Nnaa Putaba Na Ogu (That Fight Is Not Where Zhou Will Fight It, Another Wisdom From My Dad) For Chief Ezemalukwuo Nwoye Egbuonu Poem by *Tony Cemaluk Egbuonu

My temperamental disposition manifested early
and my dad, Chief Ezemalukwuo Nwoye Egbuonu cut it in the bud.

Whenever it manifested my dad would cool me down.
He would say, 'Nnaaputaba na ogu adighi ebe aga anu ya.'
'My little father, calm down. That fight is not where you will fight it.'

He would literally bribe me with one snack or the other from the stall.

It continued till one day I was over-provoked.
He came again with his cooler mantra.
I challenged him.
'Daddy, hold it. By the way, kedu ebe ogu ga adi ka anua ya?
Where will the fight be for me to fight the fight?
Every day people will be provoking me anyhow
and you are here cooling me down.'

My dad laughed heartily, held me, drew me closer,
and told me, 'My dear son of truth,
there is nowhere fight is that you cannot fight the fight,
but 'fight is not where you will fight it'
is how a wise person runs away or avoids trouble.'

That was another huge wisdom from my dad
that anchors my non-combatant personality.
And it saved me from numerous wahala
though it makes me appear a weakling.

It's better to appear a weakling
than to be a wounded lion
by fighting any fight that crosses one's way.