Ram – Bridge For Birds

Ram - Bridge For Birds

BRIDGE FOR BIRDS

Build me a bridge for birds

Flying forth

In wings carrying truth

The wind blessed carrier

Charting the course

For the oceans blessing their cross

Our ornate hearts leaping towards

Shapes formed heaven wards

Simple hopes

Ropes

With which we are hanged

Banged

By the mistrust paid

For by those who promises made

 

Bless the Benue

Our love cries

A collective voice rises

Changing down to up

Centring a top

For these new ones

Who this once

Carry our burdens

Feathers singly plucked by congruent sins

For humans they be

The small bridge to see

And cross

Not to drown…

 

Build us all now

A bridge before we fall down

A bridge for birds

Unto eternal aerial beds

(Published in the ANA Benue Collection, Bridge for Birds. Makurdi: Aboki Publishers, 2010.

 

RAM

It was a long night

But we waited all night long

And slowly when the camouflaged

Dusk left with the dark

Dawn appeared revealing

Agbadas in the umbrella

-          Thrice and counting      -

Leaving us, all, scorched.

 

Oga, na so we see am

But e do – next year, we no go be sallah ram[1].

2010

 


[1] (Nigerian Pidgin) That is the way we see it Sir/ It’s okay – we wouldn’t be Sallah ram (the ‘scape’ ram to be slaughtered) next year.

 



13 thoughts on “Ram - Bridge For Birds” by Sueddie Agema (@sueddie)

  1. well done. hope to come back and leave a more educated comment here.

  2. Mallam Su’eddie… Indeed you are a poet… I am wondering if there’s something like an ‘uneducated comment’

    1. very well bro. when you talk about something based on its face value(subjective), whatever you say is uneducated just as an illiterate talking about a surgical process.

      so since i have not broken down this poem yet and that makes my comment uneducated in all ramifications.

      looking at this poem again, i perceive a tone of betrayal as the speaker calls for truth in the face of broken promises.

      i’m still yet to see what the ‘BRIDGE’ alludes to…i do know its an allusion (perhaps the path to truth?) but then, i wonder why birds will need a bridge to cross over! you don put nylon for my eyes o.

      i think i see the cloaked meaning in the RAM poem…am i correct to smell a political undertone?

      in all, Oga Su’Eddie, you did very well with these poems and i’m glad i read it. will still go ahead and break the riddle so that i can say, like Soyinka’s Abiku,”i know the riddle of the palm kernel”

  3. Hmm, Xikay, the vampire and teacher. Brother only to Raymond. I hail you. I feel your words deep and I must say @xikay, thank you very much for taking your time. You do a lot for Naija Stories…and give lots of us smiles…and frowns too, sometimes. Live long. May you be the squirrel not just in the riddle of literary littluns but in the whole palm kernel that is life.
    @Idoko, you know say Xikay take style yab u ba? :) Thanks for the thumbs-up and all you stand for. You really are a friend and brother. Thank you.

    1. Me Vampire? No worry, I dey come!

    2. Amen to all ya prayers and NO NO NO i no yab oga Idoko o! if i wan yab persin, i go yab @raymond (with caution sha O_O)

  4. You guys are so funny.

    BTW, nice poems. @Sueddie how are you preparing for your forthcoming publications? Can we do anything to help?

  5. cool, nice poem
    a different taste from the norm.

  6. Though I’m no poetry afficionado, I have to say, Very Professional Work here bro. Nice one.

  7. Good.

    Good.

  8. Nice one bro.

  9. @Igwe @Seun @xikay: Thank you very much for the vote of confidence…Really means a lot. @Myne, sent you a message (on FB)…
    @Anderson Paul: thank you Sir!!
    Every comment here gives me reason to keep keeping on and doing it better and right…striving to keep getting your kind thoughts
    and equally generous criticism when I stray. Thanks for everything.

Leave a Reply