Poems for Gani

(Photo from The News website)

GANI FAWEHINMI (1938 - 2009)

Very few people stand for what they believe in until death. Gani is one of those 'very few' who did. His life has been distinguishable and humanitarian in his desire to liberate the Nigerian masses from the clutches of power-demons who keep undermining the socio-economic power of Nigeria and its people.

To celebrate this man who gave a voice to the voiceless and taught the modest, boldness. In celebration of his life and what he stood for--bringing hope to the lives of many Nigerians through his words and actions, join me in celebration with a-poem-a-day-for-Gani, for seven days. I believe that someday, the voice of the masses shall truly be heard.


DAY 1
Now as you take a space in Space
Watching Us and Them
Hopeful that things will turn right
We
Lose our words,
We
Mind your voice
We stay, we watch, we hope
That this absence hovering
Will bring us wisdom.

*

We
Do not know what to feel
For this sense of loss
Be--
Littles
What you stood for

You who
Travelled ac____cross
Borders
To sit justice
On the minds of despots
Who on a spot breathe rot

*

Now that my words should speak your worth
I do not find one that's right
The taste of your awe perplexes
The words that should hail you
Who travelled into conscience
Borders
Dousing the will of arsonists
Before they will He-raze our will.

---

Dear Friends,
You may read more of my poems, recently uploaded on Other Voices via this link.

Other Voices International Project is a project meant to unify us, mindless of cultural differences, age, national boundaries....bringing you the world's best poetry online.

*

Also, here's a brief report on the Struga Poetry Evenings, Macedonia, which I recently took part in. It was published in today's
Guardian