Like the movement of the winds
Fueled by elements unseen
Driven by pride invisible
Invincible
Answer us oh god of old
For we are your children
We know your names
All of them
Transient
And in different forms
We bow
And are subject
To your awesome.
Baba sighed
It was time
The king arrived
And so did his queen.
Oba Adebayo Omotunrayo Ogedegbe
The roots of iroko
Have indeed not strayed far from the will
Like the seeds of the magnifera
You spring forth
indica
Bringing with you
Joys unknown
To the bowels of the people
You bring with you
The sweetness of melodies
Unheard of
Melodies that bring peace to the mind
And soothe the spirit
The people will dance oh great one
They will.
Oba Ogedegbe
The iron fist
That rules firm
The one who tells the sun to stop
And sees day turn night
The hunted who turns on the hunter
The bushmeat that became king
And told the fire to burn the pot crisp
The ears of god himself
One who watches on the people
Like errant children
And returns the order
In times of trouble
You wrestle with god for the people
The king that never fails nor falters
The one true king
Kabio-osi-o
Kabieyesi..
The Drummers settled in rhythm
Baba swung to the beat
The whole village fell into trance
Just watching him
He held them spellbound
They could bend to his will at any minute
It was like dream
Like magic
Baba seemed to be
To be..
Just be
Not for something at all
Neither for nothing at all
He seemed to float
To drift
In and out of realms
Realms the people were afraid of
The drummers increased intensity
It weighted heavy on their shoulders
Like a responsibility one does not ask for
And one does not reject either
And they drummed
Beat
They drummed
With sweat pouring from their pores
They drummed.
Baba suddenly screamed..
“Abeni O Abeni
The daughter has come of age
Happened on instant wisdom
Wisdom so big
Too big for her small head
She has come for the identity of her father
‘Mami mi o (My mother!!!!!)
Tani Baba mi (Who is my father?)”
And when the child asked this question
Abeni looked and looked
Sighed and sighed
She looked upon her perfect calabash
And sighed some more
‘Omo mi (My Child)
Ma lo (Be gone)’
She said
But no no no no
The daughter was having none of that
She had to know
She was not backing down
Not today
She needed to know
Who he was
Who is my father?
Haven’t you ever wondered
Who your father was?
She needed to know
Right from the horses’ mouth
‘Mama mi O
Tani baba mi?’
Abeni sighed again
She knew it
Oh she did
She knew it
Like the certainty one has
That the sun will surely rise
Come morning
She knew it too
Just like she knows
That the crops will multiply come rain.
