#POETRY4ChangeAfrica- Featured Poem: “Father’s Funeral” by Oluwasegun Romeo Oriogun.

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#POETRY4ChangeAfrica

VISION | VOICE |

VISIBILITY | VALUE-EXHANGE|

“First you must first your voice, then you must embrace your voice and then USE your voice in a way that aligns with your highest intention and purpose.”
~Juliet ‘Kego Ume-Onyido

 

Father’s Funeral by Oluwasegun Romeo Oriogun (Ogun Da Silva)

the body was laid to rest
along with his years
his memories
and nothing,


the women i saw
for the first time
yesterday sang
a song of mourning my
body laid claim to
in a way that was
painful,

 

the men sent his
body
away and passed his oriki
to me, a mere boy
who’s still a stranger
to the language
of my birth,
here, in my ancestral
home we buried two
men the day we buried
father; him and the
boy who’d hoped
to live in my throat,
all they left me
was a language
and a story
of my lineage
that will
hunt me like
my shadow.

 

(c) Oluwasegun Romeo Oriogun. 2015 (All rights reserved).

———————————-

About the Poet

Segun Oriogun is a poet from Nigeria, his poems has appeared on some literary blogs and journals such as the Kalahari Reviews. He is in love with nature and his imaginary dog, Sky.

WWN POETRY4Change is a creative platform celebrating the works of talented and exciting new poetic voices and spoken word artists within the African continent and in the Diaspora. It is an initiative created by Nigerian Poet and Leadership Consultant, Juliet ‘Kego Ume-Onyido, of Whole WoMan Network, Canada. The goal is to empower youths by leveraging the power of social media to highlight talents and provide opportunities for mentorship and growth. #MakingPOETRYCoolAgain More details coming soon….

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