POETRY - AWAKEN!

By her side I sat

The admired, from afar

Spotted in the crowd

In the rush to book comfort

Alone, together

I thought it a blessing

With the Pilot minding his wheels

I imagined us in a dialogue -

Beholding nature, pointing, appreciating landforms

Speedily we past them

The crowd that sought to thee hide

Hastily, we moved fast into nature’s arms

But silence, whom I frustrated, almost to death

She encouraged, and nurtured to a stature that killed me

Hey! They all screamed

Many a voice began saying the same thing

Though they jammed into a confusing murmur

But her voice was distinct, as she gently tapped

Please stay awake; for you infect the Pilot!

Awakened, I turned

I beheld her beauty!

How could I remain near death

throughout my passage through you?

You sent your breeze, it greeted

My eyes beheld, many of the same -

Proud mounds, crowned with lush vegetation

Popped like the knocked head of a recalcitrant

So breath - taking were your views, oh Mpu!

as you heralded Nsukka

that you kept me awake; so glued to you

that I could only say goodbye to her

As we alit to meet another crowd!

FOOTNOTE:

So memorable was my second trip to Nsukka! Don’t get me wrong, the first ‘she’ was many men’s desire, in fact, I was the envy in the bus; but she snubbed, and the other said hi. Why should I now be blamed?

PERSONALITY - FAITH

FAITH

As we continually increase in our consciousness of our world, and ourselves, we gradually lose grip of that child – like confidence that we had in many a thing. This somehow is occasioned by the additional responsibilities that progressively, we must necessarily pick up, and add unto the almost zero responsibility we had when we were first born. Even if we know so much luxury such that we don’t need to lift a pin, we are still bedeviled with the responsibility of passing necessary ‘exams’ in life to be reckoned a success.

Most times, we lack the drive necessary to pull us out of our comfort into that zone unknown, but which nonetheless, we are sure will birth us sweet life… that is sure to earn us dolce vita. Faith in something is vital to lead us through the dark paths straight into the light which we all, like the termite, gravitate towards. This faith can be placed on things within, or on those without. To place this faith on things within, we must be conscious of a structure, which we must have, by any means, built in ourselves. And to place this faith on externals, sufficient must be the signs that the environment can take us to that land of utopia.

Naturally, young minds lack the courage necessary to take that revolutionary first step. They have not done it before and so they feel it is just ok to cede away that singular faith component that would help you to believe realistically in the external. They then turn to the external for succor, they talk to those they feel can help or are more experienced than they are. It is fine when then they talk to ‘good’ superiors but not too ok, when they talk to ‘experienced’ alter egos who, woke up earlier than they did. Ironically, even the older and more experienced people they want to safely place that faith on are still taking first steps, no matter their age. They may, in fact have taken the stride of adolescence, of the brightly – coloured youthful age, but they still take steps appropriate to their current age. They have not been in their current stage of life before; and trust me, they too are nervous. They still place faith on themselves, on then on things without.

The point is, develop yourself enough to trust in yourself. Faith has things that militate against its growth in us. They, like cancer start small, grow and gradually kill us. Most times, we only know when it is obvious. However, it might just be a little late by then. The more spontaneous ones are quicker to discover and easier to deal with – doubt and fear. The more subtle one for me are deadlier – Lukewarmness and procrastination - they kill you before you actually die!

However, before we look at these later on, permit me to say that all trust placed on the self is based on confidence in something…. We will miss the point when that trust emanates from, develop in, and terminate in us. Hence, we first trust absolutely as babes, doubt as we grow on until we meet that special something that reverses the order - From within it starts, and we go on in life we’ll see that there is a that Someone that orders the course of things and we necessarily trust in him, even the atheist. It is this faith in that External that brings forth ‘hope’ that drives faith. I wonder the Divine that does no demand us to love Him, and our neigbour. Rhetorical right? I’m sorry, see you later!

CULTURE:WHO STOLE MY CALABASH?

 Walking out of my granny’s room, I realized that a lot of cultural values and heritage have been lost, perhaps to what could be unarguably be referred to as higher civilization. One lost treasure kept recurring and wouldn’t give me peace. My calabash! Oh my calabash which served my ancestors well – from vegetables to storage pots to lighters to utensils to decorators and female hand bags – has now been totally forgotten and allowed to ebb away from shores. This beautiful and priceless evergreen vine that once adorned our tropical rain forests and swamps is now seen as weed farmlands. Plastics and metals have replaced it all. A little reflection on what it used to be would teach us, and help us decide if we could have them in museums for the coming generation to see, and learn or leave it oblivion.

According to Wikipedia, Lagenaria Siceraria, opo squash, bottle gourd or long melon is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as vegetable, harvested mature, dried and used as a bottle utensil, or pipe. Hence they are mostly called calabash gourds. It is reportedly one of the earliest cultivated plants grown primarily for its use as a water container. Grandma told me that in Ogoni, it was planted yearly among other crops (what we now call mixed farming) like yam, okra, pumpkin, etc. as it had no interference with the growth of those staple foods. Not everyone could plant it well so some favoured children were usually employed plant it. Superstition? Hmmm!

As the vine grows on, the tender leaves can be harvested and used to prepare soup and it is known to be very medicinal. Also, as the fruits begin to develop, different plans are made for it, all depending on the intended usage and need. Grandma also said that there were different types (species) at that time too. The narrow slim ones when harvested young were used as spoons, other shapes as cups and plates. The young ones were usually supported with mounds. This helps to shape the calabash as they mature. In some countries, they are put in expandable moulds with decorations. The catch point is when the various species mature and are dried. The more round ones are used as bowls. Larger ones were used as vessels for fetching and storing water, especially drinking water which was kept cool in water pots. When palm oil became scarce, they were used to store oil for up to three years and they’d still remain fresh. Palm wine was, and still is stored and kept fresh in such vessels. Seeds for the next farming season – melon, maize, okra seed, etc. - were stored in calabashes and placed on kitchens barns. In some other places, even today, they are painted and used as both interior and exterior decorations. Grandma said that young maidens used to attach slings to round calabashes and hung them to the market to buy fish.

In our age, herbal medical practitioners know its potentials. This ornamental plant is also used to produce musical instruments. So why mystify my beloved calabash and hide form generations to come?

We can surely learn from this plant that is no longer grown because a better alternative has been found for almost all its uses. The next generation must see it, and learn to live as a community like the oil storage calabash of old made them live then – sharing light to all. How? They were useless after storing palm oil for so long as the oil seeped into its pores. Those useless pots were broken but not thrown away. They were used to light fire from distant compounds and also kept as lampstands in homes. The oil in them burn. As we watch our heritages burn slowly, let us bring mind the fact that not everything about it is bad. Just like the old calabash, our culture may be broken, but please don’t throw them away!
By Akpe Tombari (social and environmental activist)

LUSH AND GREEN PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Nigerian adolescent has been so much underrated, short-changed and placed in a relatively disadvantaged position in this cyber age – This age where we have access to a lot of stories but very little of ours. It is only in understanding our past that we can we courageously change our future. Nevertheless, gradually, our stories die… The very stories that should have given us inclines into our history leave us with a little leeway into preservation of these cultures. Like Alyson Mead, I am urging with this project, the Nigerian child, my friend, to wake up to her stories. We were masters of the art when it was oral – our ancestors tell us we used to stay in the open dark, brightened by the moon’s brilliance, till very late at night telling the younger ones tradition – preserving stories that thought morals in gaiety. We can still dominate it now, combining telling it to our small households and to the world around us. The story is what truly counts. The world’s knowledge base is growing astronomically; we have the basics already from the global community and do not need to throw away our core values as Africans. As Nigerians in particular; knowledge entrenchment is what we need.

Some of our teachers in recent times deny the fact that our adolescent know more than they assume them to, thus breading a strong spirit of distrust. Why should I trust you when you deny without explanation, that a man can marry a man, and a woman, a woman, when I see it daily on the internet? Why will you teach me too shun bribes but receive same, to be patriotic when all I have seen until this age has been the opposite. Why did you not name, but chose to rename an old dog? They ask so many yet unanswered questions and I know that apology, in the form of conscious capacity - building is imperative.

Hence, this project is to be a meeting place especially for our today’s adolescents, and indeed, teachers (all with goodwill). It will constantly raise topical societal issues with the African moral tilt with the sole aim of preserving our lush and green cultural heritage and morals through value reorientation of our youths, with adolescents in the forefront. It is simple: we salvage by get the remaining stories and good traditions (Language, dressing, etiquettes, etc.) from our elders and transmit them on, hoping that they never die again. We will preach our sacred African tradition, which encompasses national consciousness and age long virtues like honesty, respect for elders, dignity of labour, and selfless service among others. Taking a step further, hope restoration through mentoring, career guidance and talent sharpening will be pursued through various segments of this magazine.

The uniqueness of this project is that it’s teachings will be carried out through contemporary means; i.e., the internet, particularly the social network media, where these young ones, and indeed, the world at large can be found. Above all, this project will not attempt to deny obvious truths, nor judge rashly but will swiftly point out the errors constantly mingled with knowledge transmitted in seemingly goodwill. So I welcome you aboard, let us re discover – or take back, if at all it was stolen - our heritage. Let us teach them, ask them and let our echoes resound in the big theatre of stories once again. Let us, like our fathers and fathers before them keep our African tradition, tales and morals clean, lush and green.

 Akpe Tombari A

Lush and Green: RELIGION

Somehow, we all were born into this world where at a certain point in time, we begin to ‘reason’ – or to sound a little philosophical, abstract. The part of this process that makes it captivating is that it happens without the conscious effort of man. We simply know we have ‘picked up, over time of course, certain norms and belief systems which we naturally protect vehemently. The most mind gripping part of these belief systems is religion. Until we encounter things that make us use those doubt - filled words or its strings – how come? How can...? When did we...? What if…? Suppose..? How it happens is what I don’t know but I know for sure that it is psychological. It creates a divide, a sharp contrast between ‘us’ and ‘them’ and even the most enlightened become sworn enemies; so what do you think will become of younger minds? You think they do not care? You think they will forever remain on the spot you left them before they met friends of disparate religious inclines in school right? You are most mistaken because they are already revolting and unlike in Fela Kuti of blessed memory’s lore, we pray it does not bring out the beast in them. Religious tolerance I say, is most imperative.