Read the Poem, Abiku, by Charles O.
Background
To the uninitiated, Abiku can be a rather daunting piece. This is so because an understanding of the meaning and implications of the Abiku concept is necessary for a proper understanding of the poem.
If the belief in the supernatural is all-pervasive in traditional African culture, then the belief in the inimical and diabolic variant is even more insidiously ingrained in that tradition. Abiku (figuratively “born to die”) in Yoruba lore refers to one such malevolent spirit who appropriates and insinuates a woman’s womb to be born and re-born, for the singular purpose of unleashing recurring tumult on such a woman. The woman, then, conceives, carries the pregnancy to term, delivers, only for the child, Abiku, to die within the first few years of its birth.
In some cases though, the spirit-baby pities her mother and decides to stay permanently.
The poem Abiku explores the travails of a woman who has birthed several Abiku. Each conception brought her an unnerving admixture of “elation and despair”. Indeed, she inhabited, perpetually, the twilight between exaltation and grief: in one year she would conceive, in another, deliver, and in a few more yet, mourn the death of the child. The poem captures a moment when our protagonist, pregnant again, sits on her windowsill and gazes at the night sky. Crying silently, she prays the gods to have mercy on her, and have Abiku stay this time. As though in assurance of a new resolution, the child stirs within.
Imagery & Symbolism
“Death” and “rebirth,” “emergence” and “spiral … into abyssal depths,” “elation” and “despair,” “arrivals” and “departures,” are imageries at odds with each other. We sense antagonistic forces—life and death, emergence and downward spiral, et cetera—engaged in tense battles, as though for their very own continuity.
The “accentuation” of the protagonist’s belly by the night’s full moon provides another striking imagery. For one, both are round; for another, both are, literally, full. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, just as the full moon heralds the dawning of a new day, the woman’s full belly portends the impending arrival of a new being.
Message
Undoubtedly, there are as many interpretations of a poem as there are readers of it. One of the messages I take away from the poem though is that, just as the protagonist, who had suffered repeatedly at Abiku’s hands, clung obstinately to the hopes of having a child that would survive past infancy, we all must remain steadfast to our higher aspirations in spite of (or, even, because of) the odds. We must, indeed, never resign ourselves to the accident of chance, or worse, fate.
Even in the face of forces seemingly outside of her control, our protagonist expressed hope for an eventual breakthrough (“maybe she’ll stay”) this time.
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Rewritten from the original piece of May 9, 2002.
The clincher: neither Ericsson T18 nor Ericsson R320 (pictured) are laptop computers; both are cellular phones.
of the rebuttals – you’d think I have better things to do with my precious time.
)
Kunle 2:39 pm on March 17, 2007 Permalink |
In my opinion, Obasanjo did not ordered the murder of the Nigerian Afro beat legend,Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s mother. But he is responsible for the murder considering his position as the head of state at that time. Although the government facilitated the damage done at the Abami eya’s palace Kalakuta republic in order to put the violence at Surulere under control. Kalakuta republic was considered a dangerous zone and a threat to the safety of the Surulere residence.
However, the intervention by the Nigerian government at Fela’s kingdom is justified but it should have been done without blood shed. I love Fela, i listen to his music everyday. I considered Fela as my artistic role model.
Ochuko 9:09 pm on March 17, 2007 Permalink |
What Kunle opined was absolutely true. Obasanjo never intended that Fela’s mother be killed. It was the “sabi-sabi” of the soldier who executed the action that cause Fela’s mother to fall through the balcony. As you know, the head is always to be blamed whenever things go awry.
ibenaija 11:16 pm on March 17, 2007 Permalink |
I still can’t help but feel that we are a complacent lot in absolving Obasanjo by arguing that his footmen were overzealous. I was not alive when these events took place, so I missed Nigerians’ immediate reaction to Mrs. Kuti’s killing. Nonetheless, I can’t shake the feeling that, in our national complacency, we accepted and continue to accept the woman’s murder as no more than an honest mistake.
Was anyone ever prosecuted for her murder?
aworan 11:39 am on March 18, 2007 Permalink |
Very interesting read you have here….
Idiare 8:02 am on March 19, 2007 Permalink |
I think the issue of claiming his soldiers were over zealous is too lame an excuse.
The same argument has been bandied about on the attack of Odi…that overzealous men went beyond the brief.
I personally watched a TV programme where obasanjo not only justified that attack but shouted down Barnaby Phillips, the BBC correspondent who had the audacity to question ‘Babas’ judgement to send in troops!
The poor white man went completely red in the face. I was so ashamed.
Now if the president could defend that action of the Odi invaders as being justified, i doubt if he would feel that the soldiers that ‘killed’ Fela’s mother were acting out of line!
Remember that in 1979 he was not yet ‘born again’….if he could defend Odi after he was ‘born again’…….please fill in the blanks
May God deliver us from the locust
Hamilton 1:07 pm on March 19, 2007 Permalink |
Short answer: No, Obasanjo did not really kill Fela’s mother… It was unfortunate and it happened in his watch, so the “buck” stops there.
Fact: The soldiers were overzealous, and she was not singled out as a target (they probably didn’t know who she was), but rather Fela and his entire “compound” were the targets. The soldiers commited many atrocities that day which you may not have heard of – perhaps you should take a look at the DVD titled “Music is the Weapon”. It’s a bonus disc as part of a 2 CD set. It should give you a clearer picture.
Conclusion: None…
Chijioke 1:09 pm on March 19, 2007 Permalink |
Charles,
i partially agree with most of the comments above but the biggest part is with Idiareno.
One may not hold the Commander-in-Chief directly responsible for such an offense given the chain of command in the army hierarchy: the soldiers were most likely dispatched from a barracks; directly supervised by the RSM who receives orders from either the AO or Commandant. If you continue in this upward chain, you might just see how far up one may have to travel to find the origin of the order or where it went wrong.
But that is on the one hand. On the other hand, being the Head of State at the time when a national maternal figure is openly murdered by men in his discipline, he should have set up a panel/tribunal to investigate and try all found wanting in that exercise. His ‘complacency’ points to the fact that there was an underlying support for the action. It enabled him label the murder site as a possible danger zone and forced the occupants to relocate.
I truly wonder if he did not think that they may endanger their new neighbourhood at the time.
I don’t want to continue to analyse the situation in my way ’cause it concerns Obasanjo, the chief advocate of the use of the absence of reason; i don’t intend to loose my mind.
i agree when you say we are complacent as a people because it is true. I see it everyday: people being openly robbed and others scarcely budging. I want to believe that someday soon the matter will hit national recognition again.
Till then, i can only await what his throat-clearing response might be.
Adefulu 2:54 pm on March 20, 2007 Permalink |
Did Obasanjo really kill Fela’s mother? Yes. Was it intentional? Probably not, but that’s no excuse. I don’t claim to know much about the incidence that led to Mrs. Kuti’s demise, but what’s clear is Fela was an opposition to the Obasanjo regime and something had to be done to stop him, in the process of stopping him a Nigerian ICON was murdered.
Complacency or not, we are talking about a military regime that absolutely ignored the rule of law…there’s no way they would prosecute one of their own for a “job well done”.
Charles, I do commend you for bringing to light what most of us have know for a long time, but never discussed or analyzed. I do have one request for everyone that reads this, let the discussion not stop in this forum, let’s seize from being know as a bunch of push-overs, let’s do something! What can we do? Bring issues to light, hold benefits…the possibilities are endless, just act. Brother Charles has sparked a flame and we must keep it burning.
Adefulu.
Okwy 6:15 pm on March 22, 2007 Permalink |
To Ibe and Chijioke, an inquiry was indeed set up. But customary to Obasanjo, as can be seen today in everything he has done for the past eight years, nothing came of it. Instead, blue was turned to red, and green was turned to yellow.
After all the resources that were expended and precious time wasted in the name of investigating the atrocities committed at the time in that area of Lagos on that fateful day, the outcome was that unknown soldier was responsible, including the killing of Madam Kuti – a first nigerian patriot among equals – a national treasure of no equal measure to-date. What a sham, what a shame?
Fela was not an opposition to Obasanjo. Fela was against anything done by anyone that retrogressed the common man’s chances to live a meaningful and enjoyful life in the midst of abundant resources. Obasanjo represented retrogression as can be seen even today, and Fela fearlessly spoke out against it and thus incurred Obasanjo’s wrath – many today can attest to this because they are feeling and seeing that side of Obasanjo.
Well, as Obasanjo’s instrument of magic begins to unravel because you simply cannot fool people all of the time, Fela will stand vindicated that, “na wayo Obasanjo de all the time”. Be at peace where ever you are Fela, you are indeed another heroic, patroitic Nigerian.