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title
Issue # 7 May 2012
"... brevity is the soul of wit ..."
- William Shakespeare

Bio


Mutiu Olawuyi (JP) is a Gambia-base Nigerian Poet, translator, literary critic and activist. He is the initiator of MUSE FOR WOMEN and POETRY ZONE on Facebook -where poets from corners of the world ink to say NO TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN and post poems and critique poetic work of other respectively. He published two collections of poetry titled: AMERICAN LITERARY LEGENDS AND OTHER POEMS (2010) and THOUGHTS FROM THE JUNGLE (2012). His poems and articles have appeared in international journals and magazines in India, United States, Ireland, Greece, England and Canada. He is currently the Managing Editor of the upcoming Muse for Women Anthology (Maiden Edition)- to be released June 30, 2012. Mutiu also has some of his poems translated to Yoruba, Arabic, Malayalam, Telugu, Greek, Esperanto and Hungarian.


Mutiu Olawuyi


 

The Journey to the Archangels (12)

The pilgrims forged forward though with notes
to the Umpire, who bugs and sprays antidotes.
"Bienvenue! Nno! Ekabo! Marhaban!"* echoed
from far expanse, "Oh pilgrims, change thy codes –
white and black, and the canoe shoes. Then dance
the finger dance just of our solo silence bands.
Marhaban to the grayish world of cobra tongues!
Still till ye see and hear our band's gongs!"

As they froze to change, the band faded in
and again out. And rolled up like aged beings –
Backs bent, voices of chilly banging lips,
their skins as jagged as muddy huts in rips.
"Oh grand chevalier, bienvenue.** Come on!
Votre voyage à la seconde porte*** – here done..."

 

* Bienvenue!(French)!Nno(Igbo)!Ekabo(Yoruba)!Marhaban!(Arabic)- all mean "Welcome!"
** - grand chevalier (French) - great knight
*** (French) Your trip to the second gate...