Nigerian palaver and Kongi’s Harvest

You I am surprised that we are surprised.

Me No, I am not surprised that we are surprised. I am surprised that you are not surprised that I am not surprised.

You Yorùbá Ronú (muse)!

Me Yorùbá Ronú (muse) for what?

You When we cry, we must attempt to see through our cloudy eyes! Yorùbá Ronú is subjected to so many interpretations. But the meaning of the age-long Yorùbá axiom is morally and existentially instructive.

Me How? (Chuckled)
You A lot of emotionally-laden people think that it is tribalistic when we say: Yorùbá Ronú! We’ll need the Adébáyọ̀ Falétís of the Yoruba enclave to deconstruct Yorùbá Ronú and entwine it to our cultural and social nuances and understanding.

Me (thoughtful) I am a Nigerian before I am a Yorùbá man, but I unapologetically cherish my culture and mores! I think my understanding of Yorùbá Ronú is that Yorùbá is the pacesetter for Nigerian geopolitics. The enclave of Yoruba is widely known for using its versatility to relate with civility with other regions in Nigeria. We must not go low by simmering and desecrating our property, moral and cultural values. We should be fine-tuners and catalysts for others and humanity.

You These are the tantrums we throw at one another in a nation bleeding from self-destruction. How do we deconstruct our questions and answers when the questionnaires and answerers are in the war of words?

Me Let’s “pray” to seek God’s divine as a respite to stop the calamities plaguing our nation, or let’s prepare a wine cocktail, recipes, and the ground wet with mourning White dew suckles flesh-birds for yemoja. Let us pour libations to appease the angry gods tormenting our nation for Nigerians’ generic sins. We are deliberate sinners in Nigeria. Let’s trigger a sense of repentance and come back to God, Allah, Ògún, Òrúnmìlà, Chukwu, ọ̀dị̀nàla, Ikeŋga, Iblis and the Aljannus. We must go back to the basics and be truthful to ourselves like our progenitors and forerunners.

You Ọ̀rọ̀ burúkú orílẹ̀ èdè wa Nàìjíríà tó ń tẹ rìn. (our nation—Nigeria’s adversity is literally entwined with spurious laughter). Yet we have the best of human genomes in the world.

Me we will not get tired to tirelessly speak out like Àbíkú to right the wrong of a wasteland. Kongi has enabled us to carry on. Wole Soyinka, a man you will not love to loathe. A terrific man the political ghouls loathe to love. Love or hate Ìrókò gìdìgbà, the literary gargantuan remains an enigmatic terror to the political bandits and their leadership raiders in Nigeria.

You today is the literary octogenarian Kongi’s birthday. He crossed another literary milestone in his octogenarian rubicon.

Me I am wowed at the literary and structural agility of the octogenarian and the fecundity of his mind at his octogenarian state. We will always poure our moral libations at the entrance of his fecund literary mind and museum. Kongi’s remains the conscience of a troubled but beautiful nation.

You Kongi’s Harvest is a literary enigma.

Me Yes! Baba Iwin remains one of the souls of Nigeria. Kongi’s simplicity and audacity are a muse to us. My dream is to meet this icon of inspiration very soon. While Nigeria is journeying on a rough road to nowhere! Baba Professor W.S. remains one of our road maps and literary GPS to navigate us out of our self-inflicted problems.

You I wonder how he’s savoring his beautiful day today!

Me Professor Wole Soyinka Kongi is Bàbá awon iwin àti àwọn egbére nínú igbó elégbèje. Kongi is a celebrated icon and enigma whose success is being harvested for our future consumption. I am happy for Bàbá. He is savoring the libations being poured at his inimitable head and feet.

Happy Birthday Day to Igi Àràbà (timber) in the forest of thousands of elms and countless demons.

©Balogun wrote from Arizona, the United States of America.