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<h5 style="padding-left: 30px; text-align: right;">We are pleased to announce that Tukur Olorunloba Ridwan has emerged winner of the <a href="https://www.wrr.ng/news/bppc-march-2018-solitude/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March edition of the BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST </a>(BPPC) 2018 which was themed: ‘SOLITUDE’.</h5>
</blockquote>
<p>Tukur, a poet, essayist and Political Science graduate of the prestigious University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) won the keen contest with a poem entitled ‘THE WORLD WITHIN’, edging Ogedengbe Tolu Impact, author of ‘THE BLISS OF SOLITUDE’ and Ishola Abdulwasiu Ayodele, author of ‘A MOUNTAIN IN LABOUR’ to the first runner-up and second-runner-up positions respectively.</p>
<p>The Lagos State indigene has been one of Nigeria’s consistent young poets since 2013 and his writings have been published on several literary platforms including SPRINKLE STORIEZ, OUR POETRY CORNER, ACE WORLD, and WORDS, RHYMES &; RHYTHMS POETRY. He is currently a freelance writer, with special focus on poetry.</p>
<blockquote><p><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Tukur-Loba-Ridwan-winner-BPPC-March-2018-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-34831" src="https://www.wrr.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Tukur-Loba-Ridwan-winner-BPPC-March-2018-1.jpg" alt="" loading="lazy"></a></p></blockquote>
<p>Below are the top 10 poems:</p>
<ol>
<li>THE WORLD WITHIN by Tukur Loba Ridwan</li>
<li>THE BLISS OF SOLITUDE by Ogedengbe Tolu Impact</li>
<li>A MOUNTAIN IN LABOUR by Ishola Abdulwasiu Ayodele</li>
<li>SOLITAIRE(Y) by Gomathi Mohan</li>
<li>INTERRED SOLACE OF MY SOLITUDE by Kolade Malik Ademola</li>
<li>SOLITUDE IS A WOMAN by Akor Agada Nathaniel</li>
<li>SOULITUDE by Abubakar Ateeq Abbas</li>
<li>DREAM PATHWAYS by Teslim Opemipo Omipidan</li>
<li>WHEN? by Nyuwem Goodness Nyuwem</li>
<li>A JOYOUS DAY by Uzoma Ibekwe</li>
</ol>
<h5>THE WORLD WITHIN by Tukur Loba Ridwan</h5>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The power of ‘one’ lies in its prime<br>
standing tall like the tower amongst all.<br>
Glory too to the iceberg across the sea<br>
and to the only everest of heights.<br>
Sullen souls seek solace in silence,<br>
their caves devoid of company and care.<br>
The earth is a cocoon of life and death<br>
where ‘lone glows the moon and shines the sun.<br>
A solitary reaper sows nature in her ambit<br>
and tills to sow more life for herself.<br>
Books buried in brains of banished frenzy<br>
and grasps earned off narrowed paths.<br>
Sages seek signs from the ethereal<br>
while estranged from material vanity.<br>
A monk mingles with minds yonder,<br>
stealing motion from fictions before mere eyes.<br>
Nothing blooms like a flower in the wilderness,<br>
standing out among spines and thorns.<br>
Nothing walks faster than lone legs<br>
in the forgone benefit of helping hands.<br>
We toil thoroughly in our own world of work.<br>
We walk the talk with our will and wheel.<br>
A planet is a lone man, growing from within.<br>
Each man is a lonely planet, growing within<br>
while intact remains the face and size.<br>
Riding solo speeds up the wheel and will<br>
and draws the destination closer.<br>
We become towers and mountain tops within.</p>
<h5>THE BLISS OF SOLITUDE by Ogedengbe Tolu Impact</h5>
<p><em>(A quatern)</em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Find me the bliss of solitude<br>
Oh, ye, loners of aged yore<br>
Fetch me the silence’s fortitude<br>
Oh, ye, hermits on lonely shore.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Oh, ye, who mingle with silence<br>
Find me the bliss of solitude<br>
That I may ease this troubled sense<br>
With the calmness from quietude.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">I have climbed rocky altitude<br>
In search of comfort for my soul<br>
Find me the bliss of solitude<br>
That I may calm this raving ghoul.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">There are raging storms in my head;<br>
A wave rippling in multitude,<br>
And for me to conquer their dread<br>
Find me the bliss of solitude!</p>
<h5>A MOUNTAIN IN LABOUR by Ishola Abdulwasiu Ayodele</h5>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">the mountain shudders in stillness<br>
rumbling at rest<br>
.<br>
last night, a blind man entered the cave of her womb<br>
dark and stark like a naked night<br>
his heart a quivering flame<br>
he sat<br>
and made love with the mountain<br>
penetrating the blanket of blankness<br>
till he lost himself<br>
in a burst of starry ecstasy<br>
a fusion of galaxies<br>
.<br>
but the mountain is a goddess of gateways<br>
who swallows seekers for rebirths<br>
so this dawn, she’s moaning muteness<br>
and a man opens his eyes to serenading lights<br>
an aura of aurorae<br>
.<br>
then the mountain swaddles him<br>
to the zenith of her hunched back<br>
so this new born man<br>
with mind of glowing waters<br>
sees everything…</p>
<h5>SOLITAIRE(Y) by Gomathi Mohan</h5>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Epiphany struck me, high in the hills in tranquil quietude,<br>
Unveiled soul’s pursuit to live my passion with fortitude.<br>
Sights, sounds of serenity in such a scenic surrounding,<br>
Nature ensconced me in solitary bliss for pondering.<br>
Rolling thunders and winds gushing,<br>
Sat through icy showers so refreshing.<br>
Effused by soil and water as they made a wet pair,<br>
Heady earthy fragrance wafted in the air.<br>
Delighted by coloured bow hued across the skies,<br>
Priceless sight comes for free without any price.<br>
Disconnected at large and though stranded,<br>
Connected to the Self, felt newly branded.<br>
Of late, spending more time alone,<br>
Not thrust upon but a choice of my own.<br>
Stand isolate in crowds listening to sound of silence,<br>
Whilst inside of me plays a symphony of dissonance,<br>
Fears, aspirations, doubts along with will to fly,<br>
A paraphernalia of thoughts pass by.<br>
Took some courage to peep in, guage the cacophony,<br>
Embrace my Self, with all the scars and acrimony.<br>
Rhapsodic after the attention, inner turmoil subdued,<br>
Awareness dawned of things I most valued.<br>
Saw the larger picture emerging in absolute.<br>
Be it the moon shining with its graceful attitude.<br>
Writings, paintings, creations of great magnitude.<br>
Cognized, beautiful things happen silently in solitude,<br>
Since then penning away in my space, poetry and prose,<br>
In it I found my catharsis and my soul – repose.</p>
<h5>INTERRED SOLACE OF MY SOLITUDE by Kolade Malik Ademola</h5>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">When the sun overtly deserts the day<br>
And the beat of my heart springs to gay<br>
My soul, that I know is frail<br>
Seeks solace in the solitude of my holy grail.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The threat to my unnatural existence<br>
Is the murmur that conjures in my silence<br>
Which lays a siege on my solitude<br>
And sings me dirge of the highest magnitude.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The sanctuary of my heart – shattered to pieces<br>
My whole and soul – deprived of their peace<br>
My solitude is poached, as to them sociability is a bliss<br>
Where then my solace lies?</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">In intimacy, cacophonous is the sound of the rhythm<br>
That I hear in the hollow of my breathing<br>
But in solitude, euphonious is the melody of my silence<br>
When the birds sing along to its cadence.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">When the wind sings the melody of the night<br>
My soul communes with the darkness in the light<br>
And when my heart palpitates covertly in fright<br>
My solitude, I’ve learnt to enjoy dolefully in delight.</p>
<h5>SOLITUDE IS A WOMAN by AKOR AGADA NATHANIEL</h5>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">In a world where nuisance with nauseating noise is fueled by negligence<br>
Delusion will always be the attire of despondence<br>
I feel lonely whenever I weigh her absence<br>
Her serene nature is the seat of ambience<br>
Where men rest their uneasiness behind their silence</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Solitude showed me her treasure trove as a result of my patience<br>
Captivating my soul like the fragrance of frankincense<br>
Breaking my defense with her difference<br>
Her sweet embrace smolders the embers of suspense<br>
As time lost its essence</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">I drew back the curtain of memory lighting a lamp of reminiscence<br>
As the resurging turbulence took solace in my persistence<br>
The river of thought was intense like an orgasm in transience<br>
Basking under the euphoria of independence<br>
who will not be stricken by her magnificence</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">With her appearance who would not grant her audience<br>
Ecstasy clouded my entire existence<br>
As my countenance shone like a fluorescence<br>
Annihilating the spirit of distraction with defiance<br>
The aura of pretence disappeared with her presence<br>
Solitude became my wife and world<br>
Slaughtering life’s depressing sequence</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Behind every great man there is a woman<br>
There is wisdom in women and solitude is a woman<br>
She could be a whore or a wife<br>
The fruit of her womb could be good or bad<br>
Her offspring could bring blessings or curses to life</p>
<h5>SOULITUDE by Abubakar Ateeq Abbas</h5>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Drunk on the morning mist,<br>
stuck in this hallowed seat.<br>
Left to do nothing but<br>
drown in this deluge of,_<br>
_thoughts.<br>
Only flutesong to my ears<br>
to help me whelm these fears<br>
Muting the murmurs without,<br>
Drowning the whispers,_<br>
_within.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">I found Solace in Solitude<br>
in the tender whisper of the wind<br>
and the silent murmur of the waves.<br>
In the demure dance of the trees,<br>
and the solemn sway of the leaves.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Tell my muse I found a hearth<br>
To rest my heart and weary bones,<br>
On the tree stump by the Water,<br>
is where I’ll build her altar.<br>
And if the river asks where my home is?<br>
I’ll Tell it “flow on without me”.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">For Draped in the morning mist,<br>
A lost memory left adrift.<br>
My Soul found solace,<br>
in Sober Soulitude.</p>
<h5>DREAM PATHWAYS by Teslim Opemipo Omipidan</h5>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Kindred, if your children ask of the lonely leper<br>
that lives ten poles after the abandoned market<br>
and how he finds solace in his utterances,<br>
tell them the tale of how you flocked his doorstep<br>
like ants do forgather around sugarcanes<br>
when he had oil dripping from his palm<br>
and how you turned to things invisible,<br>
things that linger on dream pathways<br>
when his palm drip crimson blood!</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Even my shadow deserts me in the dark,<br>
my eyesight too leaves without looking back<br>
and I reminisce moments we’ve spent in the light<br>
till sleep creep in like a fugitive in the night.<br>
Let the trees perform their choreography<br>
let the sky too match this topography,<br>
let the Benue embrace me in its laughter,<br>
let the wind sing to me songs of hereafter<br>
for there lies immeasurable joy and happiness<br>
and none of the letters that make up loneliness.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Kindred, if your children ask of the lonely leper<br>
that lives in the village outskirt without a helper,<br>
do not tell them of life, humans and attitude,<br>
tell them why I learnt to live in solitude.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">WHEN? by Nyuwem Goodness Nyuwem</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">As I wandered down idle paths in thoughtful solitudity<br>
Numerous, the perturbations that accosted my mind<br>
How did we raise a crater that evades sheer congruity<br>
For a people we were, of love, peace and a sturdy bind.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Amidst a babel of languages, I felt one reverberation<br>
Like mad echoes in a resonate precinct, just one voice<br>
Like the grumbles of ocean turbulence in feigned elation<br>
The echoes of grumbles from a people without a choice.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Amidst the diversity in cultures, I beheld a synchrony<br>
Like pregnancy that can’t be hidden, twas e’er obvious<br>
A unified tune twas that mocked the crazy cacophony<br>
Of our subordination, subjection and dire suppression.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Alas, we await the moment we’ll gape into wakefulness<br>
To uncover gloominess that so envelopes us everyday<br>
For a people we are, bound in tethers of hopelessness<br>
And our soil so littered with ruins of our fathers’ decay.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">When? When will these imprints of slave chains fade?<br>
For they adorned our necks, wrists and ankles e’er so<br>
When will our voices e’er rise beyond Jericho’s wade?<br>
As a soulful tale of our spell in hell is surest way to go.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">See we have the grey matter to build assured posterity<br>
For ebony sons we are, beloved of dear Mother Earth<br>
O when will we be liberated from civilised animosity<br>
To navigate surging rise till our greatness be birthed.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">For I see a people peculiar, riding on the wings of liberty<br>
I see a race unique, revelling in the joy of emancipation<br>
Just as I hear voices chant creeds of their sovereignty.</p>
<h5>A JOYOUS DAY by Uzoma Ibekwe</h5>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">There I stood. The bride dressed in white,<br>
The image of perfect stitch work and splendour<br>
A thousand glittering set off by light against smiles.<br>
Smiles. That never reached up to the eyes,<br>
Staring down the well on my lover’s face,<br>
I search for the spark like a child searches for his favourite toy,<br>
His face drawn tight held by pins at the edges of his lips. Smiles.<br>
Cold hands clutch mine tightly like a suitcase of money in a heist,<br>
My value, joys and will, folded to suit cases, jars,<br>
Repackaged like a product long past its shelf life, tagged: New Me.<br>
Like a suitcase, I have no feel, handled the way they please,<br>
Melodious words buzz in my subconscious, each vow pronounced<br>
pierce my heart, a suck of blood from my veins. Numb.<br>
My eyes connect with the audience, linkin park s of well-wishers of doom,<br>
I see my mum mop rivulets off her cheeks with handkerchiefs that do no justice,<br>
My siblings display pearls in the show glass of lips. Smiles.<br>
This is a joyous day.<br>
The day my family would officially pay off its debts,<br>
The day my younger sister would be set free from the bondage of tradition,<br>
The day I can walk on the streets with my head held high cause I finally have a man,<br>
The day I become complete in the eyes of society as I deplete in all that is Me.<br>
This is a joyous day,<br>
The day I’ll finally wed the man of my dreams,<br>
And as I stare into the deep wells on my lover’s face,<br>
As I hear the cheers explode like fireworks on new year’s morn,<br>
As I’m embraced by close friends and family, a thousand kisses and hugs,<br>
I find myself truly alone.<br>
Lost in a world no one would ever know.</p>
<p>Tukur will be awarded the N8000 cash prize, and his poem, along with all the other TOP 10 finalists, will be automatically entered for the <a href="https://www.wrr.ng/csr/albert-jungers-poetry-prize-ajpp/">ALBERT JUNGERS POETRY PRIZE</a> (AJPP) 2018 and published in the BPPC 2018 anthology. The finalists will also each receive a certificate and free copies of the BPPC 2018 anthology, to be awarded at the Words Rhymes &; Rhythm Literary Festival 2018.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Tukur-Loba-Ridwan-winner-BPPC-March-2018.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-34830" src="https://www.wrr.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Tukur-Loba-Ridwan-winner-BPPC-March-2018.jpg" alt="" loading="lazy"></a></p>
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: right;">The<a href="https://wrr.ng/csr/bppc/"> BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST</a>, a brainchild of Words Rhymes &; Rhythm (WRR), is a monthly writing contest aimed at rewarding the under-appreciated talent of young Nigerian poets. It was instituted in February 2015 in honor of Brigitte Poirson, a French poet and lecturer, editor, who has over the years worked assiduously to promote and support of African poetry. Now in its third season, and being one of the few credible contests for poets, the BPPC has since grown to be one of country’s most popular, especially among the younger poets.</h5>
<blockquote><p><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/BPPC-LOGO1.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-34519 aligncenter" src="https://www.wrr.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/BPPC-LOGO1.jpg" alt="" loading="lazy"></a></p></blockquote>
<h4 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Click here to <a href="https://www.wrr.ng/news/bppc-april-2018-my-african-hero-ine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enter for BPPC April 2018.</a></strong></h4>
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