I arose from my bed, my dream, my fears
Towards an unknown destination
‘DEATH GAVE BIRTH TO MY FATHER IN THE PARADISE OF LOVE ‘ / ‘MANGROVE GIANT ‘ / ‘MEN IN OUR DUNGEON’ | three poems by Abubakar Auwal
From my mother’s words emerged a girl,
Her hair a cascade on my eyelashes unfurled.
Simultaneously, I am but a line,
In a poem where my mother’s a verse so divine.
‘A WIDOW’S CRY’ / ‘AGBADA’ / ‘HAMMER ON OUR SKIN’ / ‘CONTEMPLATIONS’ | four poems by Leonard Ifeanyi Ugwu, Jr.
To keep the blood linage or bear a son for the dead.
She becomes the brother’s inheritance.
‘SYMPHONY OF SOULS’ / ‘WHEN MY BREATH NO LONGER WHISPERS’ / ‘REQUIEM FOR RICHES’ | three poems by Olaseni Kehinde Precious
Tomorrow, I may vanish like the morning mist,
Which gracefully dissipates beneath the caress of sun’s smile
So, when I find my room beneath the earth’s embrace
Do not afflict your eyes with desolate tears
ivoryless corpses litter our lands | a BITL protest poem by Kukogho Iruesiri Samson
when shall the stop these haunting hunts
that turns trumpetting to dying grunts?
Announcing the Judges for the Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize (EOPP) 2023
The Judges for the Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize (EOPP) 2023 are Jide Badmus, Adedayo Agarau, and Chika Jones, renowned poets with remarkable literary backgrounds.
‘AMBIVALENCE’ / ‘THE PORTRAIT OF MY GRANDFATHER’ / ‘IN THE NIGHT (II) ’ / ‘A LETTER TO MY DEAD BOYFRIEND’ | four poems by Imam Sarafadeen
A dog that lost its home came back to bite its owner –
they say it is because the owner did not make any attempts to find it.
‘AN EXTRA NOTE ON THE NAIRA NOTE’ / ‘HOW TO HELP YOUR CORNTREE’ / ‘LIKE 20 NAIRA NOTE, WE SQUEEZE NIGERIA INTO YOUR PALM’ / ‘THE COOKING POT’ | four poems by Noble Alobu
Tonight / i fall on my knees / my face to the setting sun / beseeching
the old man / who the earth is his footstool: / lord / like 20 naira note / we
squeeze nigeria into your palm / oyigiyigi / keep it for us!
I Am Rainbow | a short story by Collins Ozara
“Have you ever been with a woman?” I didn’t know how to respond. She startled me, and then she kissed my collarbone. My skin tingled with goosebumps at her every touch, and she made her way to my nipples.
Rivers In the Desert | a short story by Mohammed Taoheed
The whirling wind whispered his sagacious sapience in books, and plethoric eyes pleaded assertingly that he dabbled into politics. Like all misologists, he leapt pronto, and he was made the mayor of a state in his sod, UAR.