Awake, thou sleeping heart!
Awake, and kiss
The love – lorn brow
Of this ebon lass,
Dear Africa,
Whose virgin charms
Ensnare the love-lit hearts
Of venturing youth
From other lands
Awake, sweet Africa
Demand thy love,
Thou sleeping heart!
When the all-summer sun
Paints the leafy boughs
With golden rays,
Know then, thou sleeping heart,
Dear Africa stands
Knowing at thy door.
Tochukwu Ezebube is a passionate poet and founder of Poem Collections. With a deep love for African verse and a commitment to sharing diverse poetic voices, Tochukwu curates a rich tapestry of poems that celebrate the beauty of words from Africa and around the world. Join him on this poetic journey at Poem Collections, where the magic of language unfolds.
I remember Nauru Where the sun was shimmering on the waves Sparkling in my eyes and where the palm leaves swayed When the song of Nauru filled my ears I get homesick for my little island Nauru
Hail thou, the world’s salvation, Hail Jesus kind and sweet, Before thy Rood in gratitude I bow and clasp thy feet. Before thy holy altar My soul bows down to thee, I know that thou art present now, Be merciful to me. Those feet, which cruel iron Has pierced full deep and sore; Lord,…
The wind howls, the trees sway,The loose house tops sheets clatter and clang,The open window shuts with a bang,And the sky makes night of day Helter-skelter the parents runPressed with a thousand minor cares,‘Hey you there! Pack the household waresAnd where on earth’s my son?’ Home skip the little children.‘Where have you been you naughty…
Coming and going these several seasons, Do stay out on the baobab tree, Follow where you please your kindred spirits If indoors it is not enough for you. True, it leaks through the thatch When floods brim the banks, And the bats and the owls Often tear in at night through the eaves, And at…
The stars have departed, the sky in monocle surveys the worldunder The stars have departed, and I – where am I? Stretch, stretch, O antennae, to clutch at this hour, fulfilling each moment in a broken monody.
Background of the poet Wole Soyinka was born in 1934 at Abeokuta, Western Nigeria. Educated in Nigeria in University College, Ibadan, and at Leeds University in England, he graduated in English Language and Literature in 1958. Wole Soyinka is a versatile person who sings, and acts and produces plays. In addition he is a creative…
