HEARTQUAKE
Love begins with emotion
Shared between two
A man and a woman
There´s laughter and joy
Kisses and bliss
Cupid shot an arrow
Love knows how to grow
When notured correctly
Add truth and fidelity
No selfishness and envy
Hatred and jealousy
Heartquake could just erupt
EVBU
Evbu,
The morning dew
Droplets of water
Flowing from leaves
Rustling sofly
In gentle breeze
Hazy and blurring
Ushering in daylight
At the break of dawn
Its wetness is life
And like a mirage
It melts away
With every sunrise
WATERS OF COLOGNE
Waters of Cologne
Bath me clean of my dirt
You sparkle as you flow
In slow and steady currents
You rarely get angry
Peace is your mission
Beauty your gift
With famous fragrance
Kept in Eau de Cologne
LABOUR OF OUR HANDS
We must eat
From the labour of our hands
Not to be robbed
Of our harvest
By those
Who slept
While the farmers
Tilled the earth
And played
While the sowers ploughed
Let them go hungry
Until they learn
Never to feast
On the sweat of others
OVWA
Ovwa,
The African bride
With ebony skin
And lustrous hair
Nature´s own handwork
A beauty to behold
Bangles round her wrist
Coral beads for garlands
Earrings matching
Wrapped in velvet cloth
From her waist
Down the legs
White sequin blouse
Of choice lace or organza
Towering headgears
An aesthetic sight
Shoes of pure leather
Attire complete
Like a gazelle
She steps out
In graceful strides
Flanked by her maids
Here comes the princess
Of the wedding day.
AFRICA
Africa,
A land of wealth
Blessed of nature
Among all continents
Africa,
Respledent in beauty
A master piece of God
The envy of nations
Africa,
You stand tall and distinct
From the peaks of Kilimanjaro
To the shores of the Nile
Africa,
You must not cry
Nor let your neighbours scoff you
Africa,
Never you steal from each other
We must stand united
To make are our heroes proud
Ukodo
Steam fills the air
It´s cooking again
This time it´s ukodo
It begins like this
Yam cut into wedges
All put in the pot
Special spices added
Their effect flavourful
Crayfish and salt
Pepper and potash
Lemon grass to blend
For aroma and taste
How delicious with goat meat
That´s what our fathers like
You can´t beat our mothers
They know too well
How to whet our appetite
An age long cuisine
A must at occasions
It heals and warms
Sweat inducing maybe
That´s urhobo hotpot
A meal so savoured
By natives and neighbours
The world may be cruel
O Ga Adi Mma
And things go wrong
Stomach rumbling
For want of food
Friends are failing
Stab on the back
Groping in the dark
Knowing not
Where to go
At every sound
Shivering and trembling
Gripped with fear
One day it will be better
O ga adi mma!
OGHWO EVWRI
Hot is the water
Gliterring with palmoil
Potash as catalyst
How yellowish it turns
With pepper and crayfish
Don´t forget the salt
It´s secret so easy
Pre-thickened with garri
With starch or pap
Chunks of meat added
Snail or smoked fish
Periwinkle atimes
However you like it
In one or two hours
It´s ready to serve
Accompanied with starch
Wedged with yam too
It´s relish at sight
Steaming from the clay bowl
Some call it owho-urhobo
Some call it owho-evwri
Some call it just owho
It´s all the same meaning
Urhobo soup
With roots so strong
In Urhoboland
