This smell of Lagos

There is this fascinating smell of Lagos
of worn out souls standing at 3rd mainland bridge,
whose eyes see no joy, no mouth knows a smile.
Of long distance walks in the never ending bridge,
just with chips and others for sake of the thing called living.

There is this fascinating smell of Lagos
of voices lost in the vast echoes of the city,
which now, is a whisper to grey night old men,
or the kro kro kro of frogs and so,
those whose legs just touched Lagos can't decipher their meanings...
They are the conductors of tu ke tu ke busses,
whose bus has forgotten what it takes to have a mother,
or never even had any.



There is this fascinating smell of lagos
of deserted souls, of wandering souls,
whose homes are far off,
those whose mother often visits the homes of seers
to pour libations and know if there child is still alive.
of souls whose homes are far off at Ijesha or Apapa,
yet offices in Ajah, Ikoyi or Lekki.

There is this fascinating smell of Lagos
of hold ups, clinging even in streets...
Of prices of corn (Okah) fluctuated that to purchase one in Lagos,
is purchasing four in Agbor...

There is still this fascinating smell of Lagos,
of luxuries, of happy souls, happy sad souls,
sad happy souls, all in same yellow painted bus...
There is money in Lagos, there is suffering in Lagos...
All are in Lagos and that is why there is this fascinating smell of Lagos.

© Chukwuemeke Bright Nduka.
(CBNwords)

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST 2018 [JUNE] ‘FIGHTING PERSONAL DEMONS’

Words Rhymes & Rhythm Publishers invites poets from Nigeria, Africa and all over the world to enter their poems for the June 2018 edition of the BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST (BPPC) themed: ‘FIGHTING PERSONAL DEMONS’.
“We all face our demons, internal or external, personal or imaginary, monsters we strive or like to tame. In the same vein, every human has a good and bad side, the bad sides vary and could be recognized as one’s “Personal Demons”. — Brigitte Poirson
“Deep within us are various emotions that are always trying to supersede the others. When an individual is able to understand these emotions, good and bad, and keep them under control, then that person is on the path to figuring out and defeating his/her “personal demons”. — Kukogho Iruesiri Samson
Poetry is about inspiration. It is also an art. Remember to use carefully edited lines and nicely original stylistic devices. Do not focus on ‘measuring up to others’. Express the best of your poetic heart for the sake of sharing great poetry. Be inspired!
Participants should note that Judges will be focused on ORIGINALITY, WORD ECONOMY, adherence to THEME, CREATIVITY in LANGUAGE and STYLE as well as the use of LITERARY DEVICES in the poems.

PRIZE TO BE WON:
1. The winning poem will be awarded a cash prize of N8000, a certificate of award and a copy of the BPPC 2018 anthology

2. All top 10 poems will be automatically entered for the Albert Jungers Poetry Prize (AJPP) 2018
3. All top 10 poems will be published in the annual BPPC 2018 anthology
4. All top 10 poets will receive a free copy of the BPPC 2018 anthology

GUIDELINES:
1. Contestants are invited to submit one poem on the theme
2. Submissions should be sent to SUBMISSIONS@WRR.NG
3. All entries must be the original work of the poet submitting it
4. No ATTACHMENTS. Please submit poem and other details as body of mail
5. The CONTESTANT NAME, CONTEST MONTH, & POEM TITLE must be mentioned clearly, as the subject of the e-mail. For example: ‘Abubakar Nnamdi Adekunle, BPPC June 2018, ‘ THE COUNTRY OF MY DREAM’
6. The maximum length of the poem should be 28 lines (plus the title). Poems exceeding this length, or having excessively long lines, will be disqualified.
7. Authors must provide their full names and Facebook ID [for identification]and a 50-100 word biography in the body of the e-mail
8. Submission deadline is 11:59 PM Friday June 29, 2018.

NOTE THAT:
1. Poems containing profanity, racism or vulgarity will be automatically disqualified
2. The poems will be judged based on their artistic quality and creativity
3. The judges’ decision is final and under no circumstances will they enter into any correspondence with entrants regarding their decisions
4. The copyright of each submission remains with its owner but we retain the right to publish ALL and ANY entry in the annual BPPC anthology
5. Poets resident in any part of the world are eligible
6. No entry fee required
7. Past winners may enter for the competition, but a poet can only one once in a calendar year (Season). If a past winner makes the TOP 10, the poems will ONLY be awarded a certificate and be featured in the anthology.
The last edition of the BPPC (May 2018) was won by Alhassan Rabiu.
The overall winner of the BPPC 2018 (February to September 2018) will be awarded the Albert Jungers Poetry Prize (AJPP) 2018. Kanyinsola Olorunnisola won the prize in 2016 while Ogwiji Blessing emerged winner in 2017 .

The BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST (BPPC), a brainchild of Words Rhymes & Rhythm (WRR), is a monthly writing contest aimed at rewarding the under-appreciated talent of young Nigerian poets. It was instituted in February 2015 in honor of Brigitte Poirson, a French poet and lecturer, editor, who has over the years worked assiduously to promote and support of African poetry.

Now in its 4th season, and being one of the few credible contests in Nigeria, the BPPC has become one of country’s most popular, especially among the younger poets.
FOR INQUIRIES, SEND AN EMAIL TO INFO@WRR.NG
Credit: WRR Publishers Ltd

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This is Nigeria

My smile lit up the room like wildfire,
looking at Nigeria's skyline,
getting better like wine.
Something nearer my desire.

Never halt the match of history
Our culture value been nice,
though, have to handle the ice.
Solving life's sweet mystery.


We  strongly believe in the slogan,
"no condition is permanent".
Hither; seen as ornament.
Thousand years on the run like I'm Logan

The street, internet our warfronts,
pages of blogs for passive aggression,
from obvious lack of attention.
But the dog is on the hunt.

You cannot divide by zero.
You cannot prove a negative.
Make room for the positive
Where is the hero

Point and spray the area,
what are you waiting for?!
Just knock on the door.
This is Nigeria
We_no_ be_criminal


Written by © Onabajo O. Daniel

💬Your comments and feedback are welcome

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