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An ode to Oba Lamidi
dear custodian of the Yoruba culture,
an eloquent speaker and a heavy puncher,
omo iku, omo arun. Oko oso, oko aje,
iku ti pada pa iku baba yeye,
ma kanju lo si Oyo, alaafin o re ibi kan,
Alaafin ti pa da re ibi agba’n re,
o tun di arinako, o di oju ala.
a wordsmith – a thousand letters written
you were an ocean of wisdom
proudly carried awa omo karo ojiri
on your back, wore us on your skin
fine boy Oba – a man of many wives.
Atanda, omo Oranyan,
your tale would not only tell
of royalty and palace room meetings,
the faces that have tasted of your fist
have gone to where tomorrow comes from
but in our memories, and on pages
a world for you to bask in.
The ceremonious nature of Kings
conditions our mind to focus only on the ceremony
but you, you were more than the ceremonies,
your contribution to education,
to governance would forever live in history.
Victor Oyedele x Tomide Abdul