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By Sunday Afolayan They were just shivering Lonely and hopeless Crying for help Longing for succour Chirping, zithering Thirsty and hungry Writhing in pains Waiting in sorrow For mother to come But the motherbird Was nowhere in sight Because she's been killed By a ruthless hunter In the ruddest of game.  The ten little chicks Were battling with cold Right there in their nest A snake climbed up the tree Feasted on five  Out of the ten For lack of protection.  In the dead of the night A storm then gathered With whirlwind and lightening The downpour that followed Unleashed its terror And the five remaining chicks Were killed in the tempest.  The lesson is this: It is cruel and evil To harm or kill  For every evil deed A man metes onto others Will bring ripples aftermath Not only on the victim But also those that depend On the victim of the evil.  The ruthless hunter  That killed the motherbird Is simply the architect  Of the gruesome death Of her ten...

Association of Nigerian Authors (Ondo State Chapter) is calling for submission of quality poems and essays/short stories from writers across Nigeria and beyond for consideration into the proposed Anthology named above.  SUBMISSION GUIDELINES/RULES: 1. Only poems essays/reviews/short stories are accepted for the Anthology. 2. Entrant must specify the genre of entry; that is, specify if it is poetry, essay, review or short story. 3. Submission MUST relate to or be themed on Basorun Arogbofa as  i. A person (his personality and beliefs); ii. A writer (his works, literary activism/prowess) iii. A philosopher (his philosophy of  life and legacies) iv. Other areas (such as human rights, morality, unity and peaceful coexistence, good family living, quality education, good governance, social responsibility and national development; and others, which his life reflects).  4. Entries must be as brief and concise as possible — maximum of 500 words for essays/reviews/short storie...

                          By Jide Ogidan African leading literature guru in our generation  The book-man among his friends and light to us Oluwole Akinwande Babatunde Omo Soyinka The lonely lion in the forest of a thousand scholars Tell him he is from Africa: Abeokuta in Ogun State Great playwright, essayist and a unique god-pet A Figure in the World of Literature in Africa Our professor emeritus, king among kings in Africa Long may you live, fearless Oluwole, courageous Babatunde The son of Soyinka: son of the great king living legend and academic hero Our brother, father, mentor, leader and living legend Your works are numerous and evergreen for all generations You liberate, educate, enlighten with fearless words Words on marble for yet unborn world children You will forever be relevant and praised for good deeds Soyinka: the fearless living legend of Africa writer Our hope, our voice in oppressive and repressive so...

(In memory of scores of St Francis Catholic Church, Owo worshipers slain on 5/6/2022 by faceless gunmen) By Sunday Afolayan No death can be more gruesome Than that from the nose of smoking guns No life can be more wasted Than that cut short in the prime of time No scene can be more obscene Than the sight of butchered worshipers No smell can be more putrid Than the stench of innocent human blood No images can be more scary Than the broken skulls of babies and oldies No news can be more alarming Than the painful killing of loving folk No noise can be more devastating Than the booming shell of a killer bomb No event can be more devilish Than the sacred Temple turned abartoire  No Sunday can be more appalling Than to journey from sanctuary to mortuary. Afolayan is the current Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Ondo State Chapter.

By Sunday Afolayan Like the pleasant sweetness of roses And the attractive fragrance  of attar Women reflect the power of kindness Springing forth the freshness of morning dew They're the mirror of the goodness of nature Whose love overflows with milk to nurture The heart that beats the beauty of creation The pride of mankind, a blessing to humanity Women are endowed by nature, not by chance They're catalyst of change, of progress of freedom They're the helpmate the Scriptures foretold That stand by men in seasons and yeartide Now that you're being celebrated across the globe May your fire never die, your light never dim May you remain in peace and soundness of mind May God bless you for us on earth and even beyond. Sunday Afolayan is a Nigerian writer. His works, which have enjoyed wide readership and protected by Copyright laws, cut across different genres .

  By Sunday Afolayan When today our pains turn gains And our nonentity turns celebrity We forget the humble part of our past When we ride in Lexus, in Limo or Jaguar We soon forget, in the past, we're trecking  We brag of success, we flaunt our riches On others, we look down, because of our height We talk with pride, we shun the lowly We act like gods because of achievement We dispise the poor because of wealth We mindless the forest as we get to the fortress The prison of our past, our palace has swallowed We're blinded by fame as we swim in splendour To own, we wish, the treasures of the earth  We frown and wink with the heart of stone  And soon we forget the warning of our fathers That pride is a poison that precedes a fall For he that'll prosper or live in peace His pride he must burry and shun his ego Unless we're humble, we'll stumble for sure. Afolayan is a Nigerian writer. His works are protected by copyright laws. Unauthorised usage is prohibited .