This is Umukwu, Amune Ovim in Isuikwuato. An uncle sent this video to me yesterday. I’m happy to see this happen. Now that information about the virus is spread through local languages, I expect to see some change in attitude and willingness to observe social distancing. The video is in Igbo language. I think the… Continue reading Information on Covid-19 in Local Languages
Tag: Umukwu
A poem for Ovim, Isuikwuato
Morning wakes with the sun Windy clouds, happy yawns Quiet town, down the hill Misty paths, birds sing With the forest’s inhabitantsTall palm trees stand guard From their branches, birds tweet Squirrels look down in fright or excitement Dropping oily snacks on trespassers Forest pathways are hijacked by monkeys Protesting when a group of boys… Continue reading A poem for Ovim, Isuikwuato
The Hills of Isuikwuato
1. See these monuments standing to salute, to greet the great and small, From the top, the tree branches wave their way through the wind And down below, their roots, like men’s arms pop out of the ground Across the skies, just above the hills, light blue clouds abound 2. Mushrooms are the landlords, they… Continue reading The Hills of Isuikwuato
Isuikwuato
One wakes to the call of Nature everyday, with the sun ushering the day Huhuhu-lalala-kiki, all sort of songs welcome the sun’s golden streaks Crickets quiz, wasps and bees buzz, snakes hiss away, the clock ticked Familiar sounds echo, strong wind rushing through the high tree lines Underneath the vegetation, silent waters flow, but we… Continue reading Isuikwuato
You stay far away
And you beckon to us
From the quiet hamlets, we hear you call
Messages passing through the forest rumbling stomach
To the white clouds garnished by the sunshine
And the tree pathways, leading to you
We sit on your banks, telling stories of the wild
You let the trees surrounding us blow us kisses
The children pick palm nuts and small rocks
And they try to crack the nuts to have the seeds
The sands on your banks provide our feet
With warmth and resounding comfort
And when we step into you; sweet and cold
But all this while, your waters flow in haste
To other lands, they rush to feed!
Now and then a stray fish shows up
Throwing up bubbles to the surface
And avoiding the current surge in moves defined
As leaves fall each time the trees are kissed
The cool breezes sent only by the wind
The trees cover the pathways leading to you
The sunshine tries to break through
But to no avail. only sun streaks could
And from up there Hawks whine as they fly
The pathways are lonely, save from rodents
And stray reptiles that seek the sun’s heat
Now and then, a fruit falls ‘plum!’
Into the quietness of your current
And the little fishes scatter in confusion
But the crabs stay careless and unperturbed
Now, you call unto me dear stream
And when we walk through the pathways to you
It all comes to us, your comfort and taste-quenching waters
And how much we miss your warmness
When we all leave the hamlet to settle in towns
I beckon to you now as you do always to me
Tell me what I have missed all this while
Let your waters wash me, let me be free
And let once more, your waters flow through my sight
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It is a very cold morning
As dew descend upon this land
From those ancient hills
Standing like medieval knights
Protecting, shielding and guiding the hamlet
Quiet, queer and strange
But full of amazing life
When you feel the cold
Touched by the tip of a grass leave
On your way to the stream
Or on your way to the farm
Tucked away somewhere
Through windy pathways
Hidden in the green forest
The trick of Nature comes to you
The streams are very cold
Icing cold, it takes a huge heart
To plunge a fist in the waters
The shivering cold feasts on the flesh
Turning the skin to white colorings
Driving dry airs through the nose
And up the hills, one could hear sounds;
The cutting of palm fronds
The call of the wild
The wind brings sweet scents
Of wild sunflowers and marigold
And the cooking of my people
Though the cold be so a tyrant
It revives memories never to be lost
To a wild and country-loving boy
Umukwu is a hamlet located in Ovim, Isuikwuato in Nigeria. My mother is from here and I have spent some time living here. It is a very quiet place, save from the birds twittering and the buzzing of insects in the mornings. The hamlets is almost cut off by breath taking hills surrounding it, cold streams with big catfishes and crabs which are not to be killed; very fanciful tradition you might say. The people are homely, welcoming and very friendly; a typical feature of the Igbo ethnic group.
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Africa
Oh Africa! The land of warriors Of Shaka the Zulu Land of great trees and waterfalls The Victoria and the Chad the Baobab and the Iroko A land of green forests With many faun and flora A goldmine, a pouting sky The wonders of Nature A setting sun in the evening Have you heard the… Continue reading Africa
