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 </div><p></p><figure id="attachment_179" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-179" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="http://wrr.ng/authorpedia/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/1d786-whatcanwordsdobook.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-179" src="http://wrr.ng/authorpedia/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/1d786-whatcanwordsdobook.jpg?w=300" alt="What Can Words Do?" width="300" height="225" loading="lazy"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-179" class="wp-caption-text">www.facebok.com/AuthorPedia <strong>[What Can Words Do?]</strong></figcaption></figure><a href="http://authorpedia.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/what-can-words-do-a-collection-of-poems/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">What Can Words Do?</a>
<p>Poetry. Poetry. Poetry.</p>
<p>Beyond a doubt the art form is experiencing a resurgence like nothing before. Is it coincidence that the NLNG Prize decided this year (2013) to reward <a class="zem_slink" title="Poet" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poet" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia noopener noreferrer">poets</a> (congratulations to Tade Ipadeola, winner)?</p>
<p>Following in the line of Iquo Diana Abasi Eke (<em>Symphony of Becoming</em>, NLNG Prize Nominee) &; Su’eddie Agema (<em>Bring Our Caskets Home</em> who also has a blurb on this book), <a class="zem_slink" title="Orange Crush" href="http://www.last.fm/music/R.E.M./Orange%2BCrush" target="_blank" rel="lastfm noopener noreferrer">Orange Crush</a> Prize for Poetry 2012 Winner, <a href="http://authorpedia.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/kukogho-iruesiri-samson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kukogho Iruesiri Samson</a>, conversly asks the question ‘What Can Words Do?’</p>
<p><em>In this tale…</em><br>
<em> cold ovens bake <a class="zem_slink" title="Bread" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia noopener noreferrer">bread</a>,</em><br>
<em> earth fights itself,</em><br>
<em> tongues fool thumbs,</em><br>
<em> men chew seeds of discord,</em><br>
<em> they forget how to live.</em><br>
<em> There, a poet finds himself,</em><br>
<em> facing death with tears,</em><br>
<em> he looks love in the eyes</em><br>
<em> …and finds God.</em></p>
<p>It is hard not to wonder what informed the above – and then wonder; indeed, how dough would become bread without heat?</p>
<p>Or is the poet asking another question entirely?<!--more--></p>
<p>Following <a href="http://authorpedia.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/kukogho-iruesiri-samson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kukogho</a> gets tricky at times – but not because of language or obscurity on his own part. He comes across as a conscious poet; which means this moment you may find him waxing enthusiastically about fresh-love’s carefree nature (<em>Souls Adrift</em>), the next moment he’s inspiring <a class="zem_slink" title="Nigeria" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=9.06666666667,7.48333333333&;spn=10.0,10.0&;q=9.06666666667,7.48333333333%20(Nigeria)&;t=h" target="_blank" rel="geolocation noopener noreferrer">Nigerian</a> activists to occupy <em>(We Shall <a class="zem_slink" title="Occupy movement" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_movement" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia noopener noreferrer">Occupy</a></em>) which gives a sublime dating to some of the poems – but detaches from their messaging not in the slightest.</p>
<p>As you go deeper within the book (spoiler alert) you will come to find that the book is split in sections; each section introduced by a poem started from a line from the introduction. In case you find that confusing, check the following examples:</p>
<p>cold ovens bake bread<br>
<em>who can bake</em><br>
<em> after the heat</em><br>
<em> in the oven</em><br>
<em> is long gone?</em></p>
<p>‘Cold ovens bake bread…‘ being the first line from the introduction and hence; forms an introduction to the first section which is filled with an expression; mostly of frustration with relationships gone wrong. <em>Wedded and Weeded</em> is a narrative of the joys of the wedding day, that then lead to unhappiness and eventually – DIVORCE.</p>
<p>A quite familiar path these days it would seem.</p>
<p>What I enjoy most about <a href="http://authorpedia.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/kukogho-iruesiri-samson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kukogho</a>’s writing is his constant smattering of local vocab in his writing. My favorite piece; incredibly hard to choose though it is, is <em>Eni Binu Mi;</em> a yoruba phrase that means ‘The One Who Hates Me’ literally and is usually followed with threats and even curses.</p>
<p>The poet decides to leave the bulk of his as threats, delivered fluidly in a coherent mix of <a class="zem_slink" title="Yoruba people" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_people" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia noopener noreferrer">Yoruba</a> and English, a sweet menagerie of <a class="zem_slink" title="Word" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia noopener noreferrer">words</a>.</p>
<p><em>The Baby</em> is another show-stealer, a piece about arguing parents from the hungry baby’s perspective. Hilarious.</p>
<p><em><a href="http://authorpedia.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/what-can-words-do-a-collection-of-poems/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">What Can Words Do?</a></em> does not spare anything in answering its own question, gorging itself plentifully; almost excessively on fanciful words.</p>
<p>But don’t let that touch you – even though words are the swords of poets, very rarely have they been used so powerfully, expressively and poignantly.</p>
<p>What Can Words Do?</p>
<p>A lot, obviously.</p>
<p>Available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Words-Kukogho-Iruesiri-Samson/dp/9789340052/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Amazon</strong></a> or call 08060109295 to buy.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON <a href="http://seunodukoya.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/spotlight-kukogho-iruesiri-samson-with-what-can-words-do/">SEUN ODUKOYA’S BLOG</a></p>
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WHAT CAN WORDS DO (poems) a review by Seun Odukoya
