New Poems by Gabriel Eziorobo

To complete the fall/winter/spring contest, I would like to post the poems that Gabriel Eziorobo sent me a while back.  This has been a hectic school year!

AN HONEST MAN

I'm an honest-man
living a life of regret
i've tasted the bad-fruit
from the good-fruit.

I'm an honest-man
living a life of frustration
i've built a house
under my nostril
leading me to the grave.

I'm an honest-man
living a life of loneliness
foolishness has taught me to be lonely
blowing me the bleeze of loneliness,
i've nothing left with me
but myself
as a lonely married-man.

THIS SIDE OF SALVATION

There are times,when we all need to
turn away from the things of this world;
though sinful behaviours can be pleasing,
we must live boldly with faith unfurled!

How can we contemplate or desire living
without God's great love and salvation?
Can we even afford to wastefully spend
our precious time with sad frustration,

knowing that we may find ourselves in
hell's eternity with no possible escape?
We're fortunate,to be on this side of
salvation,knowing how love was shaped,

in the crucifixion of Christ at calvary.
We have the ability to build our lives,
while overcoming all,unexpected sorrows
let drop the weapons...guns and knives

of destruction;the weakness of our flesh
is calling and pleading with our spirits
to return to its fallen state; but we'll
only see death's sadness and its limits.



HYPOCRITES

Hypocrites
holding us like babies
teaching us the kindergaten alphabet,
four years will be over
everything will be fine
building on an empty land,
hypocrites will emerge
on the high hill of calamity,
blabbing every four-years of grace
watering the solid land with honey,
all will be fine
false hope is everything
i wish,i wish
that is the lay-man
dreaming to walk.

THE SITUATION

Like the sun
is hotter than,
everything on earth
so the situation is
tougher than before,
day after day,sun or no sun
we struggle all-day
to reap a good-fruit,
on the day of harvest
mourning and lamenting
spread round the farm
like a virus,
everyday become a fairytale
for everyone to live,
faith was lost ,
because the heads
keep promising
without fulfilling them,
how long!
Have we been waiting
for change to come?
But all was fruitless
we claim to be the giant
without nothing to show for,
is this how we want to lose our title?
After the victory of 1960,
hope is there,change is here
sweet and tasty
to celebrate with us
the situation at hand,
we can't run away from it
either can a bird fly without landing.

I HAVE TOLD THEM

What would i say to him?
How would i describe him?
I heard someone say,
he is on spell,
how long will he be on spell?
Has he not gone to the church,for deliverance?
I have told them
if a man is weak
how can he,fight his enemies?
If a man is flexible,
how can he,defeat the wind blowing?
I have told them,
this is not,
his wife's fault
either her children's fault,
why is everything different here?
Where are the people now?
Are they not,gossipers of the day?
Where are the people now?
Are they not problems of the day?
I have told them,
if a man,is on spell
will he be asking,of his sons and daughters?
If a man is on spell
will he abandon
his children for so long,
i have told them
this has nothing to with spell,
if a man,can't see the poison in him
how can he recuse himself from it?
I have told them
i am not a native of illusion.

TELL THE GODS

Tell the gods
not to disturb
the men of honours,
the land has been polluted
by the gods and goddesses
our fore-fathers served,
sooner or later,
the gods and goddesses will be nowhere
to safe your soul,
where are the gods,
When the daughters of Mayowa are dying?
Are they not the gods,our fore-fathers
say we should rely on?
Where are the gods?
When the wife of Kufi
was barren for so many years
without having a child,of her own?
Are they not the gods
our fore-fathers say we should call on?
But where are the gods,to safe the land,
from their enemies?
Where are the gods?
When my left-hand was caged,
are they not the one,
that make the law in the land?
Is it a crime to make use of the left-hand?
Why are people living,a sinful life?
Have they forgot,
what the Lord says?
We should not condemn anything,
why!why!!why!!!
They are living a life of the world,
life that will lead them to their den,
and tell the gods
not to disturb
the men of honours.

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I'll finish the fall/winter/spring contest with some more music by Larry Young, one of the many jazz musicians born in the 1930s.

Here is a live version of his "Fuel for the Fire":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m1oH0L-z7E

Another of his songs is "I Ching":  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1MjCyEZtUY

Larry Young and Lee Morgan play together on "Visions":  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htz5Q5nzxyE

Alice Coltrane has been receiving more acclaim lately:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUMuDWDVd20

I'll finish with Dorothy Ashby's "Soul Harping":  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtUYuTiWuSs