Light pierces through, shifting the perceptionÂ
And becoming sculpted visions-
Udechukwu’s layering of paint amazed his neophyte-
Studying the pieces in his Odenigwe studio.Â
Imagine that. Now, I ponder my stateless existenceÂ
Suspended in space.
Gazing, I behold a flying creature with wings,
And a broken-off golden trumpet.Â
In the ears of all who heard,
The trumpet sounds creasing crimson
Shattering the stillness of the ultramarine sky.
Oh, citadels and neophytes, Â
Scampering in tents against eagle claws
Scattering the nest, weird motherhood!Â
An incoherent narrative borne of saturated brains
Exposed to the elements?Â
Smoking fury and unsettling bills
One pays daily to live half a life.Â
The tears of distance, rending the heart,
Of memory haunting, tempting, and questioning
An oracle has gone mad, and the careening bird lost its course-
A new migration line. International bula-balu!
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NB:
The poem describes the painting Currents in Heaven, Cauldrons Below. Let me explain the use of a few not-so-common words:
Udechukwu- I did my industrial attachment at the Odenigwe studio of Professor Obiora Udechukwu when he was my Painting lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
2. Odenigwe- A town in Nsukka.
3. Bula-Balu- Some incoherent words the President Tinubu of Nigeria used while campaigning for election.
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