Good morning freewriters,
Welcome to my blog. Today is Wednesday the seveth day (a week now) since the world pandemic broke the walls we built to protect us against it to arrest five people who had showed sign of contracting the virus.
Today, I am writing from my locked down room, here in Akwa Ibom State - the South South part of the country (Nigeria).
I urge you to please pardon my inconsistency and inability to fulfill some of the promises that I made here. For instance, few days ago, I published this ode on steem. Click this link https://steemit.com/hive-161155/@voclab/ode-to-the-stray-land-an-original-poem-by-meto read it.
Note that the poem was not complete I only shared the first part of the poem with explanation. But today however, I would bring you the concluding part of the poem.
Happy reading.
Ode to the stray Land:
Oh land,
Where are our ancient fathers,
Call them forth!
For pastures ',ve abandoned billion sheep.
Oh land,
Where are the gods of our clans?
Are they not still alive?
Where is their power?
Come forth and heal the land- land needs healing.
Oh land,
The beginning of the year, was light.
Suddenly turned dark. Few castrated sons
Have planted tares in our garden of hope.
Oh land,
Where are the seven virgins from Itam?
Where are the Ukam godfathers.
Who will represent the land as Christ did with the scroll?
OH LAND,
THE NEEDY AND ORPHANS ARE DYING AVOIDABLE DEATH;BE'COS NOBODY WHISPER HOPE INTO THEIR EARS.
OH LAND,
EVERYWHERE IS HELLISH.
TEARS HAS WATERS THE GROUND.
OUR VIRGINS ARE RAPED BECAUSE THE SEEK TO WATER SANDY THROAT.
OH LAND,
WHERE ARE THE SEVEN VIRGINS-- THE GODS NEED THEIR VOICES.
LET THEM RISE AND WASH THIS UNCLEAN CAKE BEFORE US.
OUR JOY IS TAKEN... WE ARE STRANDED.
The first stanza of the poem is a clarion call by the poet who rents his voice to the forefathers and the world for ignoring the human race
Oh land,
Where are the gods of our clans?
Are they not still alive?
Where is their power?
Come forth and heal the land- land needs healing.
The poet adopts personification in addressing land as it be a human character, again the poet persona adopts rhetorical questions while requesting the attention of the gods of the land. Now take note of this, this rhetoric is used by the poet consciously to express his indifference about the gods of the land. Believe me, it is either poet does not believe in mysticism or is fade up with the gods inability to respond to his plight and heart cry
Oh land,
The beginning of the year, was light.
Suddenly turned dark. Few castrated sons
Have planted tares in our garden of hope.
This is a central point where the poet persona drew his muse for this poem. You see, at the beginning of the year, I guess year 2020, the poet persona and his audience were quite excited to welcome the year. they saw light in the darkness and knew that it would bring good tidings of course, but you and I know whether it brought or is bringing the good tidings we all hoped for._
Oh land,
Where are the seven virgins from Itam?
Where are the Ukam godfathers.
Who will represent the land as Christ did with the scroll?
Here, the poet persona is asking rhetorical questions. And you know what rhetorics are for; to draw the listener's attention to an aforementioned fact and to make room for reflections. Also from this stanza, it can be ascertained that the poet persona believes in traditional worship and that he is a typical African offspring. The poet persona exposes the secrete of his people who are traditionalist. Note that the people use seven virgins from Itam as a sacrifice. The mention of Itam which is a name of a place, points to the setting of the poem which is a remote village in Akwa Ibom state of Nigeria as well as the culture/religion practiced.
OH LAND,
THE NEEDY AND ORPHANS ARE DYING AVOIDABLE DEATH;BE'COS NOBODY WHISPER HOPE INTO THEIR EARS.
In this stanza, the poet adopts cap lock to write the lines in this stanza. This is consciously done by the the poet persona because he wants to draw the reader's attention to the issues raised here. I guess that this is where the spoils of the poems is achieved as well as instill fear. According to the poet, the needy (poor) and orphans are daily dying avoidable death. Note the death is note caused by their exposure to the virus but because nobody gave these people hope that they would live, I remember when I heard a doctor say on radio that fear can kill faster than a deadliest poison. I tend to rent my voice with the poet persona because of the plight of the poor masses. The was a news of recent where a lady - a single mother of three children who killed herself by jumping into the river and got drown in the process because she had certainly lost hope of surviving with her kids. So sad you would say but that is the reality.
OH LAND,
EVERYWHERE IS HELLISH.
TEARS HAS WATERS THE GROUND.
OUR VIRGINS ARE RAPED BECAUSE THE SEEK TO WATER SANDY THROAT.
Hmmmmmmmmm, this stanza has got me weeping. Indeed everywhere is no more safe because the virus has turned planet earth that would have been a safe abode for man to hell still for him. The earth has failed us by allowing the virus to break her protective shield to affect the people. Thinking away from the virus, one can rightly say that the hardship in some countries have caused the young virgins to become victims of abuse and rape. I can remember someone recounting her ordeal when going in search of a job. The manager insisted that he must sleep with her. What sad world we are living in?_
OH LAND,
WHERE ARE THE SEVEN VIRGINS-- THE GODS NEED THEIR VOICES.
LET THEM RISE AND WASH THIS UNCLEAN CAKE BEFORE US.
OUR JOY IS TAKEN... WE ARE STRANDED.
The poet is sarcastic in this verse, he is recalling on the virgins to come and pray for the healing of the land.
OH LAND,
WHERE ARE THE COLANUTS? WHERE ARE THE DRY GIN BOTTLE? CAN'T WE DO SOMETHING WITH THEM?
WHERE ARE THE ELDERS, HAVE THEY ALL GONE DRUNK?
WHERE IS THE VOICE OF THE ODUDUWA MOTHER?
WHO WILL SEE THE SKY FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS.?
The poem ends with a rhetorical question. This shows that the poet is not all knowing
Thank you for reading my blog. I will come up tomorrow with the remaining or conclusion of this ode.
I'm 
A wandering voice in the blog chain.