Excavations from Wankanda
Moyo Okediji
Excavations from Wankanda I
Medium: Archaeology
2018
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Two New African Proverbs
Two New African Proverbs:
1. The same people who place their knee on your neck will also be the first to ask “Why can’t you breathe?”
2. The same people who are causing your sadness will also be the first to ask “Why can’t you laugh?”
(Adapted from the Yoruba proverb, “Ẹ́ni tí ó bá sọ ni di olóríburúkú ni ó kọ́kọ́ má a ń fi bú ni:
My Dear Child
My Dear Child
Before you were born—
if you raised your binoculars,
if you could peep
through the keyhole of life
Would you open the door
and walk right through?
Or would you run back
CORONAVIRUS INCANTATION
The idea of the coronavirus as Èrè, may be found in the Ifa verse here. The Yoruba verse is above, with the English translation below:
Èrè délé Alárá
Ó kólé Alárá
Èrè délé Ajerò
Ó kólé Ajerò
5. Èrè délé Ọwáràngún Àgà
Ó jẹlé Ọwáràngún Àgà
Ìròhìn kàn bá Ọ̀rúnmìlá
Wípé Èrè ti dájọ́, ó ti móṣù
So, what do they look like?”
“So, what do they look like?”That’s the question I never could answer. But I swear I saw them.They came in some underwhelming craft.They took me into the craft. I saw the inside of it.I don’t recollect sitting down.
The Butterfly Thinks Himself A Bird
Moyo Okediji
Title: The Butterfly Thinks Himself A Bird
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Date 2021
Size: 24″ x 30″
The title is an important line in playwright Ola Rotimi’s masterpiece, THE GODS ARE NOT TO BLAME.
Rotimi took the line from a Yoruba proverb, “Labalábá fira rẹ̀ wẹ́ye, kò le ṣìṣe ẹyẹ.” ̛It means, “The butterfly compares itself to the bird, but is unable to perform like a bird.”
Hey, world out there
Hey, world out there
I hunker down here
and hail you, dear friend,
for we now live in the world
of virtual friends
but you can’t hug anymore.
We live in a new world.
