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Best Poems Written by Onyeka Onu

Below are the all-time best Onyeka Onu poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

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Ikenga

It is not 
sickness that I
am afraid of
It is not 
disease that 
makes
me tingle
It is not the 
number of 
days
months and 
periods I go
hungry that 
makes me 
shiver

It is your 
demise
that makes 
me dizzy

I never knew 
I had this 
feelings
for you until 
now
I never knew 
how
invaluable 
you are until
the eyes of 
my pen  was 
opened
I never knew 
I was living 
with a god 
in the form of 
a man
I never knew 
I was dining 
with a human 
God

many people 
think  your 
death 
is a serious 
tragedy to this
land
many think it 
is the wrong 
time for
our hero to 
die
many are 
already 
envisaging
retribution in 
the land
but a few 
persons 
know that
you are not 
dead

my family 
loves you
my kindred 
adores you
my villagers 
reverence 
you
my town 
cherishes you 
and 
my state 
magnifies you

The news 
about your
demise 
infuriated me 

an epitome  
of  peace
has  departed
literature par 
excellence
is gone
quintesscence 
of justice 
is gone
aboard of 
wisdom
is gone
Ojezuru mba
has passed on


Even the 
dead are 
aware
that you are 
a paragon
"We don't 
need you 
here
now"... They 
quipped
"those over 
there  are 
wailling"
they repeated

Why must this 
tree
that has no 
replica
be allowed to 
fall?

It is well
Even in the 
well

You are ever 
revered
the great one

Ije oma


A tribute to a 
great literary 
scholar,
Chinua 
Achebe.

Copyright © Onyeka Onu | Year Posted 2013



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Seasons

There was a aseason

When love was love
the educated are uneducated
hunger was hung in daylight
when sins were seen in scenes

There was a season

when poverty was prohibited
obscenity totally abhored
the gods are justice par 
excellence
when people peopled with 
purpose abound

There was a season

when earth has no earthlings
Rivers Niger and Benue were 
at peace
Augusts were filled with 
august events
WaZoBia means come
when there was a country

We are in a season

when the winter wins
people sums in summer
harmattan harms the poor
when things are no longer at 
ease

We are in a season 

when vultures are in 
parliaments
religious overseers become 
coffers seers
bards are turned to harbingers
when the falcon no longer 
hears the falconer


We are in a season

When iniquity is ubiquiteous
democracy raped in public 
gaze
tyrannism is re- christened 
and democratized
when the center can no longer 
hold

We are in a season

when the blind are experts in 
colour prediction
the lame are announced 
winners in relays
the deaf hears the sound of 
gun- shots
the dumb lead in religious 
hymns
when one is man of the 
people in disguise


We are in a season

when the things above are 
above us
the things beyond are beyond 
us
senses no longer makes sense
modernity embraces 
immorality
when heaven and earth lack 
rapport


We are in a season

when kings are pimps
queens becoming madams
the good lack goodness
the bad bar the bards
the ugly remain ungodly
when things have fallen apart


I see a season

when angels will live in Los 
Angeles
food will become free in Free 
Town
people will go to overseas through Amansea
people will differenciate a 
truth from a fact
when policies will not be 
politicized

I see a season

when battles will be battled
death will become dead
immortality will be mortalized
when time will be made 
timeless

I see a season

when penury will perish
praises sung in paradise
sickness will become sick
holidays will be made 
holy days
we'll have a common 
idiosyncrasy
when the arrow of 
God is awaited

There was a season 
We are in a season
I see a season

Copyright © Onyeka Onu | Year Posted 2013

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Extempore

In the glare of the cloud
I saw the fire
In the glare of the fire 
I saw the light
In the midst of the 
light lies a being

A  shroud sonoric sound 
yelled woke fathoms of
centuries past
all filled with excruciating pain

I was arrested
the situation got complicated
I begin to begin 
I refused to refuse

Fooled was I but not a fool
sad but never unhappy
rejected but abandoned not

I will live to die
I will die to live

I see voices
I hear visions
I see voices
I see visions

the world is a stage
but where is your stay?

Copyright © Onyeka Onu | Year Posted 2013

Details | Onyeka Onu Poem

Egovin

In the midst 
of the waters
I heard a 
voice
I mean a still 
small voice

In the cloud 
of the sky 
I saw a star
whose 
brightness 
reminds
me about the 
transfiguration

In the middle 
of the night 
I saw a ghost
whose 
feeling was 
so memorable

At the center 
of the 
universe
I saw an 
eclipse
calling out a 
name

Among the 
cast a 
character
stood agape 
another 
speaks but
in stream of 
consciousness

At the 
parliament
I saw chairs 
being thrown
suits being 
torn
faces being 
squished

At the 
market 
the lads left 
their
shops...and 
allowed their
eyes to 
remain fixed

All these 
elements
recognize 
you dearie

I tried to hide 
my love
for you but 
silence 
refused

I went to the 
dark to keep
it but light 
came forth
I entered into 
the water to
bury it but it 
dried up

I have no 
money but 
you
I have you 
but no money

You are me
I live for you
You live for 
me
You are me 
and we live  
for love

Copyright © Onyeka Onu | Year Posted 2013

Details | Onyeka Onu Poem

Questions In Africa

The sound of 
the wind is 
the
 wind that 
makes the 
sound

what is a 
sound?
What is a wind?
What is the sound?
What is the 
wind?

What is the 
sound of the 
wind?

Censored the 
sound is 
shimmering
to fissure the 
fetter
a locust of 
beigns rigged 
out

If war means 
death why
do people go 
to battle?
war and 
battle are 
they the 
same?
Which one is 
bad?
which one 
incites a bard?

a necessary 
end death is
to Ceasar but 
why come
when the end 
is 
unnecessary?

If hunger that 
has hope kills 
what does 
hopeless 
hunger do?

What defines 
a foreign cow 
and a
local 
cow...the 
milk or the 
colour

Is the 
evidence of 
absense 
same as
absence of 
evidence?

If poverty is 
indeed a 
curse
 what is the 
cause?

why is killing 
someone 
called 
murder but
killing at 
the right time 
called politics?

What is 
murder?
Is it the same 
as mother?
Which one 
annihilates 
and 
which one 
creates?

What is 
politics?
Is it a game
is it a war
is it a battle
is it evil or
is it all?

What is evil? 
Nothing!
The heart 
only makes it 
so
if the heart 
could think 
evil
 is the heart 
not evil?

Since one 
acquires 
one's mother 
tongue
what forbids 
one from 
acquiring the
murder 
tongue too?

If the patient 
dog eats the 
fattest bone
and a 
person
 who 
arrives at the 
well
 first
 draws the 
cleanest water
 
what then is 
the 
equilibrium?

Saying what 
you mean and
meaning 
what you say 
are they the same?
Does the 
constant 
nodding of
 the
 lizard mean 
all is well?

Now the 
sound I know
the wind now 
I know
but the sound 
of the I know 
not

Tell me the 
sound of the 
wind

Copyright © Onyeka Onu | Year Posted 2013



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I Wan Yan

I don take my eye look every 
mata
come conclude sey life no 
make sense
to sense

those wey dey shit for house 
no sabi
read even those wey dey 
feed  
the children na olodo

If  person no know him 
purpose for life
e no better sey him ask baba 
wey dey
for up?

but wait make I ask
wetin I dey try talk self
You sure sey this no be 
madness?

I here sey church people 
madness dey start
from clapping but this one na 
writing
I dey write abi this one na 
madness too?

I get questions wey I wan ask

why ebi say na  armed 
robbers no dey
dey armed again and criminals
no dey commit crimes ?

Why Abacha no gree accept 
the woman
wey give her abacha?

Why police like to dey arrest 
guys wey dey
sell cocumba for Balumba?

Why ebi sey if dey cure 
madman
him go still they talk nonsense?

Copyright © Onyeka Onu | Year Posted 2013


Book: Shattered Sighs