 Alban Ofili-OkonkwoÂ
POEM By Chuddy Oduenyi
Today, we confidently celebrate the tales foretold.
We thumb up the truth
Even as restrained accolades swirls in the air.
The applause simmers as the potentate demurrs
This rare peacock throttles with less pride
For it picks it way and obscures the limelight,
Leaving its colourful feathers carefully folded.
Today, Ogbueshi’s purity car plods the paved Autobahn.
It screeches daintly on the Zebra crossing road sign
Obeying all rules and forsaken even the slightest infraction.
At 70 km per hour, the car is cruising towards 80 with 90 in sight and
100 as the destination.
Today, we toast truth embodied in one man
The truth that never bends even in dire situation.
Truth that takes no shade in the heap of lies
It stokes no fire of fright.
Burnt truth resplendent in the ashes infused exterior.
The never bending truth standing ramrod in the forest of bent trees.
Trees that swing to the blissful wind of faithfulness.
Today, we kow tow in salute of the truth.
And we salute again, Alban Ofili-Okonkwo,the newest septuagenarian.
Who models truthfulness,
The oak that is neither indulged nor silenced.
Oduenyi, MD/Editor-in-Chief of Daily Query, is an adjunct faculty at Pan Atlantic University Lagos.
