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
  • TENSIONS by Victor Igiri
POETRY

TENSIONS by Victor Igiri

Victor IgiriFebruary 5, 2018

Share

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Read Time:1 Minute, 30 Second

… with eyes still offloading yesterday’s

affliction he sprouts before the cock yawns,

robes out flawlessly in multiple sighs,

wings swiftly like the eagle though in legs in this unripe morn

But who cares anyway, come rain, come shine,

so long he meets the Lord’s demands!

Hours later,

He wars his way through in stretched queues for bussing,

a domain more of a sick bay where impatience

kings daily, or

At other times, travel with rogues who hiss

their venoms brewed in marijuana.

bad smells,

breath and black teeth’s…

Unchanging LAGOS!

Long last he is job home but as always

He is boyed around, and in most times, smashed

by uncultured juveniles the king

But he MUST be hallowed if meals, fat or lean

will stay atop tables:

if not his, his dependents,

Or to escape the sword mouthings of inertial at least.

Night falls once more!

He is Tired!

Restless!

Headached and unjuiced!

Same tale this day,

WEEK long and perhaps, Sabbaths inclusive,

And just for kwashiokred coins that burns flesh

more  on the highway he hunts time again and more.

This corporate hustler, NO, slave I think.

At Twilight!

He Returns to BRT or Danfo …

stand through or sit Three and Four hours long

in habitual gridlock,

To rest, home he travels to his marginalized quarters or haven .

Tensioned! He retires in grave earth.

Again, Piecesized!

bones, cracked and almost falling…

…Backs down again to bed,

brains remodeled to rise at four Am as always,

Awful Earth!

How long, this mess?

This ‘rat race’,

This caging,

And his battle should he behold?

How soon will honey grow from

the centuries of tears?

Passion or Pension,

Self caging or FREEDOM

The choice is yours to make.

This poem reflects the agony of paid employment especially with the Lagos employee

About Post Author

Victor Igiri

Victor Igiri is an award- winning Nigerian poet and essayist, and a writer based in Lagos, Nigeria. He is a creative entrepreneur who aims to "die empty" leveraging on his skills and talents to create positive impact on earth. He is a poet contributor for Independent Newspaper, Lagos, Wrr.ng, Nigerianmasterweb.com and a host of other websites where he shares his poems and inspirational articles. He is the administrator of Purpose Driven Youth Network, a website and Facebook page that is aimed at inspiring people, especially the youths and teenagers in making impact in life. His poems have been anthologized in various spaces; nationally and internationally.
victorigiri161@gmail.com
http://victorigiri.wordpress.com

Related

Tagged Lagos, Pains, stress, The pursuit of dreams, Traffic gridlock

Post navigation

Previous

Previous post:

FLUIDITY IN POETRY: A LECTURE BY MOSOBALAJE M. ABIMBOLA

Next

Next post:

GRIEF ON PAINTED SHEETS – POETS REACT TO BENUE KILLINGS (FREE BOOK)

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