Leonell Echa“Black Bird”: Review By Poetic Oracle
POETIC ORACLE AND THE ABYSS OF THE REVIEWER III
Dprime Rasheed’s “Black Bird” and the Call for Renaissance
“Let no colony monopolise your state of mind!” Dprime Rasheed
On the wings of gentle rhythm, constant pace and balanced tempo, “Black Bird” swoops down on us with the calm soothing power of the African breeze. ‘Black Bird’ whisks us away to the highlands of wonder, ‘Black Bird’ reminds us of the miracle of being African! Listen:
“Fly black bird…
Fly cos you make the sky blue…”
Dprime Rasheed, is exaltingly original, and true to goodly convictions. This we can glean from the above lines considering his enduring use of repetition to drive home the eternal message of calm, peace, and inspiration. When one, especially one who is poetically inclined considers the sheer beauty of birds high up in clear blue skies.
It is no doubt that when as humans we put aside our daily rat race aimed at material acquisitions, greed, power chase, expressions of pride, lust and schemes of monkey business, and consider rather the beauty and blessings of life we would undoubtedly see that this earth is hallowed with natural wonders, from finely interlaced rocks to the vast expanse of seas, water bodies, forests of green and limitless sky above and thus be reminded of goodness, mercy, peace, gracefulness, friendship, fairness and love. This is what “Black Bird” offers us, listen:
“Fly cos you’re free and not because you wanna be…
Thrive and not strive!
Metaphorically, Rasheed calls the black race “Black Bird” bestirring them to the urgency of reaching out to bigger dreams, of shedding away their laxity, fears and doubts and flying to newer heights. No doubt Africa, the continent of the black world, though blessed with abundant resources, has not in recent times been on the news for right reasons. But “Black Bird” tells us that this narrative of poverty and ill health, of corruption and war can change, should change! Hear:
“Your chambers are full of growth,
Fly and take a detour across the globe and see you glow
Fly from myopic epic…
Fly cos you don’t have time, fly because it’s an emergency”
“Black Bird” is a call to action, not just to the black person, or a country or the African continent, it is a call to action for every human to think betterment, to act human; and remember…
“Let no colony monopolize your state of mind!”
ABOUT POETIC ORACLE
Onotu David Onimisi is a British Council Creative lives Alumni. A 2013 first stage winner, Youth Enterprise with Innovation presidential initiative in Nigeria, he is the secretary of the Association of Nigerian Authors in Jos. A graduate of Theatre and Communication Art, with an M.A in Play Creating, he is passionate about education and enterprise as it relates to the socioeconomic development of all peoples. This desire led him towards obtaining a post graduate diploma in Education with the National Teachers Institute Nigeria. Published in national dailies across Nigeria, his writings have appeared in international anthologies such as the Nigerian and Cambodian poetry partnership.
As a judge on numerous literary awards, Onotu David, is widely travelled and can apt be described as a community development champion. Script writer and editor per excellence, David spends his time at the Dorz Crafter Studios in Jos where he sharpens the creative abilities of young people towards greater high flights.
