<body><div class="booster-block booster-read-block">
 <div class="twp-read-time">
 	<i class="booster-icon twp-clock"></i> <span>Read Time:</span>5 Minute, 16 Second </div>

 </div><h4 style="text-align: center;">PROBABILITY (1<sup>st</sup> Prize)</h4>
<p> </p>
<h5>We are the two sides of a coin</h5>
<h5>but unsure of the side that grits the ground</h5>
<h5>in music brewed with morrows.</h5>
<h5></h5>
<h5>This city is a dice</h5>
<h5>and we are people of shades like a dice too.</h5>
<h5>We are life, and life is a dice, so we throw our body</h5>
<h5>to the wind for the ground to decide our fate of numbers:</h5>
<h5>That we harbour pains in our fingers</h5>
<h5>doesn’t mean we are dirty or that a win won’t rip it off</h5>
<h5>into fire later, never mind if it’s a one now;</h5>
<h5>that we find it difficult to count orphans</h5>
<h5>wanting a feel of home in their tears</h5>
<h5>doesn’t mean we’ll father silences on our tongues</h5>
<h5>for the rest of our lives,</h5>
<h5>never mind if this city gives you a two now;</h5>
<h5>that we slip thru oil into a ditch of our gone shadow</h5>
<h5>doesn’t mean we won’t still fill it with the stories</h5>
<h5>designing our palms with tragedies,</h5>
<h5>never mind if it’s a five now, but</h5>
<h5>do you now see how time changes yesterday?</h5>
<h5>Hope is the cloth of the mind.</h5>
<h5></h5>
<h5>That we walk in a dark room</h5>
<h5>wanting the touch of a nova</h5>
<h5>in our passing smiles</h5>
<h5>doesn’t mean we won’t still be a home</h5>
<h5>with curtains of calm shadows,</h5>
<h5>never mind if it’s a three this time,</h5>
<h5>we just have to throw again</h5>
<h5>cos the space we leave for doubts</h5>
<h5>may be the only time left to breathe in this city of fluttering songs;</h5>
<h5>that elders plant promises that never sprout abundance</h5>
<h5>but the flag of our hunger in fine colours</h5>
<h5>doesn’t mean we won’t be a garden</h5>
<h5>fluttering our blossoming desires</h5>
<h5>when we throw fertile thoughts like a dice, like this city,</h5>
<h5>never mind if it’s a four now</h5>
<h5>for we just have to keep clothing our mind with roses</h5>
<h5>cos zero is never a number on what we throw,</h5>
<h5>cos it’s never a number of this city,</h5>
<h5>for who knows if the wind will add our smiles</h5>
<h5>and result to six when we toss our face</h5>
<h5>with hopes that loop the heart with fine morrows?</h5>
<h5 style="text-align: right;"><em>by </em>Mesioye Johnson Affable</h5>
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">DIFFERENTIATION (2<sup>nd</sup> Prize)</h4>
<h5>Fix <em>ε</em>>;0 and <em>a</em>.</h5>
<h5>From the definition of differentiation we have</h5>
<h5>|<em>f</em>(<em>x</em>)−<em>f</em>(<em>a</em>)<em>x</em>−<em>a</em>−<em>f</em>′(<em>a</em>)|<;<em>ε </em>a marketplace –bodies carving selves into storehouses, stories burning, feet heavy with baggage –they came</h5>
<h5>to be appropriately chosen <em>δ</em>>;0. let <em>δ be the victims, f be the frequency of numbers, x be the weight of salt, a be the grief waiting to break into ash </em>in silence, a red-green pointer ticks</h5>
<h5></h5>
<h5>Multiply both sides by |<em>x</em>−<em>a</em>| to get:|<em>f</em>(<em>x</em>)−<em>f</em>(<em>a</em>)−(<em>x</em>−<em>a</em>)<em>f</em>′(<em>a</em>)|<;|<em>x</em>−<em>a</em>|<em>ε</em></h5>
<h5><em> </em>my mother sing of places metamorphosed into a garden/grave of flowers</h5>
<h5> ash-yellow. inside is full of prayers/answers returning to owners/wishes carved like epitaphs the epiphany of a morning broken like the fins of a lionfish wrecks my body yes</h5>
<h5></h5>
<h5></h5>
<h5>Using ||<em>x</em>|−|<em>y</em>||≤|<em>x</em>−<em>y</em>| we have:</h5>
<h5></h5>
<h5>|<em>f</em>(<em>x</em>)−<em>f</em>(<em>a</em>)|−|<em>x</em>−<em>a</em>|⋅|<em>f</em>′(<em>a</em>)|<;|<em>x</em>−<em>a</em>|<em>ε:</em></h5>
<h5><em>a boy in the market holds his mother’s hand</em></h5>
<h5><em>they dream together. his father by the window</em></h5>
<h5><em>waiting, slowly longing into the road with a smile</em></h5>
<h5><em> </em></h5>
<h5><em>the woman –femur/long like surah fathia</em></h5>
<h5><em>the boy –his button shines into the sun</em></h5>
<h5><em>he just passed his exams</em></h5>
<h5><em> </em></h5>
<h5>Rearrange to get:|<em>f</em>(<em>x</em>)−<em>f</em>(<em>a</em>)|<;(|<em>f</em>′(<em>a</em>)|+<em>ε</em>)⋅|<em>x</em>−<em>a</em>| :/place=maiduguri</h5>
<h5> forget the people in the market</h5>
<h5>and remember this place is a sea –of head –of sinners –of people who are a blasphemy –of debris washed back to shore –of girls wanting to become –of the becoming of boys –of lovers hiding smiles beneath their chest, waiting for sunset’s return –of mothers whose husbands will teach themselves to sing with their teeth, hold the gourds of their wives and drain the blood –the sand will testify</h5>
<h5></h5>
<h5>since <em>f</em>′(<em>a</em>) and <em>ε</em> are both fixed, you can make |<em>f</em>(<em>x</em>)−<em>f</em>(<em>a</em>)| as big as you want by making |<em>x</em>−<em>a</em>|bigger and bigger. Thus, the function is continuous at <em>a</em>/<em>ε +boom!</em></h5>
<h5><em> </em></h5>
<h5><em>in the beginning,</em></h5>
<h5><em>god created the heavens</em></h5>
<h5><em>&; the earth</em></h5>
<h5><em> </em></h5>
<h5><em>&; the earth was without form</em></h5>
<h5><em>&; the earth was without form</em></h5>
<h5><em>&; the earth was without form</em></h5>
<h5><em>&; the earth was without form</em></h5>
<h5></h5>
<h5><em>&; each spirit roamed the earth in search of its own skin, even that of the innocent boy</em></h5>
<p style="text-align: right;"><em><br>
by Adedayo Agarau</em></p>
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">TELL LADY JUSTICE (3<sup>rd</sup> Prize)</h4>
<h5>Drunken with an intoxicating prejudice,</h5>
<h5>Our gavel staggers from side to side,</h5>
<h5>Chanting songs to the drumbeats of crime.</h5>
<h5>I may only be a woman in my prime</h5>
<h5>But I know that the Constitution long began</h5>
<h5>To ally with unrepentant criminals and</h5>
<h5>His fiery wrath is become a friendly warmth-</h5>
<h5>Gathering offenders into an embrace</h5>
<h5>As they toast to the triumph of wrong</h5>
<h5>With chilled wine in the hollowed skulls</h5>
<h5>Of the innocent</h5>
<h5></h5>
<h5>The jury has inflicted an injury on our soul</h5>
<h5>For like the ears of corn, stuck on either side</h5>
<h5>Of my farmland, they hear not our whispers</h5>
<h5>Nor whimpers of despair and pain</h5>
<h5></h5>
<h5>The day the wig (the crown on the head of the Law)</h5>
<h5>Began to speak the language of brown envelopes</h5>
<h5>Justice eloped with bribery and corruption</h5>
<h5>To seek nuptial bliss in the presence</h5>
<h5>Of currency notes.</h5>
<h5></h5>
<h5>So please tell Lady Justice that</h5>
<h5>The weevils are feasting on the last grains</h5>
<h5>In our silo. Tell Lady Justice that</h5>
<h5>The poor man is guilty, his innocence like</h5>
<h5>A feather on her scale, it weighs nothing</h5>
<h5>For poverty is such a weighty crime</h5>
<h5></h5>
<h5>Tell Lady Justice to make herself a new blindfold</h5>
<h5>She seems to be examining the faces not the cases!</h5>
<h5>Tell Lady Justice to sharpen her sword with the file</h5>
<h5>On the rough tongue of incorruptible judges-</h5>
<h5>In between whose teeth, fair judgment cannot get stuck.</h5>
<h5></h5>
<h5>Tell Lady Justice that the poor men are at her nip,</h5>
<h5>Waiting to suckle the milk of freedom.</h5>
<h5>Counsel, please tell her to allow them suckle</h5>
<h5>Until they wean and win their case,</h5>
<h5>Else they’ll shake the thorny hands of fate as aforetime.</h5>
<h5 style="text-align: right;">by O<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ogwiji.ehi">gwiji Ehi-kowochio Blessing</a></h5>
<hr>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="LVyh9Ul9ts"><p><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/news/eopp-2017-mesioye-wins/">MESIOYE, AGARAU, OGWIJI WIN ERIATA ORIBHABOR POETRY PRIZE 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="“MESIOYE, AGARAU, OGWIJI WIN ERIATA ORIBHABOR POETRY PRIZE 2017” — Words Rhymes &; Rhythm" src="https://www.wrr.ng/news/eopp-2017-mesioye-wins/embed/#?secret=9kWWcjSJi5#?secret=LVyh9Ul9ts" data-secret="LVyh9Ul9ts" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
 
 <div class="booster-block booster-author-block">
 <div class="be-author-details layout-square align-left">
 <div class="be-author-wrapper">
 <div class="booster-row">
 <div class="booster-column booster-column-two booster-column-mobile">
 <div class="be-author-image">
 <img alt="" src="https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3de36b6da89639b3d80d015f84d2cfc35212bb0678ceb13c46dc8c712831d196?s=400&;d=mm&;r=g" class="avatar avatar-400 photo avatar-img" height="400" width="400" loading="lazy"> </div>
 </div>
 <div class="booster-column booster-column-eight booster-column-mobile">
 <div class="author-details">
 <header class="twp-plugin-title twp-author-title">
 <h2>About Post Author</h2>
 </header>
 <h4 class="be-author-meta be-author-name">
 <a href="https://www.wrr.ng/author/admin/" class="booster-url-link">
 Words Rhymes &; Rhythm </a>
 </h4>
 <div class="be-author-meta be-author-email">
 <a href="mailto:%20info@wrr.ng" class="booster-url-link">
 <span class="booster-svg-icon booster-svg-envelope"><svg class="booster-svg" aria-hidden="true" role="img" focusable="false" viewbox="0 0 24 24" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24"><path fill="currentColor" d="M0 3v18h24v-18h-24zm6.623 7.929l-4.623 5.712v-9.458l4.623 3.746zm-4.141-5.929h19.035l-9.517 7.713-9.518-7.713zm5.694 7.188l3.824 3.099 3.83-3.104 5.612 6.817h-18.779l5.513-6.812zm9.208-1.264l4.616-3.741v9.348l-4.616-5.607z"></path></svg></span>info@wrr.ng </a>
 </div>
 <div class="be-author-meta be-author-url">
 <a href="https://wrr.ng/about-us/" target="_blank" class="booster-url-link">
 <span class="booster-svg-icon booster-svg-sphere"><svg class="booster-svg" aria-hidden="true" role="img" focusable="false" viewbox="0 0 24 24" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24"><path fill="currentColor" d="M 11.25 1.5 C 5.035156 1.5 0 6.535156 0 12.75 C 0 18.964844 5.035156 24 11.25 24 C 17.464844 24 22.5 18.964844 22.5 12.75 C 22.5 6.535156 17.464844 1.5 11.25 1.5 Z M 17.617188 16.5 C 17.816406 15.550781 17.941406 14.546875 17.984375 13.5 L 20.972656 13.5 C 20.894531 14.535156 20.652344 15.542969 20.253906 16.5 Z M 4.882812 9 C 4.683594 9.949219 4.558594 10.953125 4.515625 12 L 1.527344 12 C 1.605469 10.964844 1.847656 9.957031 2.246094 9 Z M 16.078125 9 C 16.304688 9.960938 16.441406 10.964844 16.484375 12 L 12 12 L 12 9 Z M 12 7.5 L 12 3.109375 C 12.34375 3.210938 12.679688 3.375 13.011719 3.609375 C 13.636719 4.050781 14.230469 4.726562 14.738281 5.566406 C 15.085938 6.148438 15.386719 6.796875 15.640625 7.5 Z M 7.761719 5.566406 C 8.269531 4.726562 8.863281 4.050781 9.488281 3.609375 C 9.820312 3.375 10.15625 3.207031 10.5 3.109375 L 10.5 7.5 L 6.859375 7.5 C 7.113281 6.792969 7.414062 6.148438 7.761719 5.566406 Z M 10.5 9 L 10.5 12 L 6.015625 12 C 6.058594 10.964844 6.195312 9.960938 6.421875 9 Z M 2.246094 16.5 C 1.847656 15.542969 1.605469 14.535156 1.527344 13.5 L 4.515625 13.5 C 4.558594 14.546875 4.683594 15.550781 4.882812 16.5 Z M 6.015625 13.5 L 10.5 13.5 L 10.5 16.5 L 6.421875 16.5 C 6.195312 15.539062 6.058594 14.535156 6.015625 13.5 Z M 10.5 18 L 10.5 22.390625 C 10.15625 22.289062 9.820312 22.125 9.488281 21.890625 C 8.863281 21.449219 8.269531 20.773438 7.761719 19.933594 C 7.414062 19.351562 7.113281 18.703125 6.859375 18 Z M 14.738281 19.933594 C 14.230469 20.773438 13.636719 21.449219 13.011719 21.890625 C 12.679688 22.125 12.34375 22.292969 12 22.390625 L 12 18 L 15.640625 18 C 15.386719 18.707031 15.085938 19.351562 14.738281 19.933594 Z M 12 16.5 L 12 13.5 L 16.484375 13.5 C 16.441406 14.535156 16.304688 15.539062 16.078125 16.5 Z M 17.984375 12 C 17.945312 10.953125 17.816406 9.949219 17.617188 9 L 20.253906 9 C 20.652344 9.957031 20.894531 10.964844 20.972656 12 Z M 19.46875 7.5 L 17.222656 7.5 C 16.785156 6.121094 16.179688 4.914062 15.457031 3.949219 C 16.453125 4.429688 17.355469 5.066406 18.144531 5.855469 C 18.648438 6.359375 19.089844 6.910156 19.46875 7.5 Z M 4.355469 5.855469 C 5.144531 5.066406 6.046875 4.429688 7.042969 3.949219 C 6.320312 4.914062 5.714844 6.121094 5.277344 7.5 L 3.03125 7.5 C 3.410156 6.910156 3.851562 6.359375 4.355469 5.855469 Z M 3.03125 18 L 5.277344 18 C 5.714844 19.378906 6.320312 20.585938 7.042969 21.550781 C 6.046875 21.070312 5.144531 20.433594 4.355469 19.644531 C 3.851562 19.140625 3.410156 18.589844 3.03125 18 Z M 18.144531 19.644531 C 17.355469 20.433594 16.453125 21.070312 15.457031 21.550781 C 16.179688 20.585938 16.785156 19.378906 17.222656 18 L 19.46875 18 C 19.089844 18.589844 18.648438 19.140625 18.144531 19.644531 Z M 18.144531 19.644531 "></path></svg></span>https://wrr.ng/about-us/ </a>
 </div>
 </div>
 <div class="be-author-profiles">
 </div>
 </div>
 </div>
 </div>
 </div>
 </div>
 </body>
ERIATA ORIBHABOR POETRY PRIZE 2017 WINNING POEMS by Mesioye, Agarau & Ogwiji
