A Poem By Uche Ogbuji
IN LOCO
Down the lanterns, repent in retirement–
Truss-up for children with frayed string.
Press one for says-he, two for she,
Three to guess what those old lies meant
Down the lanterns that losing spring.
Back up again for one winning chance:
Trust in children, what say legacy?
Back up for old happy in happenstance.
Uche Ogbuji, born in Calabar, Nigeria, lived in Egypt, England and elsewhere before settling near Boulder, Colorado. A computer engineer and entrepreneur by trade, his poetry chapbook, NDEWO, COLORADO (Aldrich Press, 2013) is a Colorado Book Award Winner, and a Westword 2015 Award Winner (“Best Environmental Poetry”). His poems, published worldwide, fuse Igbo culture, European classicism, American Mountain West setting, and Hip-Hop influences. Among other editing projects he runs Colorado Poetry on Twitter. A selection of his poems was included in the BEST NEW AFRICAN POETS 2015 anthology.
Related articles: “A POEM BY PACO ALVAREZ“
Recommended reading: “UNLOCKING THE INNER POET: HOW POETRY HELPS PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA“
—
Photo courtesy of Uche Ogbuji
Fascinating cultural mix, set to the sound and rythm of a poem…Thanks for introducing us to this very unusual poet.