Go Tell Our King

Par Betty Abah

In GO TELL OUR KING, Betty Abah explores, albeit elegantly, poetrys prodding
yet scintillating tool to express her surprise, awe, disgust or elation at lifes realities.
These include death, corruption, oppression, environmental degradation, war,
love and elusive hope. It is a poetic potpourri of a sort, undulating in waves of sadness
and occasional delight; a harvest of a deeply creative and observant mind. Though
most of the imagery revolves around Africa, they have universal appeal. The poems
at once entice and grip you. They testify to the poetess as an emerging voice on the
African literacy scene.

• Langue: Français
• Éditeur: Xlibris UK
• Date de sortie: 4 janv. 2012
• ISBN: 9781469137063

Betty Abah

BETTY ABAH is a Nigerian journalist and environmentalist. She obtained a degree in English and Literary Studies from the University of Calabar in 1999. She practised with frontline Nigerian newsmagazines Newswatch and TELL, and briefl y with the Rocky Mountain News in Colorado USA as an Alfred Friendly fellow. Her journalism awards include the Nigeria Media Merit Award, the Diamond Award for Media Excellence, the Alfred Friendly Press Fellowship (USA), the John Knight Health Reporting Fellowship (USA), the Kaiser Family Foundation(USA) among others. Abah is with the Environmental Rights Action. She is the author of SOUND OF BROKEN CHAINS (poetry). She is married to John, a sailor.

Aperçu du livre

Copyright © 2012 by Betty Abah.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2011962737

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4691-3705-6

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4691-3704-9

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4691-3706-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

0-800-644-6988

www.xlibrispublishing.co.uk

[e-mail]

302135

Contents

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

SONGS OF SORROW

PROLOGUE…

GO TELL OUR KING

THE WILL TO LIVE

TEARS

THE METEORS

CLOUDS

BRING BACK THE HEROES

A CERTAIN DAY

MID-DAY SLUMP

FOR DELE GIWA

VACUUMS

ANGELIC SMILES

PROLOGUE… .

PERMIT PEACE

GAZA GUYS

THE WILL TO LIVE (2)

VANQUISHED VICTORS

PANTING PLANET

PROLOGUE…

THE EARTH BLEEDS IN FURIOUS FITS

PLANET POLITICS

CRUDE WOMAN

PIPELINE PIKINS

BALLADS OF BABA-LAND

PROLOGUE

SURVIVING NIGERIA

A LETTER TO MY DAUGHTER’S TEACHER

GROWING IN SOWETO

MONTH-END MELANCHONY

HEROISM UNVEILED

WAY OF THE WORLD

BLESSED FORTRESS

KHAKI KINGS

BOOTHS AND MOBUTU

GO TELL OUR KING (II)

LIGHTS OUT

HOME-LAND

DEM GO SAY I BE WOMAN!

REGARDS

PROLOGUE…

SO NICE

FOR GESAI

CHARMS

ARRIVAL

AFTER INFERNO

FLAMES

BALMS

ANGELS

BOOMS & DOOMS

PROLOGUE…

LET ME BE

THE VOICE OF POETRY

WHEN I DIE

SPECTATOR

OBITUARY QUERY

EUTHANASIA

I CAME, I SAW…

SIGHT @ SCHIPHOL

EPILOGUE

MADNESS DISGUISED

TO THE HIGHWAY HERO

UNWANTED

CIGARETTIC IRONY

THE SURGEON’S BLADES

LOVE APART

PROLOGUE…

BEWARE, LOVE!

MIRAGE…

HER SUITOR BECAME A CHILD

HOPE CHANTS

PROLOGUE…

HOPE PRISONERS

WHIRLWINDS

LET IT BE…

SPLASH!

DEDICATION

To those gone before us;

They say time heals fast,

Why have my wounds festered?

Benja. Ameh. O’nyi. Onyela. Ogbe.

Esther Ugoh. Onyemowo V. Adache. Oyiwoja Ojibo.

Joy Osemi, Rev. Sani Simon.

I pause in the waves and wanderings,

And wonder why you went away . . . !

I heave, helpless, yet in HOPE . . .

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am a living proof that you could climb on the shoulders of giants, and have far-flung views. I’ve been privileged to drink at the fountain of some of Nigeria’s brightest journalism masters. I live, a debtor to kindness unpayable.

My Ogas at Newswatch; Dan Agbese, Ray Ekpu, Yakubu Mohammed, Bala Dan Abu, Jossy Nkwocha (General) and Maureen Chigbo, Mercy Ette, thank you!

To my Ogas in TELL; Onome Osifor-Whiskey, Nosa Igiebor, Dele Omotunde, Ayodele Akinkuotu, Ademola Oyinlola and founding director Dare Babarinsa, thanks for our talks and for the pats!

Thank you, Bunmi Dipo-Salami, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Joe Okei-Odumakin, Reuben Abati, Jahman Anikulapo, Okey Ifionu, Ibim Semenitari, Sam Omatseye, Lekan Otufodunrin, Olu Ojewale, Godwin Haruna, Daniel Gumm, Bamidele Johnson, Sam