Web: The Spider and the Fly

By Chukwuemeka Ekemezie

Web marks the first time Dr. Ekemezie is publishing most of his poems in one collection. Web covers a wide spectrum of themes that have practical interpersonal and political relevance in contemporary times, regardless of geographic or cultural orientations. As such, Web deals rhetorically with issues of corruption and betrayal of trust among political leaders in Nigeria.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 29, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481707626

Chukwuemeka Ekemezie

Dr. Chukwuemeka is a Nigerian-born poet resident in Blaine, Minnesota, United States of America. He obtained his doctoral degree in English from University of Lagos, Akoka, Nigeria (2009). His doctoral thesis focused on the writings of the late Bessie Head, a South African fiction writer. In addition, Dr. Ekemezie holds MA in Communication from Bethel University, Saint Paul (2010), MA in English from University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1988), and BA in English from University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1983). Before coming to United States, Dr. Ekemezie worked at Greensprings School, Lagos, Nigeria, an international institution, where he taught IGCSE English as a Second Language and IGCSE Literature, as well as Advanced Subsidiary (AS) and Advanced Level (AL) Literature. Since coming to United States, Dr. Ekemezie has taught Composition at Northwestern College, and is currently an Adjunct faculty member of Minneapolis Community & Technical College, where he teaches College English. The author has contributed to a collection of literary essays by Patrick Oloko (2008), and has had some of his poems published in an anthology, Poets in Their Youth, edited by Uche Nduka and Osita Ike (1988) . Web marks the first time Dr. Ekemezie is publishing most of his poems in one collection. Web covers a wide spectrum of themes that have practical interpersonal and political relevance in contemporary times, regardless of geographic or cultural orientations. As such, Web deals rhetorically with issues of corruption and betrayal of trust among political leaders in Nigeria. The wanton killings that occur daily in Nigeria, unchecked, and evidences of inter-ethnic and inter-religious distrust, bolster the need today for genuine and unfiltered dialogue among the ethnic groups in Nigeria. Indeed, Web articulates these yearnings for genuine communication and communal healing across the land. Further, the collection offers a template for healthy interpersonal relationships. Some of the poems also vividly capture some historical events in Nigeria, and in Africa, which have had tragic implications. At the personal level, a few of the poems in Web provide an emotional compass for those feeling the throes of reversals, betrayals, and angst. Equally, Web contains a handful of poems that explore religious and spiritual puzzles in such a way as to arrive at wholesome closure. Then there are poems in the collection that are at once lyrical expressions of blissful transport and sardonic intimations of wilting pain from dyadic relationships. Dr. Ekemezie is married, and has three boys. He likes reading, writing, and traveling.

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2013 by Chukwuemeka Ekemezie. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 01/25/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-0763-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-0762-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013900938

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Web

Miscellaneous III

Stares

Time The Leveller

After Work

Schizoid

Pedlars

Pastiche

Public Health

Masks

I Shall Be Glad

Like Guilt

When I remember

Love Songs

Rainfall

Prodigal

Desperado

The Hour Come And Gone

Laugther

In Jail

Silently

Iron Forger

Hermitage

If You Should Know Me

There Are More Ways

A Droll Old Man

Estranged

Fervently Knocking

To you, Nnamdi

Aberrations

Unsong

Our Country Is Full Of Cocks

How Can I Flail Arms In SOS

He Died

Violence Of Age

Encounter

Good Morning

The Spider and the Fly

Two Times Have I Bled

Water-hunt

Stir Up Your Pot

Genem

The Moody One

Samora Machel

The Candle

Prediction

Tear Drop

Dialectics

Link

Reeds Of Despair

When Pinned Thus

Loneliness

Draught

Channels Of Pain

Moon In The Eye

Vermin

Decision

A Tease

Soar and Soar

Brighter Than The Sun

I Can Only Go Under And Forget

The Harmattan

Time

In The Fangled Land

To Be Loved

God’s Riddle

I Will Not Take A Pinch

Trance

Forgive

I Will Hear

Clay In The Sun

Bills and motions

Temptation

Prayer

Nurses

Welts Of Pain

Many Thanks!

Etched in Gold

Love Bug

Anger

Dateline: November 28, 2012: Election Heat

DEDICATION

Only those close to you may excuse, and understand, the long hours not devoted to helping out with the chores of daily living. They alone see you toil away at some seemingly unproductive enterprise, and, yet, respectfully preserve your work-space, which may well have displaced their living space. Miraculously, they keep your manuscripts from coming to certain ruin, as scrap. Such has been the inestimable help