Biography:
OYEDOKUN IBUKUN PENAWD is a ‘vocal-ink’ poet, playwright and prolific writer, who believes it’s not until one becomes a star, before one can administer words, and minister like a seer.
He was recently honoured as The Silver Award Winner for the Tony Tokunbo Fernandez International Online Poetry Competition 2018 with his winning poem “We are the children of the norm ”

We are the children of the norm
We are the children of the norm…
Dignified drums beaten by the Negro’s drumsticks
As the entire creatures gather across south to west
Dancing dutifully to the tune of our ancestral quest
With our ignited minds, glued to the past revolutionists.
We are the children of the norm…
The beardless unclad lad and lass of similar peers
Assembling in rows when the sun has gone to sleep
And the local lamp dances to the beat of the breeze
As *Ìyá Àgbà’s tall tale of tortoise fills the atmosphere.
We are the children of the norm…
The ancient aged view of marriage as child rearing
For under one roof lives a man of thousand wives
With ocean of children, just for farming to thrive
Yet, the roof is not replaced with a burning roofing.
We are the children of the norm…
The darkened minds that see no flaw in olden philosophy
As superstitions and taboos tender perdition to the nation
Restricting the head to lead the feet to a perfect destination
As fear to perish gives unfriendly embrace to man’s totality.
We are the children of the norm…
The creatures that question not what a festival seeks boldly
As it dictates the clothing to bury in, and the state of mood
Such feast ends with fist of blows been buried in a bowl of soup
And some continue spending after being intrigued by their **oríkì.
We are the living dead whose life lie lifelessly on a single staff
For the crown’s spit shall surely shake and stay on the ground
Likewise a home of no rules shall have no offence been found
But we do have norms, we do have emblem, we do have an epitaph
We, are the children, of the norm.
Glossary:
*ìyá Àgbà: granny/ an old woman
**oríkì: panegyric