AWERO

Radiant eyes

A priceless gorgeous gift of LOVE

From the gods

Crafted statute of spotless glowing skin

AWERO

Beautiful lass

Young and strong

Awesomely robust with

Stunning sexy stature

Radiant eyes

A priceless gorgeous gift of LOVE

From the gods

Crafted statute of spotless glowing skin

Bold in her resolutions

Modestly tutored with moral knowledge

And cultural wisdom

Intelligent breed of this 21^st century

Brilliant in her crafts and compositions

Her tiny voice as sweet as honey

Her melodies as soothing as a lemon meringue

I have seen her

Standing still…

Out in that rabid cold

Alone

At the lonely bank

Of the naked ocean

At Eleko

She has passed through

The eyes of the storm

She has fought her wars

Alone

Lost in her virgin mind

I can hear loud and clear

The thunderous sound of her aching

Heartbeat…pupum…pupum…pupum…

I can see her burning

Desire…

I can feel her blazing

Emotions…

I can hear her call

Through the fading tears

Falling down her troubled

Beautiful face

Yes…I can feel her pains

Through the raging passion

In her saline eyes

I can hear the songs

Of her heart echoing…

“All I ever want

Is my savior

My Soul mate

The one

The only one

I have ever loved

Eni bi okon mi!”

Awero

I must confess,

You are a stunning Queen of Beauty,

A Beauty as rare as

The shimmering regal presence of

A river goddess

A Beauty so bold that

Each time I look very deeply

Into the sparkling innocence

Of your gentle maiden eyes,

Savoring with utmost inner satisfactions

The flawless renditions

Of your splendid romantic muses,

Oh how I so dearly behold

Your Stainless Beauty

Has never ever really betrayed

The deep sonorous touch

Of your breathtaking heart songs

Which your smart erotic voice

 Has gracefully sang with

Colorful sexxxy tunes...

Hunnm...Here I am…come!

Let me save your heart

Let me be your king

Let me claim your soul  

Let me be the one

The only one

To dance with you always

Around your beautiful fortress

 Of massive palace,

Let me lay you down

Every day,

In the dead of the night

To serenade you to silent sleep

With sweet love songs and lovely caresses,

Let me be The Royal Majesty

In your very wildest dreams…

Alas!

You are the one

Eni bi okon mi

My true love

The only one

That can save my heart

From going down

Please, come quick!

Save me

Save my heart

My heart is going down

Please, save my heart

You are the one

My true love

You are the hunger

That steals upon me

Every seconds of my life

You are the growling

Sensations that always

Instigate blistering rumbles

In the belly of my heart

You are the gnawing pangs

That drives me crazy

Every moment I submerge

Deep

 In the ocean of your thoughts

You are the wanton desires

That propels my mouth

To constantly demand

For your justice

My hands to reach for the beckoning sky

My legs to willingly yield

On a desperate marathon order

My soul on the cruising boat

Of a romantic hunting expedition

Yet…you are the one

The only one

That can satisfy my creative impulses

And spur my sparkling imaginations

To the zenith of a freewheeling flight

Sailing…and sailing…

Through an endless diamond sky

Far way beyond the smiling moon

So in my craving loneliness

I have come to realize

That you are the one

The only one

That can unearth

My deepest hidden chemistry

And quench the thirst

Of my soul’s restless cravings

You are the one

The only one

That can trail

My moral synapses

Read my spiritual axons

Mend my broken dreams

And gratify my blazing sexual appetite

Beeni, iwo ni

Eni bi okon mi

My true love

Ti n ba ri o

Mi o lee je

Ti n ba ri o

Mi o lee mu

Ti n ba ri o

Mi o lee sun

For I have waited too long,

Long enough for you

To come around

Every day, I sit here

All alone

Hoping…

That someday,

Out of the blue

The gods will shower mercy

Cause a powerful windstorm

To finally break on the sea

And curse your roaming boat

To sail you back

Towards the setting sun

Where my lonely path

Would be stripped naked

Akanni

I am a lonely poet

I live like a wandering bird

Gliding upon a gloomy sky

Closely together, they move’n’fly

Among the peers I see in countless batch

I roam, I ply, I see my match

Oh I’ve long been in solitary loneliness

I’d’ve since died of aloneness

Until nature leads me to you my dearest image

Shall we now coo’n’sing together till time passage?

For far many moons

Here, all alone

I have court merry mermaids

I have dined with festive white pelicans

At this very bank of Eleko Beach

I have cried and wailed in silence

That tears no longer remain

In my blurring eyes

Defying tradition,

I have refused to be ritually betrothed

To the man I have never known

To be the one I seek

I have snubbed off begging requests

To be mutually consummated

With many strange men

So strange to my longing virgin heart

Beeni, iwo ni

Eni bi okon mi

My true love

You are the one

The one I love

The only one

I have ever loved

Please, come quick!

Save me,

Save my heart

My heart is going down

Please save my heart

Ti n ba ri o

Mi o lee je

Ti n ba ri o

Mi o lee mu

Ti n ba ri o

Mi o lee sun

Ori ti sun mi bare

Mo ti rohuntowunmi

Ayanma ife mi

Emi leiye Oge e re

Iwo saa ni Olokose e mi

Ti afefe ba fe

Aa kan igi oko lara

Ti ojo bar o

Ara o tu igbo

Inu omi leja ngbe

Inu u re ni un o maa gbe

Toripe ti iwo o ba si

Emi ko le e pe

Morohuntowunmi,

I have waited too long

Long enough,

For this very moment to come

Where two seeking souls

Bound together by a common destiny

Which fate has long made

To dwell apart

In far strange and distant worlds

Now fated to be,

Eternally condemned,

To reunite

In mutual romantic conjugal bliss

Please, come…come quick Akanni!

My heart is going down

Take my heart

Save my soul

Eni bi okon mi

My true love!

©adeolagoloba 2014

OUR TALES

                                                                               MESSAGE TO MY COUNTRY MEN!!!
                                                                           

Bakasi Boys...Boko Haram! Please…you must go to rest
Lay down your arms like O.P.C. in the West 

From many seasons of carnage
We have grown to be like a clan of savage

Why do we always go on rampage
To slaughter ourselves and ravage?

Every cock-crow at dawn
Horror wakes us but to strikes us down

We cannot go to sleep without fear and cries
By twilight when the whole clan crumbles and lies

Kinsmen of Ijaw! O Itsekiri brothers!
If you care not, Mother Earth bothers!

Because we roast our own folks to ashes
Mother Nature whips us with painful lashes

Ife-Modakeke struggle must yield to lasting tame
Aerewa-Afenifere discord must become permanent lame

Bakasi Boys...Boko Haram! Please…you must go to rest
Lay down your arms like O.P.C. in the West

No more pastoral or Imamate clashes
Guard yourself from political rashes

But why do we always go on rampage
To slaughter ourselves and ravage?

Fight over oil, land or some sacred cake
Seized by some modicum scrooge to rake?

We have heads but cannot think
Water we possess but cannot drink

Enough food but still rage on with hunger
No wonder we always let loose with anger

We have shelter but no place to hide
While we run helter-skelter when we take side

Storming with vengeance like maddening flood
Here lie our body in boiling pools of blood

Ah! We have life…we cannot live
But when shall all these strives finally take leave?

Our home is burning…Oh where do we go?
Everywhere is already set aglow

From North, East, West and Southern zones
Across the plains echoed the clinging of our bones

Endless strives…what did we gain?
Save mourning, cries of woes and pain

Shall we not end these seasons of carnage?
And cease to be like a clan of savage?

Come together to clear our ravages
And move to undone the damages

Call on God to send down His Merciful Aids
And save us from untold wanton and A.I.D.S

God Please! Send down your soothing rain!
To come cool and wash away our burning pain

Calm our anger and rages
And make us again like old sages

Give us profitable life
Let us live like true brothers…free us from strife

Give us beautiful places here to hide
And let our space be wide

Let all stakeholders sow love and not tarry
Upon greed and hatred that we now carry

Like a phoenix rebuild our nation
And let each clan harvest its ration

No more rampages
Nor slaughter and ravages

Let us end these seasons of carnage
And cease to be like a clan of savage

What legends shall be left for the unborn
When we go yonder and leave the stage to burn?

What chants will roll on their tongues
When they come to behold our wrongs?

Brothers! If we end not these seasons of carnage
And cease to be like a clan of savage

Our tales shall be like that “Ballad of Rage”
Told from the first to the very last historical page.

©golobathepoet 

Romance Meets Life: Unrealistic Expectations can kill Relationships

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Memories live on: As Atiku invades Europe & America

ATIKU INVADES EUROPE & AMERICA

Jelili Atiku Presenting his talks at The Tate Modern Tanks in LONDON 21ST JULY 2012

God’s Expedition: The Mirror In Me    By Jelili Atiku 

In a recent international exchange programme at Antroposophical Arttherapy School (White House), Culture Centrum, Järna, Sweden, participants were drawn from Sweden, Norway, Nigeria and Ugandan and comprised of visual artists, human rights activists, educationists, ecologists, environmentalists and green living advocates, and entrepreneurs to examine certain socio-cultural issues as they affect democracy and human rights around the globe. Nigeria’s Atiku Jelili was one of the participants, with theme ‘Democracy and Human Rights:  Cultural Actors’ Expert Exchanges’. The programme is the Swedish Institute’s funded expert exchange. It is an opinion-making and policy-oriented nature to promote openness and democratic, economic and social progress in developing countries through the transfer of knowledge and experience to senior officials and experts working with democracy, human rights, gender equality and the role of women in development.

I PRESENTED a talk, which I titled “God’s Expedition: The Mirror in Me” – where I examined my experience as political artist with concerns for human rights and justice based in Nigeria. Quoting Gilbert’s (1998) statement, “everything in life comes down to politics. All worthy emotions – love, honor, patriotism, charity – have at their root a concern with politics, which means simply possessing the power to achieve one’s desired goal. This is not the place to debate whether that theory holds true or not, but it is certainly clear that a greater portion of the world’s art has had political implications”.

I examined and discussed the potentialities of artistic and cultural engagement in influencing participatory democracy and promotion of human rights. I made reference to my artistic works, especially “Ewawo: The Awaiting Trial Persons” – An installation sculpture, which was exhibited in 2005 at Lagos State House of Assembly as a protest against “Holding Charge”, In The Red (ongoing performance project) that began in 2008 and uses red as a symbol of life, suffering, danger and violence; Agbo Rago – a performance at Ejigbo Ram Market, Lagos, 11th Lagos Book and Art Festival, 2nd African Summit and Exhibition on Visual Art (ARESUVA), Abuja, Nigeria; Who’s Afraid of FoI Bill?, United Nations Information Centre, Ikoyi,  Lagos State, Nigeria, etc.

In the presentation, I recommended that: (i) visual artists should direct or redirect visual forms to investigate, question and combat all those “things” that endanger the existence of humanity; (ii) the protection and promotion of human rights should be a legitimate concern of every man and woman of the world; and (iii) the stakeholders in justice administrative system should inculcate the use of art works and activities to advocate for the promotion and protection of fundamental human rights; and enlighten the public on these rights.
On July 3, I enact a performance titled, “In (ut) Flöde” as winding-off event of the exchange programme. The performance, which was done in collaboration with Helene Aurell (Swedish artist), Nigel Wells (UK/Swedish artist) and Pål Gunnäs (Norwegian artist), took place at Trädgårdsparken, Kulturcentrum, Jarna, Sweden. Images of the performance attached.

Through the performance, I tried to project the fact that our world is put under pressure due to biodiversity loss. There is worldwide melting of glaciers, which is threating to eliminate the water supply for numerous towns in valleys. Hence, water could very soon become a very scarce resource for many regions of the world. Worst still, our interactions between nature is growing into deterioration as we search for material goods and find happiness stringently in money. I became a living biodynamic body in the performance.

Talk and Performance at The Tanks: Ethics of the Encounter, Tate Modern, London on the July 21 2012 – In this event, I will be performing a live art, where I will invite audience members to participate in the performance, In the Red series. After laying out 24 pieces of red cloth I will create a placard inviting people to stand on the cloth, by way of entering the performance. I will weave my way through the group and once at the last person in the group he will begin to wash their feet. This will continue until each person has had their feet washed. Each person in the performance from the audience will write on the red paper (card), which they stood on.  This will be done immediately I wash each person’s feet. They will simply write words going on in their minds in the course of the performance. It could be anything..!

My talk in this event is titled Gbangbayahu: An Intervention with Human Dignities. I will be presenting documentation of my past performance works, and also demonstrate my approach in engaging activist art in Nigeria. Touching on ideas of ‘Social Sculpture’ (Beuysian), I will discuss how my direct political action and performance works attempt a remoulding our society. Working predominantly through intervention into public spaces, I will strive to show how the influence of Egungun (commonly mislabeled as Masquerade) has had on my live public actions.

Talk at Southbank Centre’s African Utopia: Art and Social Change/Protest, QEH Front Room, Southbank Centre, London on July 22 - I will be joining the penal, which consists of Baaba Maal, Rita Ray – TBC, Elsie Owusu, Disa Allsop – TBC, Jumoké Fashola (the award-winning Broadcaster and Jazz Vocalist CHAIR) and myself in an informal but semi-structured format (rather than a formal lecture). I shall present my experience in using art for Social Change/Protest.

“Africa Utopia is a month-long festival of music, theatre, film, literature, dance, fashion, talks and debates programmed by Southbank Centre in conjunction with renowned Senegalese singer and human-rights campaigner Baaba Maal, as part of Southbank Centre’s Festival of the World with MasterCard. Throughout the festival there are performances by iconic musicians who share Baaba Maal’s belief in the power of music for social change.  You can also hear from writers who provide insight into the reality of contemporary African culture. Meanwhile an invited group of young delegates – guided by ‘elders’ including Baaba Maal and Lemn Sissay – explore how art projects can be mobilized to bring about social change”.

International Artistic Collaboration with Dr. Graham Martin Yorkshire artist in Northern England (Cumbria, Carlisle, Scarborough and York) from 22nd July - 8th August 2012 – The theme of their collaboration is Art and Humanity, and incorporates actions, residencies, live artistic research, talks, workshops and participation. The details events here include Cumbria: 22 -28 July 2012 - Private research residency at Kurt Schwitters Merzbarn. Carlisle:  29th July - Art & Being Workshop at Freerange Artists. Scarborough: 2-5th August - Private residency at The House project, Knipe Point, Scarborough; and Art & Being Workshop at Woodend Creative Industries Centre, The Crescent, Scarborough. York: 7th August - Public actions in Parliament St, York and evening artists talk - Space 109 Walmgate, York.

It is pertinent to mention that for over a year Dr. Martin and myself have been engaged in dialogue concerning the possibility of working together. Tate Modern’s invitation to present my work at The Tanks: Ethics of the Encounter, London this summer has made this collaboration possible. Dr. Graham thus organised and coordinated the events in this collaboration. The collaboration was also supported by Arts Council England.

Dr. Graham Martin is an artist based in Yorkshire - his art covers text, photography, actions, and mixed media objects and often addresses social and human concerns albeit in a playful way. He has received numerous Arts Council grants and has shown across UK and in Germany, Russia, Italy and Mongolia. He was a special guest at the 4th Free International Forum in Bolognano Italy in 2010. His 2011 solo show at Gallery 11 Bradford, The Revolution is Healing, was inspired by Joseph Beuys notion of ‘a collective negation of common humanity’, and explored common wounds, healing and the contemporary accumulation of loss. Dr. Martin is also director and curator of AGENCY – Art, life and society, an international curatorial project based in Yorkshire concerned with the socio political and the how and why of living. For more information on Dr. Martins, contact: www.agencyartlifesociety.com.

I am using this opportunity to thank members of Nigerian Press, especially those in the art desk for giving adequate and comprehensive reports on my artistic practices.  I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
Edumare a tin yin leyin o, ase!

This Article was written by Jelili Atiku which featured in THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER of Saturday, 28th July, 2012. 
(http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp%3Bview=article&amp%3Bid=93626%3Agods-expedition-the-mirror-in-me&amp%3Bcatid=74%3Aarts&amp%3BItemid=683#.UBRxDX1fV9l.blogger)

THEY WASTE THEIR MONEY

"If I may be frank, this poem is a mouse bite to the politicians in Lagos state and others across the Geo-political states of Nigeria. Typically satirically on our people who have their eyes to see but not seeing, and have their brains to think but beclouded with all the fantasies of the beautiful arena they live in and the tokens they are getting. Well, I pray that people can see the way you can see, and think the way a sensible person can reason the way you and I pity for the darkness of this great country, and as you say: They waste their money/their time,their lives wasting away/And funeral parties of their fallen kinsmen. Though, this borne down to those who spend money on unnecessary things instead of investing their money on very useful things that will add value to their existence, still I can figure it out that this poem goes beyond a single mindset and spreads its tentacles to all classes of people living in this country: they are upper, middle and lower/down trodden."...Salami Adewale

" The true bitter story behind this poem while writing was actually how our so called fathers year in, year out waste away our (their children)'s futures till they breathe their last without shame or remorse as they go on wasting their money or wealth on only transient things .  I am very particular about the Awori People/Omo-Onile(Land-Owners) in Lagos State which I happen to be one of their progeny...and relatively to encapsulate all those mentioned in the above analysis by Salami Adewale "...Adeola Goloba

...Completely lost to the lyrical tunes of their local poets.

They waste their money....


Did you say they are so penniless
They cannot afford a bottle of honey?
No! They were the most affluent,
But they waste their money.

Did I hear they are so helpless
They cannot feed their concubines?
No! They were the wealthiest,
But they waste their money.

Are they really indigent
Their children cannot go to school?
No! They were the richest,
But they waste their money.

They claim they own this Lagoon
And yet treated like strangers.
But No! They were the most influential,
Only that they care not and waste their money.

Can I ever believe they are so crippled
Their bad roads failed all repairs?
No! They always look on, wasting their money,
And wait for Aso-Rock to mend.

Ah! Are they really pauperized
They can’t ever trade themselves out of darkness?
“Oh Yes…Alausa knows our plight!”
That is what they are waiting for.

Deadly flood threatens to plague their lives,
Yet, they sit on the fence,
Wasting their money
And blame their chairmen.

Their glittering sky-scrapers
Are surrounded by slummy ghettos,
Yet, they are so indifferent, wasting their money,
And cry foul of T-I-N-U-U-B-U!

Waite a minute! Are they really bad?
Maybe (not)! But they sell and resell their lands,
And must claim (Omo-Onile) dues,
Completely lost to the lyrical tunes of their local poets.


On those senseless murderous affairs,
They waste their money.
Wines, women, pursuit of night-clubs,
And funeral parties of their fallen kinsmen.

They go on wasting their money,
Their time, their lives wasting away,
Their status fading…
Yet, they never woke up,
From this gain-less extravagant slumber… 

                                            ----by  Adeola Goloba

©golobathepoet

"This poem appraised our society critically,in particular,the modern African people who are delighted in spending recklessly in the name of showing off their arrival.The pitiable condition I am experiencing now is that the concerned people in your poetic talking drums is that the drum is drumming to the deaf who are in the authorities/governments/powers.I would like to agree with Salami that this piece is not restricted to the AWORIS only,but the Africans at large.".... Bakare Wasiu

"Bard Goloba, without a modicum of doubt, your polemical versification of the apostles of ‘Lagos for show’ is as apposite as the sunset. Clinically dissected and empirically construed. The sons and daughters of the wild perforate sacred injunctions to honour the dead and the living with gluttonous lifestyles of feral parties to the detriment of their home front. The parties must go on while the mealtime lasts and their dingy hovels is a testament to a wretched mindset. You portrayed through your transparent lens, vividly capturing the crevices of Lagos megalopolis. My literary crusader, your steamy lines affirm your profound depth!! More fire, more fire!!!"...Onuchi Mark Onoruoiza

"Goloba da Poet... I raise a glass and give a thumbs up to another piece of literary craftmanship. A piece of genius cum socio-economic masterstroke addressing pitfalls in our daylight reality. Can't be better put... as always the NOBELs beckons."...Seth Ogungbe