Akueke

Akueke

Like the Madman and his cudgel in Achebe's "The Madman",

Akueke wielded a tongue sharper than a two edged sword...

Ready to sting all beasts who dared make fun of their mother's nakedness, not hers...

She was a girl at war!

Her popularity spanned all lands

Like that of Rufus Okeke, who unlike most of his fellows refused to abandon his village in search of work...

Everyone knew how she had spent two years with Oruen, four with Isikaku, two again with Oruen and then moved on to Odekuango after pricking them all with that gallant sword of hers guarded by thirty two soldiers...

Akueke, Akueke!

Most beloved daughter of a mother of five,

Your mother looks upon you from the great beyond with joyful sorrow...

Rejoicing she no longer is with you,

And weeping for what awaits you,

Akueke, ihm, Akueke, Adanma!...

Akueke,

Your marriage is no longer a private affair,

You have lived too long amongst men that you know not now when not to say a word to an angry husband, kinsman or father in-law...

Tufiakwa, tufiakwa! Akueke.

You have become another Mrs Ochuba who tries her Native Doctor's medicine on him first...

You sting your very own with that bitter sweet tongue

Proud holder of a P.HD...

You have pulled every man you have met down, Aunty Pull Him Down...Akueke!

Okeke's wall of unforgiveness

Is nothing compared to your architectural skill,

You sketch hatred, hatred stickier than Chameleon faeces...

The diety that made you has placed this curse on you, leaving men to be Sacrificial Eggs...

Once, papa prayed,

And who will blame him?

He prayed that you grow beautiful and strong like us, your brothers...

But now he shakes his head at the gross pervasion of his prayer...

For growing, you have grown,

But this is bad growth!

Let the eagle perch and let the hen perch too Akueke!

Do not go and close dead men's paths...

Remember the tale of Obi,

The new Headmaster with the misguided zeal?

No okro grows taller than it's planter...

Nothing puzzles God Akueke,

Jonathan Iwuegbu gave up his eggrasher,

Give up your pride, give up your attitude,

And let's go back to CIVIL PEACE.

Steward Of Words