Dec 6, 2022HARDBALL & SOFT PUNS: a review of Ruger’s AsiwajuA skilled creative understands the magic of timely art. This is one thing, beyond the magnetic melody, that Ruger got right with Asiwaju. Eulogies are not new in the Nigerian music scene — more recently, with modern culture, self-adulation. Ruger’s new song sets a foot on each tread. Asiwaju is…Music Review2 min readMusic Review2 min read
Dec 5, 2022LOVE IS EVERYTHING AND A METAPHOR: A Review of amu nnadi’s ‘the love canticles’A poem is a city. A city is a lover. And this is how we are ushered into this collection of a hundred poems, given a tour of cities & emotions. A good poem, like every journey, is a loop — no matter the detours, it returns to its beginning. …3 min read3 min read
Nov 28, 2022Sex and Supplications in Owolabi Awwal Olanrewaju’s “Juju, Guns and Roses”Supplication, as we know, is making a humble entreaty while sex is another form of seeking (ofttimes happy ending). And poets have always found semblance between sex and supplication. Maybe because of the heightened tension that accompanies both. Or the solemness of man in the power of their frenzies. …Book Review3 min readBook Review3 min read
Sep 27, 2022A POET AS AN ART DISSIDENT AND COLLECTOR(A Review of like Butterflies Scattered About by Art Rascals) AUTHOR: Umar Abubakar Sidi Publisher: Masobe (2022) Number of Pages: 96 Curation is one of the crucial skills of a collector, so, it’s no wonder that Like Butterflies Scattered About by Art Rascals opened with a poem of gathering. A…Review3 min readReview3 min read
Jun 25, 2022Offering of Hearts: A review of Tukur Loba Ridwan’s The Forgiveness SeriesThe Forgiveness Series is a social commentary on the challenges in relationships — focused mainly on disputes & altercations & the routes to mending…or irreparable hurt. Tukur, in eight short poems wove a tale of love, heartbreak, reconciliation & rejection. The titular poem is a narrative of a man who…Poetry1 min readPoetry1 min read
Jun 12, 2022OF LOVE & ALLERGIES: A review of Dami Ajayi’s Affection & Other AccidentsPoetry has thrived, over time, on two contrasting themes: Love & Grief. They are mostly treated as two extremes but masters of the art see beyond the differences, the reality of their co-existence — what was not born cannot die! My wife got me pondering, even before I started reading…Poetry4 min readPoetry4 min read
Apr 10, 2022BLACK TRUTH, WHITE LIESI. My colleagues say I sit on the fence a lot. As if that is a comfortable space to be. It is generally believed to be the worst place to be, especially in this time when everyone seems to have an opinion on everything. I have learned to be comfortable…Subjectivity4 min readSubjectivity4 min read
Mar 17, 2022In The CrackI can’t remember my first kiss. I can’t remember anything meaningful from my childhood — except names & faces. Sometimes, I try to unfold time, reach out to pull giggles from old picture albums, but this space here — this memory nest — is empty. My younger brother is a…Memory2 min readMemory2 min read
Jul 27, 2021EGBON JIDE BADMUS SAYS THE “CHEF” COOKS LUST — Damilola OgunojuwoThe Poem: Chef I. When he invites you home for dinner, don’t forget, men don’t cook lust. Come dressed as salad — he’s a brimming bottle of cream II. You come with the swag of waist beads. He’s stark, safe for this apron of desire. It’s lust O’clock, spice the…Literary Reviews6 min readLiterary Reviews6 min read
Mar 12, 2021EVERYTHING WE HOLD DEARToday’s youths are rising to interrogate tradition and question societal standards that have held us bound over the years. These advocacies are valid, but do not stop at taking ideological flaws headlong, they go further to demonize the institutions. Here, I think, is the crack in the concrete. The bane…Life2 min readLife2 min read
