The Grapevine Art & Soul Salon

COLLINS EMEGHARA

Collins Osinachi Emeghara is an award-winning and well published writer from Owerri in Imo state, southeastern Nigeria. He was born on April 23 (also believed to be Shakespeare's birthday), 1983, and graduated from the University of Nigeria in 2006. He has published both poetry and prose (seven book titles) and is holder of a diploma from World Nation Writers. With 5,000 friends on Facebook, he posts a poem a day on several sites. He was awarded an Ambassador de Literature certificate from the impressive Motivational Strips Facebook site in October 2018 and also became recipient of a Gold award in the World Literary Pearl contest at the same site in November 2018. He's had many recognitions for his literary work from around the world.

Poetry is Born

Let the
gong man ...

wake every man
with his drum ...

Bring alligator pepper,
bring a native kola nut ...

Oh, look at poetry,
drinking palm wine

among my
kinsmen

speaking in her
true language ....

You look for me?
I've gone home ...

For poetry has
gone home o man ....

Oh, when we dance,
we show the rhythm ...

In the bubbles of
our heavy buttocks ...

Imagery
spreads ...

You look for me?
I've gone to my Africa ...

for poetry has
gone home o man ....

In our tongue,
poetry is born ...

for when we speak,
proverbs are cracked ...

and at the sight of a king,
we bowl him with words ....

In my Africa, poetry is born ...

poetry is
born o man ....

Oh, give me more
wine, let me add

to my Ogogoro
our native gin ...

to get tipsy
and regale you

with the stories
of my land ....

When a bird
sings so sweetly

we lavish her
with praise

and when the
moon turns gold

we go on, to
tell all in moonlight ....

You search
for me?

I've gone to my
sunshine home ....

In Africa, poetry
is born o man ....

In our holy
places

words are
dished as food

to madden the
gods of our land

to lavish us
with love ...

and when a child
gets so pretty

we name her after
a beautiful bird

to showcase our
passion for nature ....

You seek
for me?

I've returned
home

holding poetry, so
strong in my hands

to offer it
like a kola nut ...

to the goddess
of my land ...

For poetry is a lost
child of her womb.

Yes,
it's true ....

If You're a Bird

If you're a bird
you'll be my
songbird ...

and if you're a light
you'll be my sunshine ....

But darling
you're a beat ...

This beat
in my heart ...

Oh, this beat
of my heart ....

If you're a bird
you'll be my lyrebird ...

and if you're a wine
you'll be my red wine ...

but you're a red rose.
This beauty in my eyes
Oh this passion of my heart ...

If you're a bird
you'll be my snow bird ...

and if you're a color
you'll be my rainbow ...

but you're my
Northern lights ....

This fire in the sky
Oh, this fire in my eyes ...

If you're a bird
you'll be my blue bird ...

and if you're a rain
you'll rain pure gold ...

but you're my
fields of gold ....

This spark in my heart
Oh, these sparkles of my eyes ...

If you're a bird
you'll be my sparrow ...

and if you're a star
you'll be my shooting star ...

but you're my heart
this tender heart of mine ….
Oh these feelings in my heart.

If you're a bird
you'll be my nightingale ...

and if you're a season you'll be my summertime ...

but you're my words
these words that I write
Oh, this ink that I spill ....

April Born

We cloud the ink
and we rain the word ....

I'm April born
I'm an April boy ....

We sit in solitude
and smoke the muse ...

I'm April born
I'm an April boy ....

If I'm a liar
ask Shakespeare ....

I'm April born
I'm an April boy ...

We cook the word
and we serve the word ....

I'm April born
I'm April boy ...

We crack the word
and we eat the word ...

If I'm a liar
ask Shakespeare ....

We ink the word
and we turn the world ...

We leap above
And reach the stars ...

I'm April born
I'm an April boy ...

We reach the stars
And we climb to space ...

If I'm a liar
ask Shakespeare ....

We lead the way
We show the way ...

If I'm a liar
ask Shakespeare ....

I'm April born
I'm an April boy ...

We pound the word
and we crush the word ...

Oh, if I'm a liar
go ask William Shakespeare ....

Collins Emeghara in his poetry is capable of expressing both the joys and sorrows of his homeland. The joy can be seen and felt clearly in the three poems above. He is also able to tell about the sorrows and to act in response to the suffering he sees around him.

In Africa

Like
the ants

we're the restless
people of the world ....

People in
endless torment

who must sing
praises in shame ....

If any man
from Africa ...

should
go to hell

that'll mean
a cheat, o Lord

for in Africa
we live in hell ...

We live in
hell o man

for with our hands
we bury our children ....

With our eyes
we see our own death ....

Mr. Preacher, preach
about hell no more

for in Africa
we're already in hell.

We live in
hell o man ...

Our belly the mirror
of our economy ...

Our lives, used to
kola the terrorists ...

In Africa
we live in hell ...

We live in
hell o man.

How do I manage
these tears in my eyes?

How do I convince
myself, it was all a lie?

Polling unit, an altar where
we must offer our blood ...

Go back and
tell God o preacher ...

that in Africa
we're already in hell ...

Oh, we live
in hell o man.

Look at those
singing in shame ...

Watch their shoes,
longing for summer ...

Behind
their eyes

lie huge lumps
of frustration ....

You ask for truth ...
here is the truth.

In my Africa
we live in hell ...

We live in
hell o man ...

For mothers watch
as their children are buried ...

yet, we blow
trumpets in shame

instead of standing
naked in our holy places ...

to seek the
face of God ...

for a naked man has
no pocket to put his hands in ....

Yes,
It's true.

In another poem called "Most Beautiful," he declares the beauty of Africa, with its "rainbow clouding without season," its "songbirds like cherubim and seraphim," its "sun spraying us with gold." He goes on to explore the stunning beauty he sees in his continent, all the while juxtaposing that beauty with awareness of starving children, and ends with this: You're most beautiful o Africa/ You're the only continent .../ without a major/ record of earthquake .../although the/ earth quakes/ in the belly/ of your children ..../ Yes/ It's true.

In his response to the plight of the children, poet Collins Emeghara has made a second career of social action in their favor. He is founder and president of Every Child Lifeline Charity Foundation, and considers himself “an NGO bent on rehabilitating the forgotten children of the world." Learn more on Facebook pages for Collins Emeghara and for Every Child Lifeline Charity Foundation.