A COMPOSITION OF LITERARY TITLES

In the beginning of NINETEEN EIGHTY FOUR, like a celebrity I visited the CITY OF GOD to see THE REJECTED STONE but my journey was cut short when I saw SILAS MARNER who told me that SIZWE BANSI IS DEAD and that he was going to see THE INTERPRETERS to know the cause of the death and if he should attend the burial. I could remember THE INTERPRETERS telling me; “AS YOU GO TO COLLEGE, do not follow the ANGELS AND DEMONS but rather be a MAN FOR ALL SEASONS”. Hmm that was many years ago.

I followed SILAS MARNER feeling sorry for him because he was a brother to Sizwe Bansi. As we walked, we saw the WOMEN OF OWU who lamented saying: “OUR HUSBAND HAS GONE MAD AGAIN”. What do you expect when all the WOMEN OF OWU married just one man? I was shocked because things were NO LONGER AT EASE in the city. They told us that their home was now a case of ONE MORE WIFE, SOME MORE TROUBLE. But they were filled with hope as they yelled “don’t worry, OUR CHILDREN ARE COMING.”

ROMEO AND JULIET were the next to come to us. They complained bitterly of THE WICKEDNESS OF MEN telling us that the MERCHANT OF VENICE had given them a TOAD FOR SUPPER. Ah! What a wicked merchant. Who would have thought that beggars go on strike? So I thought till I heard of the BEGGARS STRIKE. Why on earth did they go on strike? They were angry with DOCTOR FAUSTUS for using THE MAGIC SWORD to kill the beggars’ president.

I was filled with GREAT EXPECTATIONS when I saw the SONS AND DAUGHTER of Shakespeare. I hoped one of his sons would marry NGOZI MY DAUGHTER but he presented a PURPLE HIBISCUS to me saying despite NGOZI MY DAUGHTER was beautiful, THE BEAUTIFUL ONES ARE NOT YET BORN.

We saw ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA in a romance state and advised them not to get married under HALF OF A YELLOW SUN. We were thrilled that their love was strong and interesting. They told us that their marriage was going to take place in AN AFRICAN NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT. Wow! With such great love I was sure Cleopatra would not be A BRIDE WITHOUT A GROOM.

No one ever wondered the cause of the struggle between THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA. However during MOTHER’S MOONLIGHT FOLKTALE, I learnt that the old man was trying to get the POTTER’S WHEEL from the sea where the young potter had lost it. What a kind old man!

After a tough argument between my SONS AND DAUGHTERS, I experienced THE OTHER SIDE OF SILENCE in my home but just then, one of my sons who was a potter hit NGOZI MY DAUGHTER with the POTTER’S WHEEL living her unconscious.

Indeed THERE WAS A COUNTRY where no one ate WITHOUT A SILVER SPOON; where BANANA LEAVES were currency notes. I had wanted to go there till I heard it was governed by the LORD OF THE FLIES. Who then were the inhabitants? Flies????

Who was to blame for Sizwe Bansi’s death? The gods? No! THE GODS ARE NOT TO BLAME. Never!  We moved on, and to our greatest shock, we saw an AMERICANAH with the EGG OF LIFE. This indeed led to the WIVES REVOLT as they saw it as an abomination.

As we approached the ANIMAL FARM, I saw the GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR performing his LAST DUTY. I offered to help but just then something brushed my legs; it was the international PASSPORT OF MALLAM ILLIA. What was it doing in the ANIMAL FARM? Was mallam Illia a Farmer?

After the civil war, without MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, I decided to bid FAREWELL TO ARMS but I made an EVERLASTING MISTAKE when I went with THE ARMS AND THE MAN to avenge JULIO CAESAR’S DEATH.

Have you ever seen an angel? I’m proud to have seen one. In the end of NINETEEN EIGHTEEN FOUR when I was washing MY FATHER’S CAR, an angel appeared to me. A different kind of angel;  one that made me dislike angels. It was a DIZZY ANGEL. The angel told me that EVERYTHING GOOD WILL COME only when OLIVER TWIST decides to marry A WOMAN IN HER PRIME.

                                                                                    

  BY: ASEKHAMHE VINSON- ‘SHAKESPEARE’

 DEPARTMENT OF  MASS COMMUNICATION.

UNIVERSITY OF BENIN, BENIN CITY.

 

 

POEM: AIDS IS REAL

 by: Asekhamhe Vinson-Shakespeare.

A strange wind blows

What could this wind mean?

What could this wind bring?

To the wise: a wind of danger blows

A wind of fear

A wind of warning

A very serious warning.

To the foolish: a wind of merriment

A wind of continuous pleasure

A wind of unholy celebration

For this wind comes but once

In the darkness of their doubt

The doctors lingered the lamp of wisdom

And the wise saw in their face the road that they should take

But for the foolish; they saw nothing but mere words

And while the adventure began

The wise played carefully

But the foolish played carelessly

And got their share of the rotten fruit

Certainly that’s not all

Others jumped on unsterilized clippers

Some others used already used syringes

Now they all have a share of the rotten fruit

As if it were not enough

Our creatures on skirt had extended stomachs

Had they eaten over-feeding?

Certainly NO! They had gotten the “fruit of pleasure

Instead of the fruit of the womb

Probably the little life in their stomach will have a share of the rotten fruit

Whose fault is it?

But what is the result of this rotten fruit

Some of them were advancing

The situation was worsening

Doesn’t anyone know? Where are the doctors?

Surely there were doctors

And so they trooped in for tests

Tests upon tests

And yet another test

The doctors who had earlier warned

Now gave death sentences to some

And life conditions to others

Oh! Had they known?

The world seemed wicked to them

‘Life is sweet’ they thought earlier

But now they acclaim ‘life is unfair’

All they can do is to gaze at grandfather’s old wall clock

With tears gushing from their eyes

Tick tock, tick tock

So they listened to the clock

Waiting for the last tick

If they had listened to the warnings

But you, do you want a share of the rotten fruit?

Do you want extended stomachs?

Do you want to live in pain and humiliation?

Do you want to live on conditions?

No surely!

Then avoid premature/unprotected sex

Avoid using unsterilized objects

Live healthy and protect the future

Don’t forget HIV IS REAL!!!