Impacting Positively

Tell XYZ that his perfume smells of a thousand other body-sweat configured perfumes. Ask him, "How many women did you hug on the way before you got to your final lover's home?" Tell XYZ that his warm embraces in the midnight have grown cold, he has forgotten the labyrinth of my curves because he now drives on many other bended 'roads'.  Tell XYZ that he came home yesterday with a red lip-shaped poster on his forehead, telling me "The traffic at Molete was terrible." Tell XYZ that Molete is a bad metaphor for the legs that have tied his senses to a pole, making it hard for him to lie intelligently.  Tell XYZ, my XYZ, that I read the content of his chat messages when he sits opposite me, through the reflections on his eye-glasses. Tell XYZ that life is too short, let him break the rules. Life is too short, drink wine, more, some more. Tell XYZ that his night meals are not accompanied with wine, but then, XYZ, drink some more.  Tell XYZ that he drinks h...

Akanbi Tell me what you are. I am the second and third fingers Moving with caution On the highway beneath. Beneath your buba, Beneath your iro, Beneath all the tiro you wear Beneath the lies you tell the king Every night he asks you, Olori mi, Have you gone to watch the sunset again?

Dear friends, there is no event too minute to teach you a lesson in this life. In every doing and undoing, there is an evident or not too evident lesson that somebody somewhere wants you to learn. As for me, I am sure the somebody in this context refers to rivals of Chelsea FC. I mean, we had a match against Arsenal and I was so sure that we would win. After the second goal, I kept telling myself to relax, all we need is a few substitutions, take some guys who are playing nonsense out and bring in some good legs. I figured that all we needed was a goal to boost our confidence. Fast-forward to full time, we lost to Arsenal. I kept wondering, why on earth would we lose to Arsenal? Of all clubs, Arsenal. Even my coach was utterly devastated and the memes which began to circulate did not help. Conte was mocked and called Michael Jackson, suggesting that he only knows how to dance but cannot coach a team effectively. Back to the matter, our defeat was made more painful not necessarily bec...

Burukutu, you rival melodies. My MCM thinks you are god And worships your craft, Burukutu, you empty my pockets Of its craftiness And replace it by midnight With worry and a never-winning gambling husband.

*Singing 9ice's 'photocopy no easy, you can never be like me' * Actually, photocopy is easy, and very cheap sef. In Ibadan you can photocopy a page for #2 if you know the right places. Anyway, I'm not here to talk about literal photocopy today but something metaphorical. First, I apologize for being AWOL, it wasn't deliberate. Now, to today's issue. Do you think it's a bad thing to copy people around you? In my opinion, it's not advisable even though it is not totally bad. The reason is simple. It is not bad to want to copy someone if you think that person is a better version of you. However, I think it's wrong to copy a person's every move. In my opinion, you both can be similar but yet different! To illustrate, I will use cake and wine. Cake and wine are similar because they are both edibles, but they are also different. The longer wine stays on the shelf, the better it gets! However, cake is best served hot I think. That is why people call...

Don't get it twisted, love is a beautiful thing! I think some of my classmates will read this post and confirm their assumptions about me being unfavorably disposed towards men, tall men, black men, short men, ugly men, fine men, men! It is a lie, men are good people but women are just better (laughs it out). While I do love it when I see people holding hands (that is a lie) I think they are deliberately trying to mock me.  Everywhere I go, I must see young couples trying to make my eyeballs burst. Yesterday, I was enjoying myself oh, plate of rice and plantain at a restaurant when two_______ (I don't know what to call them) walked in. I would have cared less if they chose another table but they did not. Instead, the young man (who by the way did not button his shirt well) took a chair out for the lady to sit at my table. By the way, so men still hold out seats for ladies? Where are those men? Because all the men I see in Lagos even push me to get on a bus!  Back to yester...

It took me how long to write this? Probably a million years! This piece is long overdue! Ladies and gentlemen, especially ladies, please do not feel particularly attacked by this piece. I am trying very hard to be honest. Last night, I thought to myself what my response would be if people ever asked me if I've been heartbroken and before I knew it, I had a long speech about how unserious men can be and how women suffer as a result of this. Then it occurred to me that, in the real sense of things, I have never had my heart broken by anybody. Please, please, please, I am not forming wonder woman or holy than thou, it is the simple truth! I came to this realization because, I noticed that if there was ever a time that I felt terrible emotionally it was because of my own expectations and unrealistic guesses. I really don't like to write things about love and relationship and stuff because it gives my readers too much opportunity to get into my head and sometimes, imagine things ...

Yitschaq Abia  Some years back when my teacher, Professor Obododinma Oha, mentioned the idea of a photo essay, I was fascinated about the art. In my own little way I did try to learn the art but it was difficult especially since I had no professional tutor. I would go around taking pictures with VSCO Cam and try to tell a story but it didn't come natural to me, I knew it was lacking in a lot of areas. To me, literature is more than a round piece of cotton wool capable of adopting all art. It is like a foster parent in the world of humanities.  Critiquing the works of Abia Yitzhak a popular African photographer has opened new avenues of critical thinking for me. It has become obvious that man, no matter what he does, is constantly telling a story for an audience he may never meet.    Spontaneous with a huge dose of dexterity, this photographer tells 'migrating stories' of the African soul. This is exactly what I mean: His works ar...

Binogun Winifred, that name most likely doesn't sound Yoruba to most people. 90 % of the time, people assume I'm either Igbo or someone from the South and my accent really doesn't help matters. My Yoruba is on a C6 grade and to crown it, I don't look Yoruba. This does not mean that I'm not proud of my tribe even though some people have made that accusation a number of times. Truth is, I'm Ilaje, not home but away.   I got this description from a distant family member who asked me that question when we first met. She went "Ki wo je? Ilaje home or away?" I didn't want to risk saying home because to begin with, I can't even properly articulate all the phonemes in the language. Over the years, I've come to realize that one cannot stay away from home for long. No matter how far we go, we return to the starting point because it is an inexpugnable part of identity.  In order to be a good Ilaje Away, I decided to learn my oriki. Trust me, nothi...

Over the years, we have had various fads. These trends have ranged from hairstyles and clothes to even typing formats. Corey Feldman an American actor and singer once said “You have to stay updated on trends, social things and pop culture, you need to stay with the times and keep evolving”. This no doubt is an opinion that a lot of people agree with. To go with trends has its pros and cons and perhaps, it is impossible to list them all. However, most strong willed people usually believe that following trends is an unwise course because they never end. Thus, it is like continually running in a race that has no end. While the world has seen various trends in times past, there has never been a time such as this when charity has become a trend. Today, it is now cool to be involved in charitable activities because the world likes it. Young people over the world now join certain Non Governmental Organizations for the ‘selfie’of it. Social media has carefully ensured that it now wields the...

AFRICANS AND OUR UNRACIST LIVES In 2007, Joseph Godson Amamoo said and I quote “For if racism against nonwhites is morally wrong and unjustifiable, then how can racism against whites be morally right and justifiable?”. This quote is one that almost every African if not all can relate with. Africa no doubt has had to endure several years of exploitation and unfair treatment from other prominent continents and this is one reason why most Africans are wounded. Can I talk about our wounds and not mention the ever famous slave trade? No! Today I realise that most of my African brothers and sisters are in a trap that is all too easy to fall into. That is the trap of assuming that the word ‘racist’ relates to white folks only, after all, it was they who looked down on us and deemed us fit to be treated like animals. To burst your bubble, blacks can be racist too! No, I am not a westernised African who has been brainwashed and is seeking to turn my back on my people. I was born in Lagos, Ni...

When we talk of two things as being mutually exclusive, it means that the occurrence of one of them automatically means the absence of the other. That settled, why then do people think that if a person  is wise or a genius, the person most likely will lead an immortal lifestyle? To be honest, I think the main issue is understanding what wisdom means and who a genius really is. Most people feel that to be a genius, one must be different in everything (true to an extent). However, the problem arises when so called wise people go to the extreme. In my opinion, there is a difference between a celebrated person and a genius. As a matter of fact, the real geniuses and wise persons are not really celebrated as much as the 'superficial geniuses'. Just because a person is able to go to daring lengths and try the unknown does not make them a genius, it makes them an explorer. To qualify as a real wise person, to be a genius as approved by worldwide standards, a person must be very cle...

The trays we carry Are less of money And more of merry A drop of honey. We build memories We live and love We produce happiness in our factories And are harmless doves. The Uninformed and ignorant one Gnashes his teeth and calls us names He says we  bomb and burn Setting in flames But we are unaffected Tomorrow, you see us smiling unaffected.

Photocredit: AyoBami Ogungbe @Bamiphotography Striding gallantly through the crowd They wonder who it is That has seized the breath of air From their nostrils When I emerged from the shadows They burst out in laughter Afterall A DADAist is the lowest of all men Heigher only than the animals Photocredit: AyoBami Ogungbe @bamiphotography .......  END  This nine line poem echoes the feelings of many in West Africa who grow dreadlocks. While most people associate them with certain religious rites,  there are quite a few who choose to voluntarily wear them for fashion. Commonly, DADAists are usually disregarded and categorized as being irresponsible. In some cases,  parents have refused to give their daughters out to men who wear the dreadlock.  What's your take? Are they an outdated fashion item or a current one? Would you be comfortable sharing a room with someone on dreads?  Should dreadlocks be respected as a part of African culture a...

As much as possible, I try to be optimistic in my writings, hoping for the best. However, I do not dilute the truth in an attempt to sound positive. Today, I publicly say that Husband Snatching is a trend that won't grow cold just like jeans. Here are 3 reasons why I think so. 1. YOU TALK TOO MUCH You have a prince charming  who constantly sweeps you off your feet? Please keep it to yourself.  Most women derive joy in constantly flaunting their happy married life everywhere possible but they forget that evil eyes are watching. It's hard to get a good man these days, so if another lady knows just how good your man is,  she could just start making plans to keep him for herself. 2.MATERIALISM I was listening to a song today on Wazobia Max by an artiste whose name I cannot remember now. There was a dialogue in the song between an aunt and a niece.  Apparently, the girl got pregnant for a 'nobody'  and the aunt began to rant about how she should have gone for ...

Hey guys what's popping? Over here I'm popping Chinchin and Kunu wishing I could get some Amala and Gbegiri mixed with Ewedu. For my foreign readers I'm sorry about these strange terminologies ,please forgive me. Well , before I go on, I have an announcement (adjusts the microphone). Ladies and gentlemen , I cut my hair!! Crazy right? I recently decided to go natural and counting the days, my hair is 21 days old . Totally unconcerned ? Okay let's get down to business.  The Nigerian Writers Awards comes up on February 6 ,2016 at Terra Kulture. I was wondering if anyone would love to accompany me as a part of the squad . Keep in mind though that it's a late event that starts by 6PM I think and the colour code is black and red. I'll be expecting your replies soon so I can start working on getting you  invites . My emails are winifredbinogun@gmail/Yahoo.com (respectively) Have a great weekend. PS: Pray I win so we can party