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Notes About The Poem

Note: Historically, for the the coastal people of Rivers State of Nigeria, namely: Bonny, Kalabari, Opobo, Okrika, etc and maybe, other Nigerian coastal kingdoms, boat regattas and carnival-like fanfare usually mark the coronation of Kings and Chiefs of major Houses/Families, their burials and many other festivals and celebrations.

This is imaginary but describes the funeral of such a person, the journey by sea from the city to his coastal home town for burial and the associated fanfare.

The Final Home Coming

The Final Home Coming
 
From where the sky meets the high seas
Talking drums rolled out endless eulogies
As we waited, with the shore’s mud up to our knees
Some even did dance to the rhythm - no apologies
 
The mangrove flanked aquatic expanse
Its inhabitants in rapturous excitation
Announced the regattas' glorious advance
Even monkeys from trees did swing, in celebration

The colorful seven made haste to the shore
Their paddling, sequenced and synchronised
Each propelled by the muscles of twenty and four
The music, all but the drummers hypnotised
 
The wailing and drumming crescendos
As the casket is hoisted by each pall bearer
Threnodies and praise songs devoid of innuendos
Rent the air, from those to whose hearts he was dearer
 
Each relative, the other did strive to outdo
And to this illustrious son, give for at least once
With one good deed, all transgressions undo
Impressing the dead - the mind of a dunce
 
Priests did read Christian verses and made recitations
His soul, confused and standing with arms akimbo
As witch doctors also did chant incantations
Knew not which way led to Heaven, Hell or Limbo
 
In this carnival of his final journey home
He’d also sailed the metaphysical realm
Maybe, on tranquil seas that do not rage and foam
His first and last without control of the helm

celebrationconfusiondeathfarewellfuneralquatrain

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