Ariadne’s Notes: We are honoured to welcome yet another talented African poet and writer Kolade Olanrewaju Freedom.We have over 100 waiting to be on this site so I am trying to post a new feature every two days.
Kolade Olanrewaju Freedom was born in the early ’90s in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, Nigeria. As a child, Kolade fell in love with African literature. This inspired his passion for creative writing. His literary works have appeared in such diverse publications as global charity anthologies, magazines, websites and blogs. In 2013 Freedom was selected as a Pentasi B. World Featured Inspirational Poet, an international honor based in the Philippines. He is also the winner of the first edition of UK’s Write, Share, Be Read Poetry Competition-Category A as well as an awardee of the Janet P. Caldwell’s Essay Contest, underwritten by Inner Child Press (USA). Kolade has authored two poetry collections, My First Poetry Book and The Light Bearer. He currently resides in Lagos, Nigeria where he weaves words to educate and entertain his readers.
Beastly Death.
O’ beastly death!
Your mouth like the shark’s
Cannot devour us all at once
Lest it be ripped apart
For wooing covetousness.
O’ worrisome death!
You scrape our fine bodies
With your beastly claws
To warn us of mortality
Of what essence is this?
Weary of being cheated?
O’ peevish death!
You’re the god of cowardice
Idolized by the fearful Jeered by the fearless.
O’ senseless death!
Have you divorced your mind?
Even if your tongue is lost
In the Atlantic
Your thirst will still suffer you.
O’ dying death!
You are ageless but dying.
Who will you consume last
If not your mortally immortal self?
Kolade Olanrewaju Freedom ©
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Kola is a great poet with a unique writing style. His imageries and choice of diction stand him out in the crowd.
Kolada takes up themes which have been dealt with in literature ever since time. But his is a unique voice. The dark imagery, beginning of each stanza with a familiar attribute of death as we human beings perceive it- is evocative. Kolada is a deep thinker. The poem does remind me of- Death be not proud by John Donne.
What ever is born has to die.
In the first stanza – poet although defiantly, yet with undertones of helplessness lays bare his own pain- How many times we die in a life time.
The last stanza will echo in my mind for a long time. A very potent question, Kolada.
What human beings need to concentrate on is what they do while alive.
Thank You!
Mamta Agarwal