odabi ada gbeyin”

Though they may deceive me on a Sunday

I want to deceive them on a full week

Let’s pretend we are innocent

Even when we are the biggest plants

Claiming to be in labour for Him like a pregnant woman

When in actual fact we are after the sugary-congregation

like ants

Let’s pretend we are normal

Even though we are abnormal

So we could mix with the crowd going to Canaan

And make the watchdogs join us to sink our fellow humans

Nevertheless, pretend this is not an irony

And what you hear me say is actually what I want to say

So when they come to label me a pagan, rebel, or unbeliever

You will tell them of all the ills I have done in the past

Of the good people I killed and the messiahs I made to backslide

Finally, let’s pretend you didn’t hear me say this

So when the DSS, General Overseers, or Imams come for my head

You will tell them it was from a small boy from one small family

in one small neighbourhood

So they could realize that the family is the smallest unit of a nation

That if the well-being of families are continued to be neglected

Our politicians, religious leaders, or village elders

will continue to be like a ship that wants to sail on a dry land

29-04-17. 2:00-2:40pm

*“Akoda oro odabi ada gbeyin” : revenge is more painful than first offense

(... HIS INTERVIEW ...)

EGC: Your Real Name/Stage Name

ENIGMATIC: Real name is Olumide Bisiriyu, but those who know me well call me “The Enigmatic, Olumide Bisiriyu” or Enigmatic Olumide for those who know me fairly.

EGC: Discipline/What You Do

ENIGMATIC: I am an Estate Surveyor. I also do Photography and Cinematography.

EGC: Other Creative Art Forms You Practice

ENIGMATIC: I do poetry (stage and page), acting, and writing stories. I guess photography and film making also qualify here. I used to sing too, but I stopped that a long time ago, though I still write songs.

EGC:What Made You Go Into Poetry

ENIGMATIC: It was like an accident; I started writing songs in 1994, but sometimes along the line I will just scribble some thoughts in stanzas… I didn’t know it was poetry until 1999. By year 2000/2001, I already had loads of poems on pieces of paper. Then I met one Indian/Nigerian Poet, who encouraged me to start keeping my collection in books; perhaps that was when I realized I have already delved into poetry.

EGC: Kind Of Poems You Write/Perform

ENIGMATIC: I write and perform anything, love, politics, social-moral, but all with a spiritual undertone.

EGC: People Who Inspire You In Poetry

ENIGMATIC: I guess man doesn’t inspire me though, I will say God uses anything to inspire me.

EGC: What You Hope To Achieve With Poetry

ENIGMATIC: I will take that from Isaiah 58:12… in summary, I want to be a bridge to link the world with God, and show good paths to thread; that also applies to other art forms I venture in.

EGC: Your First Time At Be Blessed

ENIGMATIC: Well, the first edition was to celebrate my birthday in 2011… and that’s BB1.

EGC: How Many Times At Be Blessed

ENIGMATIC: I have attended all 14 editions… That includes BB13 that most people saw I was sick and many wondered why I still attended.

EGC: Poets You’d Like To See At Next Be Blessed

ENIGMATIC: They are too many to mention: but they are two key sets of people; those who have attended before and those who believe we are doing something good.

EGC: Most Memorable Edition Of Be Blessed And Why

ENIGMATIC: That would be the first edition, because it was to celebrate my birthday and because it was the day we thought of doing it continuously. I never believed people would come from far and near because we used a large sitting room in Ajah, Lagos, for it. I was encouraged.

EGC: What You Missed About Be Blessed

ENIGMATIC: The love. The “familyhood”. The “artmosphere”.

EGC: What You Like About Egc

ENIGMATIC: The fact that God is helping us to achieve our aims even when it looks like we are not doing much.

(... HER POEM ...)

Grandma,

Forgive me that I can only express myself perfectly in English:

But this is what I brought from that trip to the stream.

The trip you consented to

so we could have water available for use at home

the trip you warned me about

since I wasn't the first to go on such

and my predecessors rather didn't return from

didn't come back to you

but all had one thing in common:

they broke your pot.

And now Grandma,

I too have broken the pot.

Grandma,

at the stream,

I was told

to stay back and fetch all the water I needed

but

never come back to you!

I refused, Grandma

and they said your pot is of inferior quality.

They trashed your meals,

called your teachings shit

and our tongue:

the one you pride so much in,

primitive...

Grandma,

I really didn't want to drop your pot,

but I did

and Grandma

my tongue got tied

rilling rockingly right on foreign rolls

while the noisy whispers of your warnings echoed around

And now, Grandma

I too have broken the pot

Grandma,

I was told what is worth doing is worth it well,

and the tightness of my tongue only gets tighter-

but while these foreign rolls try to get me further farther

I promise, Grandma

that I will try with all my might

to rejoin

the broken pieces

of your treasured pot.

(... HER INTERVIEW ...)

EGC: Your Real Name & Stage Name

LKG: Lawal Kafayat. Stage name is LKG.

EGC: Discipline/What You Do

LKG: I am a student, a teacher and a writer.

EGC: Other Creative Art Forms You Practice

LKG: I love sitting on the sewing machine.

EGC: What Made You Go Into Poetry

LKG: Started poetry as a result of boredom and not wanting to "fall someone's hand".

EGC: Kind Of Poems You Write/Perform

LKG: I write and perform societal works; I love political and Christian poems too.

EGC: People Who Inspire You In Poetry

LKG: Donna. Donna inspires me a lot, I love Prince EA too, Dami Ajayi.

EGC: What You Hope To Achieve With Poetry

LKG: To change people's head, their minds. To work beautiful things into individuals and watch the world become a beautiful place.

EGC: Your First Time At Be Blessed

LKG: My first time would be BB4 or BB5, not really sure.

EGC: How Many Times You Came To Be Blessed

LKG: About 8 (eight) times.

EGC: Poets You'd Like To See At Next Be Blessed

LKG: Efe Paul please, RMG, Ayomide Festus, Alowo, Samurai, Bankhall, JYC Agarau and the Victors, Vicadex, Akinwunmi and Lyric poet.

EGC: Most Memorable Edition Of Be Blessed And Why

LKG: BB9… That was the hottest as well as coolest edition, it was a full house, bam poets, raw poetry.

EGC: What You Missed About Be Blessed

LKG: I miss everything. The people, the spirit, the gathering, the poems, the team I used to work with… Everything.

EGC: What You Like About EGC

LKG: The passion, the dedication that make ECG work even when “no one” is looking.

FOLLOW THE LEADER - PART TWO - Issues With Shola Ola

FOLLOW THE LEADER - PART THREE - Issues With Shola Ola

CLOUDED HEART - A Poem by Ogunseye Abolanle

WELCOME TO THE NEW EGC MEDIA SITE

WHO WILL DELIVER OUR MOTHER LAND?

INTRODUCING 31 DAYS OF POETRY 2017 – THE BE BLESSED HALL OF FAME

THE JUDGES FOR BATTLE OF “WORDS POETRY SLAM” IS A “KILLER SQUAD”, SEE WHY

31 Days of Poetry - Day 1 - SOMETIMES, I WONDER - by Omoyele

31 Days of Poetry - Day 2 - IT’S GLASS - by Olulu

31 Days of Poetry - Day 3 - WORDS - by Beloved

31 Days of Poetry - Day 4 - MEMOIRS OF A PATRIOT - by Arc Angel

31 Days of Poetry - Day 5 - LAGOS - by Karimot

31 Days of Poetry - Day 6 - DESTINY - by BankHALL

31 Days of Poetry - Day 7 - PULCHRITUDINOUS - by Paul Alowo

31 Days of Poetry - Day 8 - NO MATTER WHAT - by Akinbode Israel

31 Days of Poetry - Day 8 - UNTITLED - by Bliss

31 Days of Poetry - Day 10 - BEARING A CITY ON MY SKIN - by Adedayo Agarau

31 Days of Poetry - Day 11 - ALLAH AKBAR IN JESUS' NAME - by Graciano

31 Days of Poetry - Day 12 - LET’S PRETEND - by Enigmatic Olumide

31 Days of Poetry - Day 13 - GRANDMOTHER'S POT - by LKG