Opaniyi Samuel is a trending creative writer. Member and one-time president, Association of Nigerian Authors, Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, his pen dances round the rooms of Literature. He has performed as a major character in a number of popular plays and coordinates a number of writing workshops online. He holds an NCE (English/ Pol. Sc.), EACOED, Oyo; and a B.A. ED (Hons) English, ACE-OAU affiliated, Ife. He has some of his works in national dailies and online publications. He teaches in Abuja.
1.
Night Song
(Gan-gan drum backdrop rhythmically)
Let’s sing a night song
For the man who rejects to dance the morning song
Yokolu-yokolu
(re-re-mi-re-re-mi)
Kowa tan bi
(do-re- mi-mi)
Iyawo gb’oko sanle
(do-do-mi- mi- re-mi-do)
Oko yo’ke
(re-mi-re-mi)
(Drumming rhythmically)
Let’s mock Mymco who’s licked the milkose
Crossed the line beyond boundaries
And refused parting with the nylon of the milkose
To leave the stage when it’s hotter
And leave no Aburo thought‘ll clean his gutter
Yokolu-yokolu
Kowa tan bi
Iyawo gb’oko sanle
Oko yo’ke
When the tortoise embarks on a senseless journey
And you ask him, broth’ tortoise, broth’ tortoise while yearning
When‘ll you return from this your senseless journey
And with what’ll you return from this shameful journey?”
“Not until I’ve been disgraced, disgraced, disgraced
Not until I’ve been disgraced
And ‘ll return with no less a broken shell”
Yokolu-yokolu
Kowa tan bi
Iyawo gb’oko sanle
Oko yo’ke
Let’s play for the politrickstar
Who thinks he’s wiser than the star
That his dream has burnt on the star
That the star he dreamt isn’t a minister
‘nd that he only has the love for power
Nd not the power of love
Make we tell him well-well
Yokolu-yokolu
That his wisdom isn’t different
From a bastard child seating under the chairs
Who cunningly plays with his father’s penis
‘nd in no time blessed with cold sweet slap
Together with a hot spanking on his naked bottom
Yokolu-yokolu
Kowa tan bi
Iyawo gb’oko sanle
Oko yo’ke
Let’s remind him
How we thought he was the messiah with esteem,
The pains of his second chance
‘nd how he got there twice
That his pants are still in our fridge
Yokolu-yokolu
Kowa tan bi
Iyawo gb’oko sanle
Oko yo’ke
Let’s sing him our hymn:
That the air has blown
‘nd the fowl’s nakedness has been blown open’
See them all: his boy and voluntary enemy
All fallen on the hot pan with their naked buttock
That the people’s mandate has come
That his goat should be ready for butcher’s visit
That On’o people are no longer monkeys
That sheepishly followed the baboon
To eat banana at the trap-site
Knowing he could jump while we could only walk
Yokolu-yokolu
Kowa tan bi
Iyawo gb’oko sanle
Oko yo’ke
Let’s sing him many mockery songs
That he should leave the state’s office
That we’ve seen ‘nd already smelled his faeces
Yokolu-yokolu
Kowa tan bi
Iyawo gb’oko sanle
Oko yo’ke
2
Pen on the Marble
New day
New question
The cutlass of the earth
Cuts the heart of the earth
In the middle of its heart
When the axe of riddle
Cuts asunder its handle
What will the owner do?
Having still some wood to cut from the middle
Life isn’t a clash of The Titan
Neither a game to win
But a road to trot
And succeed in it not by ruins
Nevertheless, me prefer
Playing in an abode of good atmosphere
Where pikins are picking beans for cooking
And cooking in the kitchen for pikins to be golden
I only hate
When the mother is milking the child
And not the child milking the mother
When the firewood burns the fire
And not the fire burning the firewood