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BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST GHANA’S ALHASSAN RABIU WINS BPPC MAY 2018

<body><div class&equals;"booster-block booster-read-block">&NewLine; <div class&equals;"twp-read-time">&NewLine; &Tab;<i class&equals;"booster-icon twp-clock"><&sol;i> <span>Read Time&colon;<&sol;span>13 Minute&comma; 6 Second <&sol;div>&NewLine;&NewLine; <&sol;div><p><&sol;p>&NewLine;<h5 style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">Ghanaian poet Alhassan Rabiu has emerged winner of the May edition of the <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;wrr&period;ng&sol;csr&sol;bppc&sol;">BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST<&sol;a> &lpar;BPPC&rpar; 2018 which was themed&colon; <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;wrr&period;ng&sol;news&sol;enter-bppc-may-2018&sol;">&OpenCurlyQuote;THE COUNTRY OF MY DREAM’<&sol;a>&period; It is the first time a non-Nigerian will win the poetry contest&period;<&sol;h5>&NewLine;<p>His entry&comma; a beautifully rhymed poem entitled CONVERSATIONS WITH MY PILLOWS&comma; was the clear winner&period; Wayne Adewale Samuel’s I AM AT THE END OF WORDS and Gideon Sampson Cecil’s COUNTRY OF MY DREAM finished in the 1st-runner-up and 2nd-runner-up positions respectively&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Alhassan&comma; who hails from Northern Ghana&comma; is a professional teacher with a Diploma in Basic Education from Bagabaga College of Education&comma; Ghana&semi; a Bachelor’s degree &lpar;Hons&period;&rpar; in Integrated Development Studies from the University for Development Studies&comma; Ghana&semi; and&comma; an MPhil degree in Social Work from University of Ghana&period; He is presently a Development Practitioner with enormous interest in academic writing&comma; and&comma; in areas such as poetry as well as African traditional literature&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Wayne&comma; the only Nigerian in the top three&comma; is a graduate of Mass Communication from the University of Benin&period; He is the winner of Season 6 of Nigeria’s Foremost Poetry Slam Competition&comma; War of Words&period; His whose works cut across poetry&comma; script writing&comma; fiction&comma; spoken word poetry&comma; stage writing&comma; and copy-writing&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;wrr&period;ng&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2018&sol;06&sol;Alhassan-Rabiu-BPPC-May-2018&period;jpg"><img class&equals;"alignnone size-full wp-image-35201" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;wrr&period;ng&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2018&sol;06&sol;Alhassan-Rabiu-BPPC-May-2018&period;jpg" alt&equals;"" loading&equals;"lazy"><&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Third-placed Gideon Sampson Cecil is a poet&comma; fiction writer and freelance journalist from Guyana&comma; a country on South America’s North Atlantic coast&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h4>Below are the top 10 poems&colon;<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<ol>&NewLine;<li>CONVERSATIONS WITH MY PILLOWS by Alhassan Rabiu<&sol;li>&NewLine;<li>I AM AT THE END OF WORDS by Wayne Adewale Samuel<&sol;li>&NewLine;<li>COUNTRY OF MY DREAM by Gideon Sampson Cecil<&sol;li>&NewLine;<li>NIGERIA OF MY DREAMS by Oche Celestine Onjewu<&sol;li>&NewLine;<li>I KNOW WHY THE BAT IS BLIND by Samuel Kuye<&sol;li>&NewLine;<li>TIME FOR RECKONING NIGERIA by Godwin Nket-Awaji Alpheaus<&sol;li>&NewLine;<li>THE NIGERIA OF MY DREAMS by Ogedengbe Tolulope Impact<&sol;li>&NewLine;<li>THIS DREAM by Ernest O&period; Ogunyemi<&sol;li>&NewLine;<li>TIME by Chidi Jennifer Orjinta<&sol;li>&NewLine;<li>NIGERIA WILL YOU MARRY ME&quest; by Veralyn Chinenye<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ol>&NewLine;<p><strong>CONVERSATIONS WITH MY PILLOWS by Alhassan Rabiu<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">Let me lay down my pretence&comma;<br>&NewLine;To remind my land we aren’t there&semi;<br>&NewLine;Let me wear a tongue of prudence&comma;<br>&NewLine;So I can make this dream clear&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">We’re strangled in pretentious smiles<br>&NewLine;While reality is far in zillions of miles&semi;<br>&NewLine;So my heart mewls with my pillows&comma;<br>&NewLine;Whimpering like those of fresh widows&semi;<br>&NewLine;On my wet pillows I stand for a country<br>&NewLine;Whose agony has lived in a century&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">Yet I see hoard of gold in a realm<br>&NewLine;Whose story shall stand tall and firm&semi;<br>&NewLine;Here the pillows whisper to me<br>&NewLine;Images of a tranquil sea&comma;<br>&NewLine;On whom a ship travels to my soul<br>&NewLine;To deliver fruits of my heart’s gaol –<br>&NewLine;A people cloaked in true prosperity –<br>&NewLine;With a tomorrow of grace in eternity&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">As the whispers lull me to a sleep&comma;<br>&NewLine;Sleep leads me to a heavenly keep&comma;<br>&NewLine;Where there are no swords and spears&semi;<br>&NewLine;Where true smiles are the only tears&semi;<br>&NewLine;Then I see writings on ancestral walls –<br>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyQuote;The kingdom shall know no falls’&comma;<br>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyQuote;The land to be free of gender inequality’&comma;<br>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyQuote;Diverse cultures to sow seeds of unity’&comma;<br>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyQuote;For at last&comma; Ghana&comma; a story of prosperity’&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>I AM AT THE END OF WORDS by Wayne Adewale Samuel<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">Teetering on the edge of lips&comma;<br>&NewLine;I remember what the first was&comma;<br>&NewLine;I know what the last word is&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">We have prevailed&comma;<br>&NewLine;E go better&period;<br>&NewLine;A seesaw to comeuppance&period;<br>&NewLine;A coin toss of one chance&period;<br>&NewLine;We got it right&comma;<br>&NewLine;Then we were terribly wrong&period;<br>&NewLine;The wailing in the night<br>&NewLine;Was the mornings victory song&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">Should’ve stayed in his hands&comma;<br>&NewLine;White Jesus could’ve saved us&comma;<br>&NewLine;But his brother bumbled the Middle East&comma;<br>&NewLine;So maybe it was a favour&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">Maybe the swing&comma; and the boy on it<br>&NewLine;Need to grow up&period;<br>&NewLine;He needs to get off and do the work&comma;<br>&NewLine;It needs to stay up there&period;<br>&NewLine;Stop treating this like a playground&comma;<br>&NewLine;They need to come back where&comma;<br>&NewLine;People hold their heads high as the flag<br>&NewLine;And adult men no longer play in the sand&period;<br>&NewLine;Guns no longer immunize the hand&comma;<br>&NewLine;And take shots at the masses around&period;<br>&NewLine;Where a prayer of thanks&comma; is the only time<br>&NewLine;Hands kiss the sky&comma; and knees hit the ground&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>COUNTRY OF MY DREAM by Gideon Sampson Cecil<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">The day is green in this blessed land Guyana<br>&NewLine;Grey clouds wore her wardrobe over the sea&period;<br>&NewLine;Green parrots marched like soldiers in the wind<br>&NewLine;Brown waterfalls walked across this blessed land&period;<br>&NewLine;The dark-red horizon falls in love over the sea&period;<br>&NewLine;A red robin rejoices on a joyful coconut tree&period;<br>&NewLine;The vociferous ocean sends her rains from afar&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">In the dew-dawn day cows grazed down an angry river<br>&NewLine;Slender corn trees weep in the eyes of the wind&period;<br>&NewLine;Sea birds danced on a brilliant bone white beach&period;<br>&NewLine;High sand hills climb the air to stand<br>&NewLine;stretching her beautiful arms all across this<br>&NewLine;immortal land Guyana&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">A pale half-moon hides her face behind<br>&NewLine;a succulent mango tree&comma;<br>&NewLine;as the world slumbers in rest&period;<br>&NewLine;In the dead night the rain clouds dream under the skies&comma;<br>&NewLine;Her dark veil hides the silver stars at night&period;<br>&NewLine;From the eastern horizon&comma; the crying moon shows me her pale light&comma;<br>&NewLine;For me to see the beauty of Guyana for my eyes to delight<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">A green macaw calls her mate in the dead night<br>&NewLine;waking the night owl from her rest&period;<br>&NewLine;The teeth of the wind bites me from afar&comma;<br>&NewLine;the warm moonlight caressed my lips in the rainy breeze<br>&NewLine;conquering my dreams of love for this blessed land&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>NIGERIA OF MY DREAMS by Oche Celestine Onjewu<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">I dream of a land of tranquility as our founding father beget&comma;<br>&NewLine;Where I shall salute the national flag with zero regrets&comma;<br>&NewLine;Where the green part of the flag actually means agriculture&comma;<br>&NewLine;Not some desolated fields where farmers lay dead as food for vultures&comma;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">I dream of a country where I shall call home&comma;<br>&NewLine;Where I am welcomed in every part of this dome&comma;<br>&NewLine;A land where I shall be able to work anywhere am residing&comma;<br>&NewLine;Where value addition is better than certificate of origin&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">A country that Honesty means something&comma; and integrity holds water&comma;<br>&NewLine;Where elites enter politics because they have something to offer&comma;<br>&NewLine;When an Igbo man would in sincerity rule Bornu state for sure&comma;<br>&NewLine;And then alas we shall hear the drums of war no more&comma;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">I dream of a country where leaders of tomorrow is no longer just some song&comma;<br>&NewLine;Making me feel that my teachers all this while were wrong&comma;<br>&NewLine;A country where the young ones are given due shots at leadership&comma;<br>&NewLine;And not stuck in an endless loop of recycling politics&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">I dream of a country where a child is accounted for&comma;<br>&NewLine;Even before being given birth to&comma; he&sol;she is cared for&comma;<br>&NewLine;I dream that Religiosity died on the altar of spirituality&comma;<br>&NewLine;Where Federal character was sacrificed on the cross of meritocracy&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">I dream of a Nigeria with love as its core&comma;<br>&NewLine;Where education is loved and catered for&comma;<br>&NewLine;Where there are no more strikes and hates from my professor&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">I dream of a nation where hunger is no more&comma;<br>&NewLine;Where the gap between the rich and the poor is closed-up on&comma;<br>&NewLine;Where due process everywhere is followed to the latter&comma;<br>&NewLine;So that be you rich or poor&comma; first come first serve is our new Character&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>I KNOW WHY THE BAT IS BLIND by Samuel Kuye<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">Ere monsters began to feed on flesh&comma; we’re green<br>&NewLine;We all&comma; so green&comma; fed on leaves&semi; fish fed on water<br>&NewLine;And snail on humus&semi; none lacked skin&comma; food or shelter<br>&NewLine;Till peacocks and ostriches contested for the fat and lean<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">The Cats&comma; dogs&comma; hippos&comma; hyenas&comma; orcas and sharks –strong willed<br>&NewLine;Snakes&comma; crocodiles&comma; eagles&comma; hawks –all gone wild<br>&NewLine;On land&comma; air and in waters –blood spilled<br>&NewLine;The herbivores and hens –hopeless&comma; helpless but mild<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">The Bat and I sought for a world –of old order<br>&NewLine;We stayed on trees&comma; heads-down –watching fighting and feasting<br>&NewLine;Claws&comma; fangs&comma; arrows and swords tear flesh –with no order<br>&NewLine;We see deaths delight dukes and dancers –more crying&comma; less smiling&comma;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">The bat and I moved at night&comma; roaming round in pain and hunger<br>&NewLine;Then I flew around in light&comma; net wrapped me&comma; cage kept me<br>&NewLine;And from hands to hands&comma; for coins&comma; I was starved and taken to homes<br>&NewLine;Seeing hens and chicks fed with maize –I lost my innocence<br>&NewLine;For in escape&comma; I caught a chick and ate –I lost my way for long<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">I’m no more faultless&comma; now in a web of violence<br>&NewLine;And bats flew in day light –they’re hunted and killed<br>&NewLine;But I helped my friend escape and she saw me preyed on a chick<br>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Alas” hawks now delight in deaths&comma; I’ll rather press my eyes<br>&NewLine;Than see the innocent&comma; gone wild&comma; violent”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Dear bat&comma; night traveler&comma; I still dream of a country<br>&NewLine;Where there’s no trap or deaths during the day<br>&NewLine;Nor hunters and arrows at night&semi; nor greed and avarice&semi;<br>&NewLine;For I know it’s not scarcity that caused insanity –<br>&NewLine;There’s abundance to tame violence&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>TIME FOR RECKONING NIGERIA by Godwin Nket-Awaji Alpheaus<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">It is here&comma; the holy hour of reckoning&semi;<br>&NewLine;Hour to redress our bedlam-cluttered bed –<br>&NewLine;The cradle of my youth&comma; blanketed with counterpane of convoluted concatenation&period;<br>&NewLine;A bed where we&comma; offsprings of surrogate mother&comma;<br>&NewLine;Wake with bleak dreams strewn on our scalps like bristled wisp of air&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">It is here&comma; time to sing with primordial flute&comma;<br>&NewLine;For innumerable days&comma; we’ve been stranded in this quagmire&comma;<br>&NewLine;Nurturing the cacophony of being dumb&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">We have watched the risible disguise of our Coat of Arm&colon;<br>&NewLine;The valiant eagle becomes emblem of question&comma; not national exertion –<br>&NewLine;Where is our strength&comma; when the eagle becomes duck fettered in sadistic minds&quest;<br>&NewLine;We have watched gavel become gravel hurled at poor birds&comma;<br>&NewLine;While sanctity pledged allegiance to affluence&comma; not porous pocket&period;<br>&NewLine;For our river doesn’t have weir&comma;<br>&NewLine;We watched tide of birth flu immerse our shore&semi;<br>&NewLine;Our oblong sphere suffers religious cardinal eclipse&period;<br>&NewLine;We send our offsprings&comma; with tattered clothes&comma; like Fulanis on street edge&comma;<br>&NewLine;To hawk&comma; not school&comma; for there are trillion jobs in the country&period;<br>&NewLine;Our gullible minds become receptacle of stale truths&comma;<br>&NewLine;Where rites of reincarnation play ubiquitous sleight&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">Oh Nigeria of my youth&comma; flowing with tender corpuscle of a suckling&comma;<br>&NewLine;Will your auspicious shadow recede in my dream&quest;<br>&NewLine;Will you silently watch hegemonic perfidy trick you into becoming tawdry&quest;<br>&NewLine;A stale dream produces a rotten future&excl;<br>&NewLine;Will the future perennially stare at your offsprings with bleak eyes&quest;<br>&NewLine;A man who motivates his neighbor to destroy his home<br>&NewLine;Will never keep him under the same roof for eternity&period;<br>&NewLine;Build&comma; build your home&comma; for there’s no death as deficient as suicide&excl;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>THE NIGERIA OF MY DREAMS by Ogedengbe Tolulope Impact<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">i<br>&NewLine;Tomorrow&comma; in the diary of my poetry&comma;<br>&NewLine;I will write about a new country&comma;<br>&NewLine;A vast haven beneath the silvery sky<br>&NewLine;Where honey flows and never run dry&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">I will write about her shining rivers&comma;<br>&NewLine;Coursing their paths in endless wonders&comma;<br>&NewLine;The green plains&comma; and the fertile fields<br>&NewLine;Producing bountiful grains with plenty yields&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">I will write about her hilly mountains&comma;<br>&NewLine;The vegetations&comma; and the frolic fountains&comma;<br>&NewLine;The precious stones&comma; and the crude minerals&comma;<br>&NewLine;Mined&comma; refined&comma; and piped freely to their terminals&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">ii<br>&NewLine;Tomorrow&comma; in the diary of my poetry&comma;<br>&NewLine;I will write about a new country&comma;<br>&NewLine;A hallowed heaven devoid of terror and strife<br>&NewLine;Where citizens know the true value of life&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">I will write about a unified nation&comma;<br>&NewLine;Forcefully fortified against opposition&comma;<br>&NewLine;An empire consecrated with perfect smile&lpar;s&rpar;<br>&NewLine;Where truth reigns regally with no guile&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">I will write about a blissful heartland<br>&NewLine;Where food are as common as sand<br>&NewLine;I will write about the fount of pure streams&comma;<br>&NewLine;A graceful utopia- the Nigeria of my dreams&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>THIS DREAM by Ernest O&period; Ogunyemi<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">Yesterday&comma;<br>&NewLine;Softly&comma; like butterfly on flower&comma;<br>&NewLine;Something lighted on my brow<br>&NewLine;And crept into my eyes&semi;<br>&NewLine;Something real and tangible<br>&NewLine;Like Nature’s beautiful world&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">II<br>&NewLine;There<br>&NewLine;Children suckt no dry fingers<br>&NewLine;For mothers were the fullness<br>&NewLine;In the pockets of fathers&period;<br>&NewLine;Life was survivable there&colon;<br>&NewLine;We ate no bombshell&period;<br>&NewLine;And like each stroke<br>&NewLine;Of the Artist’s brush<br>&NewLine;In our many differences<br>&NewLine;We found beauty&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">III<br>&NewLine;Day broke into my eyes&colon;<br>&NewLine;Life is still the same here&semi;<br>&NewLine;Unchanging like the regurgitative return of Abiku&period;<br>&NewLine;But I pray<br>&NewLine;That this dream of yesterday<br>&NewLine;Will&comma; if not today&comma;<br>&NewLine;Be the reality of our tomorrow&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>TIME by Chidi Jennifer Orjinta<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">A priest meets a man at a confession&comma;<br>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;What troubles your soul&quest;”&comma;<br>&NewLine;I am pondering over time&comma;<br>&NewLine;The time it takes the love birds to sing in the wind&comma;<br>&NewLine;With beautiful baby girls and strong boys dancing to their beat&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">These images keep me up at night&comma;<br>&NewLine;As I envision this alternate reality&comma;<br>&NewLine;A place that fills me with pride&comma;<br>&NewLine;As i gaze upon my achievements span far and wide&comma;<br>&NewLine;Shaded by rooted branches resembling soothing tides&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">That all children could feel again&comma;<br>&NewLine;For they hold the seal for a tomorrow&comma;<br>&NewLine;To give new life into old hearts&comma;<br>&NewLine;To smile brightly at the world&comma;<br>&NewLine;And talk about what truly matters&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;And what truly matters to you&comma; my child&quest;”&comma;<br>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyQuote;Time’&comma;<br>&NewLine;Too much time has been spent accumulating and accounting&comma;<br>&NewLine;such hard rocks we all have become&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;And how does that make you feel&quest;”&comma;<br>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyQuote;Trapped’&comma;<br>&NewLine;Trapped enough to believe in all the illusions i cannot see&comma;<br>&NewLine;Trapped enough to have my dreams conflict with time&comma;<br>&NewLine;wondering if time aids or sings a contradictory chime&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">But i appreciate the lightness of my troubles father&comma;<br>&NewLine;For when an elder listens a child can truly feel free&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>NIGERIA WILL YOU MARRY ME&quest; by Veralyn Chinenye<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">I grope deeply in thinking of you again and again<br>&NewLine;The waters roar in synonym with my voice<br>&NewLine;I hold a leaf in the middle of this ocean Wrapping promises on the feet of Rushing waters<br>&NewLine;With fearful excitement&comma; like a bride<br>&NewLine;I crawl up to the deep<br>&NewLine;Defying the odds thrown at me<br>&NewLine;I think of you…<br>&NewLine;You have stolen a chunk of my heart<br>&NewLine;I’m lost in the beat of your drums<br>&NewLine;Please take me…<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"padding-left&colon; 30px&semi;">For I have no tribe&comma; this is my tribe…<br>&NewLine;I connect bridges between Amala and Ewedu and watch Fura de nunu swing her waist down<br>&NewLine;For my love is unified in diversity<br>&NewLine;Treating all with dignity<br>&NewLine;Neglecting tribalism and shutting nepotism&comma;<br>&NewLine;Folding the rising tides of ferocious favouritism<br>&NewLine;My love is beyond boundaries and bodies<br>&NewLine;My love is a cup full of Hausa’s drinking with Igbos&comma; Yoruba’s dinning with Edo isoko and Urhobo embracing the Efiks<br>&NewLine;Come&comma; let’s drink from this cup and ignore the poisoned beer from Satan<br>&NewLine;For in the saltiness of lake there is sweetness<br>&NewLine;Will you marry me&comma; Nigeria&quest;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Alhassan will be awarded the N8000 cash prize&comma; and his poem&comma; along with all the other TOP 10 finalists&comma; will be automatically entered for the <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;wrr&period;ng&sol;csr&sol;albert-jungers-poetry-prize-ajpp&sol;">ALBERT JUNGERS POETRY PRIZE<&sol;a> &lpar;AJPP&rpar; 2018 and published in the BPPC 2018 anthology&period; The finalists will also each receive a certificate and free copies of the BPPC 2018 anthology&comma; to be awarded at the Words Rhymes &amp&semi; Rhythm Literary Festival 2018&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<hr>&NewLine;<h5 style&equals;"text-align&colon; center&semi;">The<a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;wrr&period;ng&sol;csr&sol;bppc&sol;"> BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST<&sol;a>&comma; a brainchild of Words Rhymes &amp&semi; Rhythm &lpar;WRR&rpar;&comma; is a monthly writing contest aimed at rewarding the under-appreciated talent of young Nigerian poets&period; It was instituted in February 2015 in honor of Brigitte Poirson&comma; a French poet and lecturer&comma; editor&comma; who has over the years worked assiduously to promote and support of African poetry&period; Now in its third season&comma; and being one of the few credible contests for poets&comma; the BPPC has since grown to be one of country’s most popular&comma; especially among the younger poets&period;<&sol;h5>&NewLine;<blockquote><p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;wrr&period;ng&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2017&sol;07&sol;BPPC-LOGO1&period;jpg"><img class&equals;"size-full wp-image-34519 aligncenter" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;wrr&period;ng&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2017&sol;07&sol;BPPC-LOGO1&period;jpg" alt&equals;"" loading&equals;"lazy"><&sol;a><&sol;p><&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;<h4 style&equals;"text-align&colon; center&semi;"><a 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