THE NEW GODS
Yesterday…
Our fathers reverenced the ancestors’ altars
With lowered gazes of bowed heads
And with sobered hearts, they poured libations
To appease their fury gods.
Our elders cowered at graven images
Like timid dogs before dead foxes
And with chorused voices, they chanted incantations
To offer their cowries of pleas.
Our mothers took refuge in sacred shrines
Where strange fires of blind sacrifices
Were prepared with stale sticks of traditions
To break the shadowy arms of discomforts.
But today…
We defile the altars of our ancestors
With the fermented urines of our children
And we hurl the rituals of our fathers
To the wandering wind of oblivion.
We break the vows made by our mothers
At the navel of the village square
Where the piety kolanuts of fortune
Were revered by the molars of our elders.
The venerated relics of native oracles
Are fired into forgotten ashes
And we flaunt around as new gods
Who feed not with broken gourds.
Biography:
Ogedengbe Tolulope Impact is a chemical engineering graduate of the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-ife, Osun State. He started writing poems in 2012 and his works have appeared in various anthologies and literary websites.
Tolulope was one of the Wole Soyinka’s at 81 shortlisted poets, 2015 organised by the Poetry Court, and the 7th Korea Nigeria Poetry Fiesta, 2017 organised by Arojah Concepts. His poems won the 2016 maiden edition of Spring Literary contest, 2016 June edition of Brigitte Poirson Poetry Contest (BPPC), and shortlisted poet for Poets in Nigeria poetry challenge.
Tolulope currently resides in Benin city where he writes and imparts children through teaching.