Poets Talk: 5 Questions with Alexander Siege9

Konya Shamsrumi: What is the process of writing a poem like for you? Is it a lot of hard work or easy?

Alexander Siege9: Writing a poem is not an easy or hard task for me. I basically write following my feelings, in rhythm to my state of mind. But I write more easily when I’m in a bad mood and this makes my pen portray me in the light of a sad poet. And it doesn’t really matter the environment I’m in at any particular moment. I can be in the midst of friends and be all alone with my mind, structuring thoughts and giving them breath. The music I listen to also helps to focus my mind. I also write based on my observations and, most importantly, my mood.

Konya Shamsrumi: Please describe your sense of identity in this or any possible world in imagery or metaphor?

Alexander Siege9: I would describe myself as a cloud because, from up in the cloud, there is more to see, think about and write about.

Konya Shamsrumi: If any of your poems could literarily save a person’s life, which poem would it be and can you describe the person whose life you think it would have saved?

Alexander Siege9: As the sad poet that most people perceive me to be, people who can relate deeply to my poems are those who are struggling with one thing or the other in their lives. I would not say that, literarily, my poems can save a life, they can only give my audience or reader the chance to have a second thought and pull themselves out of what they are going through if they find themselves within the lines and stanzas of my work. . . because, while reading, the reader would have to understand that someone has gone through that path of ill-mindedness, depression or anything else that they can relate to. So, I would rather say that my poems offer hope rather than saving a life.

Konya Shamsrumi: What does Africa mean to you, as potential or reality?

Alexander Siege9: Africa means LIFE! to me. Africa is simply the definition of all definitions.

And yes, I’m proud of my Africa. Africa is history, Africa is culture, Africa is legacy. The continent that needs no other continent to function if only we were allowed to manage and control our resources as Africans. Africa is the lightning that brings the rain. Africa is hope and a HOME for the world in the days after tomorrow. Although poor political and economic tussles still serve as potholes in the fast lane of our ultimate global development these are merely the odds we will surely beat. . . because the youth of Africa are attentive to what is happening around them. Yes, the youths are vibrant. The love for my Africa inspired me to have an Africa tattoo because I have to practice what I preach.

Konya Shamsrumi: Could you share with us one poem you’ve been most impressed or fascinated by? Tell us why and share favorite lines from it.

Alexander Siege9: The poem I feel fascinated by is African Flame by Wayne Visser. The reason is because I came across the poem at my transition stage and the wake-up of my Afrocentric mindset. My favourite lines read:

   You are the first spark that kindles the fire
 That nurtures our daring and restless desire
 On journeys across the wilderness plain
 You light up the way: our African flame

Alexander Siege9is an upcoming Nigerian poet, singer, rapper, songwriter, and aesthete who feels that the world can be changed using art and poetry. He holds a degree in communication and liberal studies from the Lagos State Polytechnic, Nigeria. In 2017, he was awarded Rapper of the year at the Newsytalks Music Award.

Author
Recent Posts

Richard Ali

Richard Ali is a Nigerian writer whose poems were first published in 2008. He has served in the National EXCO of the Association of Nigerian Authors and sits on the board of Uganda’s Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation. A member of the Jalada Writers Cooperative based in Nairobi, his work has been published in African Writing, Jalada, Saraba Magazine and elsewhere. The Anguish and Vigilance of Things is his debut collection, was published in 2020. He practices Law in Abuja, Nigeria.