*Tony Cemaluk Egbuonu

Nkea na amamu ahu jijijiji,
Ikedo mu na nmazi uzo di
n'okpulu ugbo mmili anyim,
...

PROMISE not pounded yam when you can't
pound pounded yam; worst, under oath,
when you can, but compromise instead to pound cocoyam.
...

A year into it,
in the heat of it,
I came out
from my mother's womb
...

The reception, really receptive,
As marketing public relation, was repetitive,
To be solely so; so the trick was to ignore all,
As an ignorant, even the sonorous singing ringing tone,
...

N'okpuru ụgbọ Mmiri

Ọ na-ama m oke egwu n'ezie,
na-ekekọta m na rudder a.
...

However this load, it is an overload,
Whenever there's overloading, there's an urge to offload.
I will rather go off the road,
...

Sincerity reaffirmed, all
In its ramifications,
Verily, knowing and meeting
As the Yuletide was young.
...

THANK YOU,
for all that we shared.
The irrationally-laden meeting,
dry-cleaned with humble hearts.
...

LIKE THIS, before they came,
Shattering, we were chartered,
Chattering; chanting choruses and songs,
From souls for souls, by souls, to souls.
...

Son begets father; daughter, mother.
Doesn't foetus beget all?
Rest in peace, foetus
...

Yesterday I passed away
Yes, I did while crossing the sea
You saw my setting sun
As a sinking sinker
...

Onyiinkem
Odi uko nwanyi
Anulu anulu udo, ndu oma,
Ma oganiru Cemalukwuokamkwe
...

The unseen seer
Moving but not moving
As the sacred stream
Beyond the stream-full abode
...

Today, in peace, he came, naked.
Unarmored, and defenseless in a world of hot metal war.

Chinedum chuckled; echoing a yearning for a war-less shore,
...

That day, today
It was Nkwo
Nwankwo!
...

This day, I was shouting.

Uwah- eh, Uwah- eh, Uwah-eh.
My little way shouting
...

If he could fly as a bird,
If he could float as a flotsam,
If he could swim as a fish,
Maryland, just there,
...

And he bowed out,
Afterall
He that cleaned my tears
Fare thee well,
...

This week minus nine, a foetus;
This week plus three, a baby born to the brave and bold.

Succulent as a tendril, suckling and cuddling dearly, she grew.
...

Heart, like iron unsmelt, sadness smelt.
Another season around, present seasons present, packaged.
Acquaintance remembered, happiness as an avalanche,
Hope as rays flickered, atoning power of season, shortcomings blotted.
...