WORD UP

28/10/2024

Poetry; My Double Helix

I am a poet, of course, when I dress up
I have to wear my heart on my sleeve, so when I write, I come off as authentic.

I am a poet, of course, my hands get sore from digging deep to find a connection, just so you could relate.

I am a poet, of course, my ink-stained fingers will tremble
To pen those words, yet go ahead to question my every line.

POETRY: My Double Helix. It is often said that the gift of life is the burden of living. I've been told that "heavy is the head that wears the crown, yet let him whom it fits; wear it!" When the grand master of creation gave gifts, He handed me the gift of conjuring images With my words, I concocted...

04/10/2024

Desertion by Abdulrazak Gurnah is a beautiful book.

It’s funny that I think of it as being beautiful given some of the tragic events therein. The book’s main themes seem to be love, tradition, belonging, and cruelty.

The book is history repeating itself in different generations because every main character experienced a form of abandonment. The unveiling and revealing of the complicated connection was a thing of beauty. The romance stories were well told and not in your face. The tension of the affair made you feel the characters’ emotions.

The mirroring of characters such as — Rehana and Jamila, as well as, Aunt Mariam and Aunt Halima, was well done, alongside the running metaphor of desertion, an ever-recurring motif in the book.

If the book had a relationship status, it will be “it’s complicated.”

Continue reading via the link below:

It’s funny that I think of it as being beautiful given some of the tragic events therein. The book’s main themes seem to be love…

04/10/2024

“If you have a gun, you can rob a bank. But if you have a bank, you can rob anybody.”

She smiled at the irony of the statement. She had seen it in a Black Mask comic that her son had downloaded to her tablet.

“It’s funny that the place people put their money for safe-keeping is unsafe,” she said aloud.

But that was not what was bothering her. She needed to get to the pinnacle of her career, and the MD was in the way. He had made it clear to her that he wanted another woman from a different bank as the Chief Risk Officer. She had been in an acting capacity for almost 6 months now, and if the other woman was employed, she would have no choice but to resign.

“I can’t work under her after I’ve tasted the power and benefit of this office.”

Fortunately, all was not lost.

The bank’s chairman through one of the Executive Directors had reached out to her over three weeks ago. The Board meeting was coming up soon, if she played ball, the chairman had assured her she would be confirmed as the Chief Risk Officer.

“All you have to do is to ensure the loan requests that the chairman is interested in, are recommended for approval from your end,” the Executive Director had stated.

Now she had a US$10 million Vessel Finance Facility before her. She knew what she had to do.

Continue reading via the link below:

She smiled at the irony of the statement. She had seen it in a Black Mask comic that her son had downloaded to her tablet.

21/08/2024

*THEATRETHON RELOADED*

If your expectations were high beforehand, you are hereby permitted to let them soar.

*Considering their individual records of consistent victory over defeat,*
We've never been *more certain* about the best hands and faces for *this Feat.*

Introducing the League of the Greats:

1. TheGift Chikere: Performance activist using poetry, music, and theater for social change. Leads ARTVOCACY in Lagos, recognized by UNESCO and SpeakUp, StandOut Program.
2. Tamara Dogubo: Acclaimed Spoken Word Poet and Founder of The Lighted Academy, known for her powerful performances and audacious messages.
3. Doubra Agwana: Theatre graduate from University of Port Harcourt, with 10 years of experience in dance and acting. Award-winning performer, including "Best Actor (Female)" at NUTAF 2017.
4. Graciano Enwerem: Award-winning poet, playwright, TEDx speaker, and founder of Figures of Speech movement, mentoring over 5,000 poets and teaching 20,000 artistes since 2008.

4 record-breakers, 20 performers, 170 Hours of uninterrupted theatre marathon razzmatazz,
*happening live* in Lagos, Nigeria.

*Anticipate, Participate, Collaborate!*

09/07/2024

Poetreel Monthly Competition is on, and over £100 is to be won every month

The theme for this July edition of Poetreel Monthly Competition is...

https://poetreel.com/article/26_the-theme-for-this-july-edition-of-poetreel-monthly-competition-is

01/07/2024

The theme for this July edition of Poetreel Monthly Competition is...

For more information and details, go to:

https://poetreel.com/article/26_the-theme-for-this-july-edition-of-poetreel-monthly-competition-is

# # #

12/06/2024

Poetreel Monthly Competition starts from July 1, 2024. Over £100 per month, every month for the next 12 months is to be won.

Go to https://poetreel.com/blogs to get more information and details on the guidelines, and sign up on poetreel.com to enter for the competition.

Poetreel.com....the poets' playground.

22/05/2024

with Football’s Coming Home!

The Poetry Place presents ‘Ballin Out’, 5 A-side Spoken Word Poetry Slam! ⚽️

Get ready to witness some of the most talented poets battle it out in a 5 a-side slam like no other. Prepare to be amazed by the power of words and the creativity of our performers as they celebrate football and the Euro’s in all its glory, with 3mins on the mic to dribble words like Messi, knuckleball punchline like Ronaldo, and craft wizardry spells like Ronaldinho! 😜

Don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind event! Two teams will battle it out to be crowned the 5 a-side champion of slam poetry.

Tickets 🎫 will be released this Friday, and best thing of all, they’re FREE 😉

📅 Weds 19th June 2024
📍 Aviva Studios
⏰ doors open at 6.30pm 7-9pm
🎫 released on Friday!

05/05/2024

2012. Ibadan, Oyo State.

The roar of the Lion vibrated through the air and the birds fled the trees. The thick green scenery that was on either side of the road leading from the University gates to the hostel made it seem like the Lion could suddenly pop out in front of them. It was in the Zoo on the other side of the campus but it sounded close.

Yemi nervously looked around as the car came to a halt in front of the boys' hostel at the University of Ibadan. He knew the Lion was under lock and key, but hearing the roar was still scary. He glanced at the man beside him who was at the wheel.

Kolade switched off the engine, turned, and watched the teenager as he studied the environment. The boy was now about five feet eight inches tall, no fats, all muscle. He was wearing a black tee shirt, grey combat trousers, and black boots. “You good?”

Yemi looked at him. “Yes Uncle.”

“You ready for University life?”

“Definitely.”

"You know your training and skills are not to be used carelessly.”

“What if I've to defend myself?”

“I want you to keep a low profile. Don't draw attention to yourself. So walk away, if you can.”

“Okay sir.”

“And if you can't. Strike first, strike hard.”

Yemi smiled. "Okay sir."

Kolade smiled back. "Sha just be careful. I've great plans for you."
“I know sir.”

“Oya off you go.”

“But Uncle, how do I stay prepared? How do I maintain the killer instinct? I'm itching to put my training to effect. You know most universities are now known to have cult groups, right?”

Continue reading via the link below:

The roar of the Lion vibrated through the air and the birds fled the trees. The thick green scenery that was on either side of the road…

28/04/2024

Kolade slowly exhaled as Musa parked the car. He watched as Musa got down from the car and carried the trembling child in his arms.

They were parked in front of a private hospital in Ikeja. The owner was a close friend of Musa's father, and Musa had called ahead, so the nurses were expecting them. It was a small car park and aside from the SUV, there was an ambulance and a saloon car.

The child had said nothing all through the journey from Yaba to Ikeja. He was shivering so bad, they could hear his teeth chattering.

During the drive to the hospital, Musa had kept a close watch on the rearview mirrors to be sure they were not followed. The last thing he needed right now was to be the prime target of people he suspected to be ritual killers. It was an election year and in the days building up to the elections, some people who were desperate to win at all costs would engage in human sacrifice. He knew the killers could not afford to leave their dead colleagues behind as that could make them easy to identify.

Two nurses were standing by the entrance, and as soon as they saw Musa carry Yemi from the car, they rushed forward. Musa's all-blue attire was blood-stained and there was blood all over the child's body.

The nurses took the bloody child from Musa's hands and carried him into the hospital. Kolade and Musa followed them past the reception, and down a corridor leading to the examination room on the left.

Kolade watched as the nurses carried Yemi into the examination room, and closed the door, refusing them entry. He pulled Musa back to the small white and grey reception area. They sat down on the last row of three brown benches which were beside the dark brown counter. Two flower pots with large green plants sat on either side of the last bench. The lady behind the counter nodded a greeting and continued to watch the K-Drama series on the muted TV in front of the benches.

A gurgling sound had both Kolade and Musa up on their feet with guns drawn.

Continue reading via the link below:

Kolade slowly exhaled as Musa parked the car. He watched as Musa got down from the car and carried the trembling child in his arms. They…

24/04/2024

Kaduna, Nigeria.

The entrance door at the side of the blue bungalow opened and Fatima, an eleven-year-old girl in a pink gown skipped out onto the green lawn in the compound. The flowers that lined the side of the wall swayed gently to the breeze. The green lawn graced a large portion of the side of the building but gave way to interlocking stones at the front. There was a big carport with cars parked under it at the front of the bungalow.

Fatima looked up and stared at the full moon for a moment. Then she turned around to watch as her father and his brother emerged from the same door into the compound. She skipped happily back to stand between the tall, lanky men and held their hands as they walked towards the cars. There was a blue Honda CRV, a black Honda CRV, and a Honda Accord Saloon car.

She looked up at both men with a smile as the men conversed. The younger man, Yahya, was dressed in a Police Uniform. While the older man, Isa, wore a grey caftan. They stopped beside the blue Honda CRV, and Isa turned to face Yahaya.

“So Yahaya, when next are we going to see you?”

“I leave for Abuja tomorrow morning. I’ll be there for a month and thereafter, will be in Lagos for an eight-week training.”

“Training no dey finish?”

“It’s part of the promotion exercise.”

“Oh okay, we’ll be praying for your success.”

“Thank you brother.”

Continue reading via the link below:

The entrance door at the side of the blue bungalow opened and Fatima, an eleven-year-old girl in a pink gown skipped out onto the green…

24/03/2024

The moon was absent in the sky and it was still drizzling as Yemi walked briskly behind his mother towards the bus stop, which was full of people struggling to enter the few available commercial buses.

“Yaba, Yaba,” shouted the conductor of a yellow bus with black stripes that screeched to a stop. The moment the conductor jumped down from the vehicle, people surged forward to get into it.

Bidemi put Yemi in front of her and started to force her way in. It was a herculean task. Fortunately, a man also trying to enter the bus, used his big frame to create room for mother and son, and they were able to get in.

“Thank you, sir,” Bidemi whispered to the man as they took their seat.

The bus was quickly filled up with passengers, leaving little or no room for movement. Bidemi sat in the back seat with Yemi sitting on her lap. The driver started the vehicle and began to move towards the 3rd mainland bridge.

Continue reading via the link below:

The moon was absent in the sky and it was still drizzling as Yemi walked briskly behind his mother towards the bus stop, which was full of…

21/03/2024

The Hyena Code — the story begins

A mobile phone started ringing. A slim, well-manicured hand removed it out of a red handbag and picked up the call. “Bawo ni aburo (how are you my junior)?”

“Hello egbon, se wa (senior one, hope you good)?”

“I dey kampe. Kilon sele (I’m good, what’s up)?”

“Three months from now, one of the senatorial seats will be vacant.”

“Hmm, am I under consideration?”

“Yes. But low in the pecking order.”

“Who are my contenders?”

“Three, all male.”

“Any of them know yet?”

“No. You are the first that I called. What’s your play?””

“Give it a month before you call them.”

“All of them?”

“No. Just one. I will let you know who.”

“Anything else?”

“Stay in the loop.”

“Okay egbon.”

“We fear no one…”

“We dare everyone…”

The call ends.

Continue reading via the link below:

PROLOGUE

15/03/2024

Desertion by Abdulrazak Gurnah is a beautiful book.

It’s funny that I think of it as being beautiful given some of the tragic events therein. The book’s main themes seem to be love, tradition, belonging, and cruelty.

The book is history repeating itself in different generations because every main character experienced a form of abandonment. The unveiling and revealing of the complicated connection was a thing of beauty. The romance stories were well told and not in your face. The tension of the affair made you feel the characters’ emotions.

The mirroring of characters such as — Rehana and Jamila, as well as, Aunt Mariam and Aunt Halima, was well done, alongside the running metaphor of desertion, an ever-recurring motif in the book.

If the book had a relationship status, it will be “it’s complicated.” And if the book was told as a real-life tale to a “Nigerian Deliverance Pastor,” he would term it as “ogun idile.” I don’t know how best to explain this term in English, but it literally connotes a “generational curse” (or something like that).

Continue reading via the link below:

It’s funny that I think of it as being beautiful given some of the tragic events therein. The book’s main themes seem to be love…

15/03/2024

“Rise and Grind” is the first of Daymond John’s books that I have read, and I was pleasantly impressed.

If you are wondering, who is Daymond John? Well, he is the CEO and Founder of FUBU, a respected entrepreneur and one of the stars on the ABC series Shark Tank.

Rise and Grind is a great, gritty and genuine read on how to grind out results. The fact that there were stories of other entrepreneurs (and not all about Daymond) provided a deeper level of perspective on the habits needed to win in life.

I particularly love the following stories:

Kristina Guerrero (an ex-military officer): who came up with a PowerBar/ Meal bar (aka Snack) for dogs which the dog owner can carry around with him/ her while on the road. She was not looking to start a business — she just wanted a convenient way to feed her dog when they were out on the trail (i.e. hiking). And when she did not find any, she decided to scratch her itch. This led to she and her boyfriend/ soon to be husband (who is a food scientist) experimenting and coming up with a meal bar for dogs. It took almost two years to get the “perfect recipe” which her dogs finally agreed to eat.

Continue reading via this link -

“Rise and Grind” is the first of Daymond John’s books that I have read, and I was pleasantly impressed.

15/03/2024

will be hosting Soulfood Sessions Open Mic every other Thursday at the Abbey Arms in London, literally right outside Abbeywood station and you have the choice of the good ol’ Lizzy line and southeastern.

So if you fancy performing, drop a dm or email to register your interest!

Event starts this Thursday!

Look forward to seeing some of you! 🤟🏾🌟🫶🏾

14/03/2024

The Poetry Place in partnership with BHA are running a spoken word and open mic event at Contact Theatre on Saturday 30th March 2024.

BHA is a health inequalities charity that supports the health of individuals who do not identify as White British, living in Greater
Manchester.

MIND, BODY AND SOUL is an event showcasing poetry/spoken word by artists who identify as Black African and Caribbean. We are looking
for poetry that touches upon health, the body, relationships, sensuality, s*x, and/or love.

If your poetry has something to say about these deep and personal issues, please come and share it with us at our event. ✌🏾❤️

*x

14/03/2024

For more information go to