Waiting for Nightfall - Poems by Senator Ihenyen
- By Senator Ihenyen
- Published July 18, 2009
- Poetry
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Rating:
Senator Ihenyen
Senator Iyere Ihenyen was born in Lagos, but hails from Esan-West L.G.A., Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria. He writes poetry, short fiction and engages in literary research. Recognised by a U.K-based organization, Outspoken, in 2006 as 'one of the significant voices in Africa pushing the boundaries of contemporary African Literature.' The late and respected Nigerian editor and critic, Okey Okpa, had described the young writer as his 'future Poet Laureate' in 2008.
While some of his poems have been published in local dailies such as the Daily Times, New Age and Business Times, his early works have also been featured in international anthologies published by the U.K.-based Anchor Books, Poetry Stop, Canada, and the U.S.-based Voices Network, where his poetry has been given special international recognition.
Currently in a full-time Law Degree programme in the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, he has been serving as the Campus President of Golden Minds Centre, a youth-focused organisation. With an inveterate interest in Literature, especially creative writing, Colourless Rainbow: Poetry of My Childhood is forthcoming from Coast2Coast, Lagos.
His website
Crossroads
Although now colourless,
Must we open our doors
To let the West come in
To take away our sun?
Although now colourless,
Must we open our doors
To let the East come in
To take away our rain?
Should we not close our doors
And with our sun and rain
make rainbows
And open our doors
For the world to buy our colours?
The Unknown One
Is it your voice I hear
Whistling in the echoes of night? And your tears
Drizzling down in the dawn?
Are you the night
That gives the moon her silvery splendour
In the sky?
That night so dark that
Stars sparkle their song in the serene sky
and fireflies glide through glinting dreams?
The night so still that owls hoot for fear
And mosquitoes buzz for blood?
Are you the yet unknown night
That has given so much without a reward?
Searching
I search
for rainbow in the sky,
but there is no sunlight
piercing through the
ranting raindrops
and I begin to wonder
where to find its colours –
colours of my heart, colours of my dreams,
my hope.
In the emptiness,
I begin to understand
that if I could not look into the eyes
of the living around me
to see that the rainbow
gleams there too
I may never find the colours
to paint a better place
for you and me
(c) Senator Iyere Ihenyen