MEANINGLESS WORD
“Food is not ready,” Iya Oyo informed me. “This is just a snack. I know you are hungry” In Yoruba she said “Fi eléyìí panu. Mo mọ̀ pé ebi ti ń pa ẹ́.”
She left me a bowl full of boiled groundnuts. I loved boiled groundnuts. It was still in the shell. “You can throw the shells here after cracking them.” In Yoruba , she said, “Pa èèpo ẹ̀pà ná à sínú abọ́ yìí.
Professor Adeleke Adeeko has used my recent painting for the cover of his new book, titled KỌ́LẸ́Ẹ̀JÌ ONÍGBÁMÉJÌ.
It is a translation of Femi Osofisan’s book, titled CHOLERA COLLEGE.
Professor Adeeko teaches at Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
Let There Be Peace
A smile is the building block of every nation.
Laughter is the greatest mason of the community.
Please show us the peace you preach so loudly.
A gigantic library has erupted in flames.
There was no digital archive.
So much to say!
Gist plenty.
Ọ̀rọ́ pọ̀ láti sọ.
Whistling While Hungry
I feel really hungry these days.
I wake up hungry and dive headfirst into the kitchen.
I typically have food in the fridge.
Haven’t seen my homeland since August 2019.
I miss the colorful attires on the streets.
I want to listen to the people speak their various languages.
To drink palm wine.
LAGOS BORN
You have been to London?
And Toronto?
And Washington DC?
And, New York, Paris and San Francisco?
And you have traveled to all the capitals of African countries?
The Birth
Of a New Year? New opportunities? New visions? New directions? New hopes? New tools? New thoughts? New leaf? New step? New energy? New start? New move? New song? New voice? New motive? New motif? New dance? New question? New answer? New mission? New me?
Don’t wait for mama or papa to die before you start celebrating them.You know you will kill cows for their funeral ceremonies. Now, get a goat while mama is alive
Angela:You said big is beautiful, prof,But my husband does not like me big.He says I am bigger than before we got marriedand I need to shed some weightor get liposuction.
You Are Our Sunshine
If your skin is dark, we praise you as Adúmáradán.
If your skin is light, we hail you as Apọ́nbéporẹ́.
If you are thin, we salute you as Ọ̀pẹ́lẹ́ńgẹ́.