Café 24 || Winner: Emerges This Beauty, by Umar Farouk

Cafe 24 is a bi-weekly competition aimed at budding poets in Nigeria run under the umbrella of Konya Shamsrumi, an African poetry publishing company based in Nigeria with a stipend attached to the winning poem alongside publication on their website.

Cafe 24 is run by Community Manager, Omokafe H. Dennis.

Theme: Religion (May, 2024)

Departure
by
Umar Farouk Adeiza
___

Kerosene lamp, incense burner, cinnamon
      aromatic candles,
the ceremony of poetry, ritual I perform

to set the universe gleaming with the
      light
of rapture, the embers of conviction
 garnished in regalia of
    prayers,
the billions of chanted vowels from daylight
    to twilight ,
seeps through the roofs of feeble
     huts,
the lonely messenger, importing a spiral
    burden, prances

the timbered canoe by slender
     routes,
until dusk, when the raft is
     conveyed,

to lay up on the carpet of _oud_ sticks
earlier that evening, mothers load the
     canoe
with names of dead offsprings, the
    troubles,
& Scourge of my past days to be
     flown
up to the beyond in a roar of _Ameen_
 resounding the minds that came to
      pray
I can't detach the nexus of unmet
      desires
so I attach it with glue, set it to dry under the
       sun
 to loose myself off the claws of
       nostalgia, to alight
at the range of where I mount the
    transport.

Umar Farouk Adeiza, also known as Mr Khyroo, is a captivating poet and storyteller whose enigmatic words paint surreal images. A true iconoclast and Bohemian at heart, Umar finds solace in the embrace of nature, which inspires his unique brand of poetry. As the founder of Kaduna Poetry Hub, a thriving literary society in Kaduna,he has performed poetry at kaduna books and arts festival 2022, 2024,and other notable places within Nigeria.

Umar has dedicated himself to fostering a vibrant poetic community. Through his fearless organization of poetry events and plays, he has created platforms for artists to showcase their talent and share their stories with the world. Umar’s passion for the environment and its conservation shines through his work, as he believes that through the arts, we have the power to make positive change within our communities. Prepare to be whisked away on a surreal journey as you dive into the profound and thought-provoking world of Mr Khyroo.

Author
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Hannah Omokafe Dennis

Hannah Omokafe Dennis Is A 24-year-old Journalist, Voice-Over artist and UNFPA Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Rights Advocate Living In Nigeria. She Currently Serves As A Community Manager In Konya Shamsrumi AndHas Some Of Her Written Works Published On Writer's Space Africa and audio stories on Genti media. She Enjoys Using Words And Her Voice To Tell Stories. She Tweets @Omokafe_forite.

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