The Odo Ogbe market
I went to the Odo Ogbe market, Ile Ife.
The market women went, “Oyinbo, come give us a hug.”
This world is beautiful.
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I went to the Odo Ogbe market, Ile Ife.
The market women went, “Oyinbo, come give us a hug.”
This world is beautiful.
REPORT OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND MOLESTATION
AGAINST PROFESSOR XXXX
My name is XXX with matric no. XXX. I am writing to inform you about the unpleasant experience I had with one of my lecturers in the person of Prof.XXXX on Friday 18th of March, 2022.
Our generation is the “love” generation.
How?
We choose people to “fall in love” with and may even marry them.
The children of those born this year
will not endure the pangs of love and romance.
Two generations ago, families organized marriages for people.
It was not about love.
Iya Oyo says language, èdè, is everything.“Do you know the meaning of language, èdè?” Iya Oyo asked me.“It’s what we speak, isn’t it, Iya Oyo?” I replied.“Yes, and no,” Iya Oyo instructed me. “Èdè is what holds us together. What is the meaning of dè?”
One day, I was having a discussion with a friend at the University of Ife in the early seventies.
I was seventeen years old.
Somehow the conversation drifted to “superiors.” I think he said something about “your superiors.”
I told him quite candidly that “I don’t have any superior.”
He was angry with me. Seriously, I don’t think he had heard that sort of response before.
But I was shocked that he was furious.
Oladejo Okediji–who happens to be my father, is the oldest living writer in the Yoruba language.
He is 89 this year.
He is pictured here with the cover of his first novel, Àjà Ló Lẹrù, published in 1969.
Baba is still pretty prolific. His latest book, Ohùn Ẹnu Àgbà, came out this year. It is a collection of his poems.
Jumped in my Jeep,
started the engine to warm it
and listen to public radio
for 5 minutes.
Jumped out.
Ex-marine neighbor,
calling across the street:
“Mayu, come here.”
Me: Not coming. Too dangerous. Not safe. Covid 19 is ravaging Texas.