Skip to content
Words Rhymes & Rhythm

Words Rhymes & Rhythm

Words Rhymes & Rhythm Publishers

Header Advertise
Menu
  • HOME
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CSR
    • CONTACT US
  • cọ́nscìò
  • FEATURES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
    • ESSAYS
    • INTERVIEWS
    • WRITING TIPS
  • POETRY
  • FICTION
  • SUBMIT
  • NEWS
    • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • PUBLISHING
    • PUBLISHING PACKAGES
    • 7 REASONS WHY
  • DOWNLOAD
  • Home
  • POETRY
  • ONCE UPON A TIME (A POEM) BY GABRIEL OKARA
POETRY

ONCE UPON A TIME (A POEM) BY GABRIEL OKARA

adminMarch 30, 2019March 30, 2019

Share

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Read Time:1 Minute, 56 Second
Once upon a time, son,
they used to laugh with their hearts
and laugh with their eyes:
but now they only laugh with their teeth,
while their ice-block-cold eyes
search behind my shadow.

There was a time indeed
they used to shake hands with their hearts:
but that’s gone, son.
Now they shake hands without hearts
while their left hands search
my empty pockets.

‘Feel at home!’ ‘Come again’:
they say, and when I come
again and feel
at home, once, twice,
there will be no thrice-
for then I find doors shut on me.

So I have learned many things, son.
I have learned to wear many faces
like dresses – homeface,

Gabriel Okara
Gabriel Okara
officeface, streetface, hostface,
cocktailface, with all their conforming smiles
like a fixed portrait smile.

And I have learned too
to laugh with only my teeth
and shake hands without my heart.
I have also learned to say,’Goodbye’,
when I mean ‘Good-riddance’:
to say ‘Glad to meet you’,
without being glad; and to say ‘It’s been
nice talking to you’, after being bored.

But believe me, son.
I want to be what I used to be
when I was like you. I want
to unlearn all these muting things.
Most of all, I want to relearn
how to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror
shows only my teeth like a snake’s bare fangs!

So show me, son,
how to laugh; show me how
I used to laugh and smile
once upon a time when I was like you.

GABRIEL OKARA (born Gabriel Imomotimi Okara on 24 April 1921) was a Nigerian poet and a novelist who was born in Bumoundi in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.  His most famous works include: The Voice(fiction, 1964), The Fisherman’s Invocation (poetry, 1978), The Dreamer, His Vision (poetry, 2005) and An Adventure to Juju Island (children poetry, 1992). Okara is a widely celebrated writer, especially for his poetry and his awards include: Best All-Round Entry In Poetry at the Nigerian Festival of Arts (‘The Call of the River Nun’, 1953), Commonwealth Poetry Prize, for The Fisherman’s Invocation (1979), NLNG Prize, for The Dreamer, His Vision (2005) and Pan African Writers’ Association Honorary Membership Award (2009). He died on Monday 25th March 2019 aged 97 [Source: Wikipedia].

About Post Author

admin

I am a member of the WRR editorial team.
info@wrr.ng
https://wrr.ng/about-us/

Related

Tagged Gabriel Okara

Post navigation

Previous

Previous post:

FAR AWAY (A POEM FOR PIUS ADESANMI) BY IZUNNA OKAFOR

Next

Next post:

REVIEW: OKORIE’S THE MEN THAT COULDN’T LOVE ME ‘TORTURES THE READER WHILE CREATIVELY EXPLORING UNREQUITED LOVE’

Say something about this post Cancel reply

Categories

  • Popular
  • Recent
  • Comments
  • May 27, 2014

    CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: FR. ALBERT JUNGERS POETRY PRIZE (#AJPP2014)

  • November 25, 2012

    CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize 2012

  • November 5, 2012

    WOOING REBECCA [for Rebecca Effiong Okon who hates Poetry]

  • May 9, 2013

    I NEED AN AFRICAN WIFE

  • April 20, 2022

    CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST (APRIL/MAY 2022) – ‘STOP WAR’

  • April 20, 2022

    BPPC: PHILIP CHIJIOKE ABONYI WINS BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022 EDITION

  • February 14, 2022

    CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST (FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022) – ‘LOVE IN VERSE’

  • November 27, 2021

    AKOR AGADA NATHANIEL IS ALBERT JUNGERS POETRY PRIZE (AJPP) 2021 WINNER

  • Ikennaya Nnaka

    TOMORROW BEGINS TODAY (a poem by Olivia Onyekwena)

  • Nola, Maruf Gbadebo

    A DIRGE OF BROKEN THINGS — TOP 20 POEMS OF THE POETIC WEDNESDAYS POETRY CONTEST 2021

  • SALIM YAKUBU AKKO

    CALLIGRAPHY OF DEMONS BY ODU ODE

Recent Posts

  • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST (APRIL/MAY 2022) – ‘STOP WAR’
  • BPPC: PHILIP CHIJIOKE ABONYI WINS BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022 EDITION
  • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST (FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022) – ‘LOVE IN VERSE’
  • AKOR AGADA NATHANIEL IS ALBERT JUNGERS POETRY PRIZE (AJPP) 2021 WINNER
  • #FOW2021— OLOWO QUDUS OPEYEMI, HUSSANI ABDULRAHIM & AKOR AGADA NATHANIEL ON ALBERT JUNGERS PRIZE 2021 SHORTLIST

Recent Comments

  • Ikennaya Nnaka on TOMORROW BEGINS TODAY (a poem by Olivia Onyekwena)
  • Nola, Maruf Gbadebo on A DIRGE OF BROKEN THINGS — TOP 20 POEMS OF THE POETIC WEDNESDAYS POETRY CONTEST 2021
  • SALIM YAKUBU AKKO on CALLIGRAPHY OF DEMONS BY ODU ODE
  • Ayinla Oluwaseun Oluwakorede on CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST [AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020] — ‘EXPRESS YOURSELF’
  • Ayomide Abdullahi on DECEMBER BEGINS THE NEW YEAR BY BILLYHADIAT TAOFEEQOH ADEOLA

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
Close
Menu
  • HOME
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CSR
    • CONTACT US
  • cọ́nscìò
  • FEATURES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
    • ESSAYS
    • INTERVIEWS
    • WRITING TIPS
  • POETRY
  • FICTION
  • SUBMIT
  • NEWS
    • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • PUBLISHING
    • PUBLISHING PACKAGES
    • 7 REASONS WHY
  • DOWNLOAD
Social profiles
  • HOME
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CSR
    • CONTACT US
  • cọ́nscìò
  • FEATURES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
    • ESSAYS
    • INTERVIEWS
    • WRITING TIPS
  • POETRY
  • FICTION
  • SUBMIT
  • NEWS
    • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • PUBLISHING
    • PUBLISHING PACKAGES
    • 7 REASONS WHY
  • DOWNLOAD

Related Post

CAGED DOG DOESN’T BITE (a poem by Chime Justice Ndubuisi)

9 Nov 2021

WHAT BRIGHTON SAYS ON A SUMMER EVE & IF LAGOS KNEW (two poems by S. Su’eddie Vershima Agema)

29 Aug 2021

ÈKÒ (a poem by Jamiu Ahmed)

29 Aug 2021

A PORTRAIT OF PORT-HARCOURT(a poem by Nket Godwin)

29 Aug 2021

sọ́kà (a poem by Adedayo Agarau)

29 Aug 2021

MONSIEUR PARISCOPE & FRESCOES: FLORENCE, DECEMBER 1989 (two poems by Kate Meyer)

29 Aug 2021

ABOUT US

Words Rhymes & Rhythm Ltd. (RC 1234112), is a foremost publishing and educational institution that supports and promotes Nigerian writers and writings talents through several initiatives like contests, prizes, and an annual literary festival. Our publishing susbsidiary is AUTHORPEDIA.

CONTRIBUTE

QUICK LINKS

  • CỌ́NSCÌÒ
  • CONTACT US
  • DOWNLOAD E-BOOKS
  • PUBLISHING
  • SUBMIT TO WRR
  • SERVICES
  • HOME
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CSR
    • CONTACT US
  • cọ́nscìò
  • FEATURES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
    • ESSAYS
    • INTERVIEWS
    • WRITING TIPS
  • POETRY
  • FICTION
  • SUBMIT
  • NEWS
    • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • PUBLISHING
    • PUBLISHING PACKAGES
    • 7 REASONS WHY
  • DOWNLOAD
Copyright 2012-2021, Words Rhymes Rhythm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
 

Loading Comments...