One of the glowing
activities of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Kano branch is its
monthly creative writers’ forum. The month of December marked the end of 2013
fora conducted throughout the year. The forum was characterised by displays of excellent
creative works and analytical exchange of ideas. The event was held on 28th
December, 2013 at the American Corner, Murtala Muhammad Library, Kano. It had
in attendance some of the pioneering and new members. Some of the dignitaries
at the event were Zaharaddeen Ibrahim Kallah (ANA Kano Secretary), Dr. Faruk
Sarkinfada, Aliyu Abubakar, Isa Muhammad Inuwa, Musa Abdullahi Sufi, Maryam Ali
Ali, Tijjani Muhammad Musa, Aminu Salisu Giginyu(Treasurer) and Al-Mustapha
Musa Iliyas (Ex-officio).
The day witnessed a
long session that was divided into three rounds. Bello Sagir Imam was the chair of the
occasion. In the first round, four entries were presented. Muttaka Idris Abasha
presented a poem entitled “Love”, Badamasi Aliyu Abdullahi and Nazeer I. Kallah
presented poems “The Poet” and “Distant Hearts” respectively. The session was
rounded off with a short story “The 24Hours President” by Bakano A. Murtala. The
short story was the continuation of the story that was presented last month.
The
second round had five entries, starting with a poem entitled, “Walking Step” by
Lawal Salisu Ahmad. The young writer came up with very interesting rhymes that
show his creativity and passion for poetry. One of the stanzas of his work reads:
Imagine!
How today’s kissed
While
tomorrow’s love rise,
As
nights suns like a sunny light
Dr.
Faruk Sarkinfada presented another poem entitled, “The Will” with its four
stanzas. The first stanza of his work shows his anger on the way things are
happening in a land ruled by the brutal leaders. The poem which is just like a
Will in a poetic way, passed a message to his love ones not to worry about anything
that may happen in the cause of struggle. The third stanza of this poem reads:
Weep
not my wife, and my children
My
friends, my students and siblings
Just
uphold my flag and strive on
Pick
my pen, read the pages I wrote
And
reveal what I may withhold
Yaseer
Kallah presented two poems at a time, “When I Walk Away” and “My Pride”. In the first stanza of the poem “When I Walk
Away” looks similar to Sarkinfada’s “The Will”, as the stanza read as:
When
I walk away
Don’t
cry too hard
The
rolling current of life
May
wash us apart
In
good days and night
It
will stride us back
But
the content of the two poems differs between fight for injustice and battling
to win love.
The
next presentation is another interesting poem entitled, “Two Letters, Two
Laughters!” from Uyila Rakabuba, a pen name of famous Aliyu Abubakar. The poem
was a response to dramas that are taking place in the country between giant
Elephants. Rakabuba opened his poem with Ugandan proverb that says: It’s
amazing how to friendly dogs can’t share a single bone.” The second stanza of
his poem read as:
Two
letters, both aiming at the scrotum
Each
a perilous, stinking sputum
The
first, more venomous, yet dinkum
The
second, clueless, utter bunkum.
The
second round was closed with a poem by Bakano A. Murtala entitled, “Kano: An
Embodiment of Heritage-1”. It was a collection of three poems written on the
socio-cultural heritage of Kano. One of the poems entitled, “This, is the
Kano!” read as:
An
emblem of culture
An
embroidery of heritage
The
tourist’s treasured wish
A
14th-21st century Islamic domain
A
pride of Hausaland
The
dialect of Hausa language
A
starting star of the Hausa-Seveners!
The
brain behind the Blue Men of the Desert
The
third and the last round had eight entries. The first presentation entitled,
“Love Each Other” was a poem presented by Musa Abdullahi Sufi, while Dr. Faruk
Sarkinfada presented a poem, “My Queen” which is a love poem. “I Lost Myself”
is another emotional poem that expresses love and was written by Maryam Ali
Ali. Tijjani Muhammad Musa presented two poems, “Word Unwritten” and “Poets are
Prophets”. Other entries in the round are, “Malam Sidi” by Ahmad Lawal, “Red
Bricks” by Ahmad Salisu Ahmad and “This Body” by Isa Muhammad Inuwa.
“Love
Each Other” by Sufi was written and presented in London to celebrate an event
that has to do with youths and global peace. The poem was commended for its
original message by an Africa man. The first three stanzas of the poem were
read as:
Love
each other indeed
Help
understand each other with trust
And
trust one another with love
Where
trust and love exists violence defect
To
love each other is natural
To
fight each other is unreal
Shake
hands and smile to each other
My
fellow youth I urged
We
are made for each other
While
depend on each other
Only
loving each other made us we
In
the other poem, “Poets are Prophets” by Tijjani had a very interesting content that
explains poets as prophets. The writer doesn’t mean the prophets those that revealed
divine revelations; but rather reveal words of wisdom that reshape
humankind. The last two stanzas of his
poem explained his stand, the stanzas read as:
Now,
don’t get me wrong
I’m
not saying poets are prophets
Revealing
faultless divine revelations
Far
from it, some are orthodox, straight
Others
are, well… Free minded, themselves
Atheists,
Jews, Christians and Muslims
Blacks,
whites, all colors of the rainbow
Most
are gifted, males, females, hybrids
Sprutting
forth words from all
The
continents
In
Inuwa’s “This Body” observed human body in relation to its soul. The poem
further went to observe life after death, and what a body expect in heaven. The
first two stanzas of his poem read as:
This
body is nothing
But
my soul’s sack
Ferrying
me hither, thither
Within
spanned lifetime
And
it will die
It
will thaw and wither
Into
the life under-earth
The
programme ended with vote of thanks from the branch Secretary, Zaharaddeen
Ibrahim Kallah. The Secretary appreciated the contribution of the American
Corner for providing venue every month; he also commended the contribution of
Rakiya, the former coordinator of American Corner and Nura Mudi who took over
from her. The Association appreciated the contribution of its member, Aliyu
Abubakar who provided refreshment during the event. On behalf of the Association,
the Secretary thanked Musa Abdullahi Sufi for sponsoring Hausa Poetry Contest
to mark one hundred years anniversary of amalgamation of Northern and Southern protectorates
of Nigeria. Closing prayers were offered by Dr. Faruk Sarkinfada.
By
Zaharaddeen
Ibrahim Kallah
africanglobalpoet.blogspot.com
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