Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe won the 2007 Man Booker International Prize for fiction, beating such celebrated nominees as Philip Roth, Margaret Atwood and Ian McEwan. But he also writes poetry. Here is Butterfly, one of his poems from Matt's Poetry Pocketbook. Matthew John Williams (a poet in England) is one of many who run websites to maintain a list of African poetry.
~BUTTERFLY
Speed is violence
Power is violence
Weight is violence
~
The butterfly seeks safety in lightness
In weightless, undulating flight
~
But at a crossroads where mottled light
From trees falls on a brash new highway
Our convergent territories meet
~
I come power-packed enough for two
And the gentle butterfly offers
Itself in bright yellow sacrifice
Upon my hard silicon shield.
~
~
AFRICAN SOUL
Africa is not speedBut African power is growing
Africa is growing literary weight
~
The African soul seeks safety in cultures
In mystic, undulating beliefs
~
But at a crossroads
Where harsh light
From other worlds
Falls on brash new voices
Convergent visions
Clash
~
You come
Power-packed
With stereotypes
While the confused
African soul
Offers itself
Composed?
Composing?
In colourful sacrifice
On your
Politically
Electrified
Wires
~
11 comments:
Powerful words...well done. Thanks for visiting my blog!
I especially like those politically electrified wires. This is a fine example of using another poet's poem as a take-off point for your own. It an original take on the prompt.
Love the take on "compose"..."with stereotypes" - that really hit me and "mystic undulating beliefs"..."convergent visions"...very strong, powerful choices of words here...right down to "politically electrified wires".
I just woke up this morning, and still stumbling through the fog of dreams -- no coffee yet -- came upon your "power-packed with stereotypes" and felt jolted into some other kind of awareness. That last stanza is potent stuff!
This is powerful. Poetry in the raw. Full of hope from despair.
What a wonderful way to use the prompt. Both poems were powerful!
if you like african poetry you have to check out poefrika here is a link he put up recently to 52 africa inspired poems
Powerful words and thoughts. He is an excellent poet, as you are. Great post!
Wow, thank you for revealing yet another side of the prism to me!!! Such deep, provocative words both discovered and created!
Thank you for visiting. And thank you paisley for the mention. One of my favourite Achebe poems, that you pick up nicely.
Best
Rethabile
It was a beautiful post. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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