Calculus Of A Life Time Poem by Akachukwu Lekwauwa

Aye! Dad, what stuff are you made of?
Are you silver-plated?
The image is still shiny.

Are you gold-coated?
Aren't you pure karated?
Refined in the furnace divine.

Or are you diamond-laced?
Stitched in time,
And saved for twenty nine.

A life captivating as a watered garden,
Full of flourishes,
All planted in it blossomed.
Each bearing flowers of your kind,
All yielding their fruit,
Its harvest had never ceased.

Just like a ranch,
Peace and love
Enjoyed them that trod its terraces,
Admiring the wonder of an unspoiled landscape,
The sun shone in the clear blue sky.
The air was filled with a soft, sweet fragrance;
Wafting from a mass of bright-yellow,
Coconut-scented gorse bushes.

In integrity, the eagle soars
Like you.
In bravery, the lion fights
Like you.

Saints ride on their horses,
Some striving to live like you,
Others, wishing to die like you.

Far and wide you journeyed,
Eiffel tower you mounted,
But you never saw the ivory tower,
El Dorado was never your abode.
Nonetheless, you stood towering in courage.
And I ask,
Was it Michelangelo that designed you?
Was it not He who formed him instead?

The glamour of your presence
Was stupendous,
Blessed assurance of plenty
Warmth and conviviality;
As little as your smile,
A challenge to Leo and his Mona Lisa,
Pure in our eyes,
Restoring rhythm to our hearts.

Many that came close to you
Got rewarded with a pet name,
Hence till date we still call
Sun girl! And London girl!
A microcosm of your humor,
A testimony of your friendliness.

Ah! A thick tangle of virtues
Neatly pruned,
Integrity that never mellowed with age;
A rare breed
Not the kind who faded easily from memory.

The beam of your love
Cast a golden beam on Ijeoma.
Legend to Uche, role model to Bc.
A hero to Nnee, maestro to Ami.

Though it behoves Ud to live like you did,
Only he who knew you sparingly
Would judge him if he's not like you.
The shoes you left,
Big and polished to a high gloss,
I pray my feet grow faster.

In the annals of our hearts,
When great men stand,
You tower.
When men of honor rise,
You touch the sky.

The sky thought it an eclipse of heroism,
The stars agreed.
The earth, a seismic dart at a legendary tale;
A tornado that set the birds
Off their nests,
Flying helter-skelter;
The anthills collapsed into rubbles.

News that sent the tinnitus vibrating,
Caught the women napping,
And compelled the young
Off their mothers' crib.

An event that forced tears
Off Malam Zarry's eyes,
Confounded Tunde,
And bewildered Mazi.

Perhaps life is an amphitheatre,
Some chose the seats,
Others, the stand;
But you chose the combat zone.
While others cheered,
You combated.
Some chose flute and harp,
Others drummed away.
But you chose your shield of faith
And wielded your two-edged courage;
While many were spectators,
You were a gladiator.
Amid the arena,
You fought, even death to a standstill.
Jesus…Jesus…Jesus
You whispered. Sweet whispers.
And, lo, God was with him
Even to the end…
The dust returned to Agboakoli,
The spirit, to who gave it.
A triumphal entry,
Delighting in fullness of joy,
And reveling in the pleasure forevermore.