WORDSLAM 5

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A Review

SCAR IN THE HEART OF PAIN
By Uche Uwadinachi : A Review

By
Onuchi Mark Onoruoiza


SCAR IN THE HEART OF PAIN by Uche Uwadinachi is a voluble engagement of pain as a brazen metaphor that transcends colour, creed, class, culture and clime.
The poet embarks on a clinical odyssey into the realm of pain; the height of his inventive poesy is enmeshed in an ambience of contrastive echoes, meandering through waning voices, slouching through undergrowths of perplexity in a universe of vociferous venoms.
The collection is a three pronged poetic excursion into the sublime limitations of a vilified voyager who against the odds of tidal floods of pain in a miry wilderness must stand the herculean currents of Medusa’s plagues.
The intricately woven tripod slices through each phase with a carefully laced lexis on a seamless glide across multivalent and technical but understandable nuances. The 70 paged collection parades 51 poems screened into three sub-themes as earlier indicated viz:
Curse (18 poems), Cure (19 poems) and Course (14 poems)
The relevance of this corpus is premised on the happenings in the society as a raw material for intellectual experimentation, the poetics of a canonized universe.
A voyage across his skillfully crafted musings will attest to his polemical amplification in his Heart of Pain:
Each turn multiplies pain// in the closest vein// another aching day//paralyzing the waking dawn.
The grim picture he paints evokes vivid impulse with volcanic power and capacity to trigger a revolution. The height of his frustration is ignited by a world that quakes in the constant drama of pain and this forces him to bellow In Stigma, I scream for the world beyond// to wrap me in its eternal darkness//but all in vain.
He uses Scar as a focal odium to drum home his gross disgust for pain. He graphically captures the lumpen proletariats who struggle to survive in a world of harsh realities, where hustling is the dogma to stay afloat. In Survival he quips, Feeding to avert hunger// clothing to avoid nudity//laboring to redeem debts//leaving to lay dead.
His diversity of pain is well captured in Lies, here he frankly posits that the world we live in is dysfunctional, where pretence is the rule of the game.
Lies
What music are you//Playing to an excited cripple?//Why spice chicken//For your toothless grandfather?//You console an impotent king //With beautiful nude virgins?//Such gift of a radio//For a lonely deaf friend?
In the second phase of his excursion, Cure, his curative antennae comes alive with the passion of a matador who anchors on the inevitability of change as an endearing antidote to Curse. He postulates the way forward in Cure, Not a plastic surgery//Not a royal shroud//Not a quick suicide//Only a confrontation//Of//You by Us can We//Overcome the aged scar.
In the last stanza of Curse to Cure, he fires, Today as it sails// I shall face the scar// And declare my demand to dew. This posturing affirms his poetic thrust as a never-say-die fighter with a quest for a lasting cure. His parabolical inclination and metaphoric depth is engaging. This debut reflects the polyphonic voices of the performer-poet.
In his rhetorically laced engagement as versified in Dream, he shoots,
‘What is dream?
It is the world
Of the hardened fighter-
He never gives up
Until he hears his last breathe puff-
His skin may be spilled
But the mind is his heavy weight.’
This evidently speaks volumes and the sharp diction of the poet attests to his thematic concern as a voyager on a lyrical flight, from the vale of horror to the height of redemption.
He transits to the third phase, COURSE with a high level of momentum effortlessly romanticizing flora and fauna elements. Here he goes on a sundry cruise - motley of vibrant echoes.
He takes us through the path of nature as the idyllic option of perfect bliss. In Its Tides: Our Times, he spills, Morning…//Blowing breeze//Whistling canary birds// in sound clash-orchestral//Choruses to wake sailed soul//For fresh corn to sow. He eulogizes nature in its pristine form in virtually all the poems in this segment. His creative candour in etching words with colourful charm is what makes this new offering a delightful read.
The poet has been able to elegantly present the collective plight of a generation in pain, in a universe of hate as reflected this debut collection by a versatile performance poet, Uche Uwadinachi.

A Show at The Lagos State Trade fair tagged EKO-EXPO

OFFICIAL"IFE GA DIMMA" FT.OZZIE& FLAMESS

couple of the year

If there's one couple in the world i would to love to visit, i will surely choose Cat Di and Ikechukwu Ugbomah, they are great phenomena for positive change especially to our present downtroden society..they are wonderful.

Uche Uwadinachi at Potter's Lounge, Lagos, Nigeria

Myne Whiteman meets Uche Uwadinachi

Myne...

I first 'met' Uche Uwadinachi through his blog and then Facebook and finally in Nigeria where we really met at several of the events I attended. he was a charming person and his spoken word poetry even more so. He has a trademark poem, Ebony Goddess, which has won him some prizes and which is a joy to watch him perform. His first collection of poetry is Scar in the heart of pain. In this interview, Uche emphasizes that what he does "is not spoken word but spoken word poetry thus that makes it understandable that every poem, any poem can still be performed. My spoken word poetry is my book in its speech act medium- and I always write my poem not like prose, nor like drama but with that riddle that define the oral tradition where the African poetry began. However I still hope to improve on my style of writing."





for more on this interview click here to visit Myne Whiteman Website

U.s Group Celebrates Ken Saro Wiwa With Writing Competition

Fifteen years after he was hanged along with eight other Ogoni freedom fighters, a non-governmental organization group based in the United States of America, Niger Delta Restoration of Hope (NDRH) has celebrated human right and environmental activist Ken Saro Wiwa with a candle light vigil in Houston, Texas. Preceding the remembrance which held on the Wednesday, 10th November, 2010 was writing competition organized by the group for young Nigerian writers and poets. The competition which was in its maiden edition produced winners among who is Mr. Kenechukwu Obi, a crop scientist and a Lagos-based brand consultant, and an author, Mr. Uwaoma Eizu. According to Catherine Dinnon, founder of NDHR, Obi won the poetry while the and short story category went to and Eizu. Both winners received a cash prize of N7, 500 and a certificate of participation from NDHR in Houston, Texas, USA.

Dinnon revealed that Obi's winning entry was "The Evergreen" while Eizu's short story was entitled "The Last Days of Nemesis", both dedicated to the memory of Saro Wiwa. Saro Wiwa was sentenced to death alongside other Ogoni activists for an alleged murder of his compatriots. Other participants in the competition that received credits for their works are Mr. Uche Uwadinachi, Ogwo Chinedu and Sylva Ifedigbo. Uwadinachi's poetry entry was "Rain, Ken Saro Wiwa" while Chinedu's entry was "Road to Martyrdom" just as Ifedigbo's entry was "Life before Death”. She explained that judges were drawn from USA, Ireland, and Nigeria to ensure a fair assessment of all the entries.Speaking to Trend'tainment during the award presentation, some of the winners and participants said that they were inspired by the life and struggle of the late Ken Saro Wiwa and felt honoured to be recognized in the competition.

“Winning this award is great and it has encouraged me to pick more interest in the ideals for which Ken Saro Wiwa lived and died for,” Kenechukwu Obi said. For Uche Uwadinachi, he said he felt happy getting an award for his poem while Augustine Ogwo, another participant said he was very enthusiastic about the award, “it is a real introduction to the world.” Dinnon explained that the selection process was very significant. "We had nine judges to signify the Ogoni 9.The two pieces were narrated at the Ken Saro Wiwa event in Houston on November 10.The second place winners received certificate of accomplishment. And because there were so many beautiful pieces, every author's art will be distributed in the Saro-Wiwa event programme”,Dinnon she said.


For more info Click here

OFFICIAL OBIECHINA "FAR AWAY" FT. UCHE

Thanks all for your support

Winners of the Poetry & Writing Contest
by Ken Saro-Wiwa Candlelight Vigil on Sunday, 24 October 2010 at 01:06

All of the entries to the Ken Saro-Wiwa Poetry and Writing Contest have been tabulated. To ensure the integrity of the competition, we sent the judges only the entry and the name of the author. Our judges were from the following three countries: United States, Ireland, and of course Nigeria. We had a total of 9 judges to signify the Ogoni 9. Only one of our judges was a professional writer, so we were judging purely on the message conveyed in the art.



After receiving the entries, we determined that we could not compare the poetry pieces to the short stories, so we opted to provide 2 First Place awards. Also, due to the number of entries, we decided that we should recognize our second place authors as well.



Our first place winners will receive 7,500N and a Certificate of Achievement. In addition, these 2 pieces will be narrated at the Ken Saro-Wiwa event in Houston on November 10. Our second place winners will receive a certificate of accomplishment. And, because there were so many beautiful pieces, every author's art will be distributed in the Ken Saro-Wiwa Event Program, which will be distributed at the event.



So, without further adieu...here are the names of your winning authors, as well as a short biography on our first place winners.



First Place - Poetry

Kenechukwu Obi

"The Evergreen"

Kenechukwu Obi is a Nigerian writer of the Igbo extraction, currently living in Enugu State. He was born in Lagos, where he attended Pedro Primary School. From there, he attended Nnewi High School, In Anambra State, and then proceeded to further his studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he obtained a degree in Crop Science. Kenechukwu says, “I write prolifically and envision exposing my works internationally."

WE ARE HONORED THAT WE CAN HELP HIM ACHIEVE HIS VISION!



First Place - Short Story

Uwaoma Eizu

"The Last Days of Nenesi"

Uwaoma Eizu is an IT, brand consultant and management professional of the Igbo extraction. Eizu was born in 1986 in Abia State and is currently living in Akoka, Lagos. Eizu attended Hope Primary School - Ikoyi. From there, he attended Falomo High School, and then proceeded to further his studies at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) Imo State. He is a graduate of Mathematics and Computer Science and a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management, a certified member of the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria, and a member District 9110, Rotary Club of Ikoyi. Eizu is also a Co-founder of the renowned NGO called Foundation 360, and initiator of the Potters Lounge Project which is a centre in Ikoyi for young people to hang out weekly as they find a purpose driven life.



Second Place - Poetry

Uche Uwadinachi

"Rain Ken Saro Wiwa"



Second Place - Short Story (There was a tie, so there are 2 recipients)

Ogwo Augustine Chinedu

"Road to Martyrdom"

and

Sylva Nze Ifedigbo

"Life Before Death"



Copies of the Ken Saro-Wiwa Event Program, which includes all of the entries, will be available by e-mail after the event. If you would like a copy, please send an e-mail to NDRestorationofHope@yahoo.com



CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE!




RAIN KEN SARO-WIWA

As the rain gathers

Your grave torments

The rot of the soil

Where blood turns oil

For the barrel drunkards

In pot-belly shells



“…like the Ogoni

Battered, bruised,

Brutalized and almost buried”

Your eyes tears to see

The fishes coughing blood

Vegetables strangled by petrol

Infants pant of cancer



Pipeline becomes lifeline

To swim ashore to safety

Where tankers sit like bankers



You queried the earth

For spouting oil

And the gods for not

Drying its wide well



Your protest bang loud

Against the loot of roots

Belonging to the poor farmers



Ogoni’s Forest of Flowers

Becomes a desert of dragons

Basi & Co attempts a suicide

Sozaboy ends up a casualty

Of harrowing dead history



Ken was keen

Warning them of the eco-war

They had began against his world



The junta boots your throat

Marred your nights with threat

Their next words was a death sentence

On you and the eight others



As this rain summons



Your songs wake the thunder

Of Okigbo in echoes of gold

The dead fishes rose

Mangroves forest raptures

The rain forest resurrects

And swamps bubble alive



The Junta shivers in their shell

The council can no longer hold

For your grave have broken the cave

Of their hidden crimes of decays



Rain! Rain! Rain!

Ken Saro-Wiwa reign

And flush their black rums

Of evil away from our lands.