What is the process of writing a poem like for you? Is it a lot of hard work or easy?
John Chinaka Onyeche: My poems come in many different and diverse ways. I consider myself an honest poet in that I give my thoughts time to get all over me. I remember having a conversation with a friend during my early years in writing, and I told him that my poetry is deeply rooted in the things I am somewhat concerned about or am experiencing.
Each poem I have ever written that has had an effect on my readers has always been one where I was either in a sad or happy mood when I wrote it. For instance, I remember writing and submitting to Brittle Paper, and it all turned out to be a no. Then, one day, while travelling on a bust to Akwa-Ibom for an NPower deployment, I was thinking about my family. I asked myself, How do I tell a little story about my family? On my headphones, I was playing Gregorian Masters of Chant, and the thought of a piano in an upstairs building being played came to my mind. I wrote the poem The Old Piano . Initially, it was titled My Father’s Son and the Old Piano but when I got a yes from Brittle Paper, a suggestion was made to shorten the title, which I accepted. Writing a poem, most times, is not easy because the right words or language to clearly paint the emotion and express the message are not there. And when I try forcing it, I end up stopping halfway, failing to deliver. I have also taken upon myself to write a particular theme of poems, only to return to one that I had already written so much about. For instance, I will create different Word documents, dedicating each to a specific theme, yet I still find myself writing something entirely different from my initial plan. Putting them together then becomes a task.
Please describe your sense of identity in this or any possible world in imagery or metaphor?
John Chinaka Onyeche: I am that song you nod and hum to but still can’t sing along with, because, sometimes, it’s too deep. Yet, it flows, attracting passersby who know nothing of the sadness within. My little stays here. I battled a broken home as a child, and now as a father. I am a nightmare, one that sometimes makes me wonder how four stones can kill a man in the blink of an eye. Words, as poetry, are the sanctuary I run to—they are where I worship and free my soul. This is what imagery and metaphor do to this boy-man-becoming.
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?
I write about broken homes and the suffocating effects on the children and parents alike. Irrespective of how much we try to wave it off, they’re still there and visible enough when we read beyond lines and words. My recent poem, published by The Shallow Tales Review, which I titled Amen, could be one of such poems I believe can save anyone who is going through whatever it is that life and living can throw at one.
It is the job of mumbled prayers
to help you calm your hurts and fears.
– Roger Robinson
Amen
by John Chinaka Onyeche
Crisis, this that I’m into.
They say a man faces it once
just once, in a lifetime.
But here, in my own,
I have been swimming in it
without reaching the shore
where at least I can breathe,
to look at them from behind
say; what a manner of man I am
to have carried on.
But if I am unable this time
to swim over this turbulence
oh, God, take my dust,
let the wind dance it to nothing.
What does Africa mean to you, as potential or reality?
John Chinaka Onyeche: Africa means a lot to me. I think I should begin with a poem I wrote some years back, published by Titled House and titled For You. As a history enthusiast, having spent time studying history at university, I have come to understand that my continent was, is, and forever will be (as far as humanity is concerned) vital. Regardless of its past and present struggles, with every awakening and reawakening in all ramifications, Africa will one day stand tall among other continents of the world.
Could you share with us one poem you’ve been most impressed or fascinated by? Tell us why and share favorite lines from it.
John Chinaka Onyeche:
An African Elegy
by
Ben Okri
We are the miracles that God made
To taste the bitter fruit of Time.
We are precious.
And one day our suffering
Will turn into the wonders of the earth.
There are things that burn me now
Which turn golden when I am happy.
Do you see the mystery of our pain?
That we bear poverty
And are able to sing and dream sweet things
And that we never curse the air when it is warm
Or the fruit when it tastes so good
Or the lights that bounce gently on the waters?
We bless things even in our pain.
We bless them in silence.
That is why our music is so sweet.
It makes the air remember.
There are secret miracles at work
That only Time will bring forth.
I too have heard the dead singing.
And they tell me that
This life is good
They tell me to live it gently
With fire, and always with hope.
There is wonder here
And there is surprise
In everything the unseen moves.
The ocean is full of songs.
The sky is not an enemy.
Destiny is our friend.
John Chinaka Onyeche is a Nigerian writer and historian from Etche, Rivers State. A graduate of History and Diplomatic Studies, he is dedicated to accurately representing the full scope of history through his poetry. Recently, his writing has explored themes of family, separation, and the death of loved ones.
His work has been published in numerous journals, including the Meddlebury Institute of International Studies, York Literary Review, Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival, Rigorous, and Brittle Paper. John was also nominated for Best of the Net in 2022 and the Pushcart Prize in 2023.
Connect with him on Twitter/X @Apostlejohnchin or https://linker.ee/RememberAjc