Petals and Thorns

By Ikechukwu Francis Okoronkwo

A collection of poems, Petals and Thorns is the first book written by the author. This is a poetry book that mostly contains his poems written earlier and poems dedicated to people close to his heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Aug 27, 2016
• ISBN: 9781490776521

Ikechukwu Francis Okoronkwo

Ikechukwu Francis Okoronkwo was born in the Lagos Mainland of Nigeria on May 27, 1970. He graduated as a sculptor from the University of Port Harcourt in 1995 and earned an MFA in painting in 2001 from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Under the tutelage of Prof. Chike Aniakor, his art experienced a deeper inclination toward conceptual and poetic depiction of topical issues. This helped him launch into deriving imagistic essence from written poetry as a resource point for painting via devolution of emotional content to exist on two-dimensional surfaces as plastic poetry and also writing poems from the depth of his studio engagements with forms and colors. Some of the poems in this collection have been published in other anthologies. However, Petals and Thorns is his first poetry book and mostly contains his poems written earlier.

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Copyright 2016 Ikechukwu Francis Okoronkwo.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-4907-7653-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4907-7652-1 (e)

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.

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Contents

Dedication

Part One (Songs Of A Commoner)

Letter To Chief I

Letter To Chief II

Merchants Of Illusion

Miscarriage

The Politician

Even This Shall Pass Away

Golgotha

Forward To The Past

Elegy Of The Oil Ground

Black Gold

The Destitute’s Song

The General And His Psycophants

Aliens

Song Of An Orphan

The Conman

Part Two (Songs Of The Mind)

The Eagle Perched

Mystic Bird

Your Shadow

Teaser I

Wilting Rose

I Waited For You

Contradictions

Thirstles

Separated

My Co-Tenants

Bleached

A Nigger’s Soul

Break The Walls

Lament Of An Obscure Poet

Cries Of A Psycho

Conversation With Magdalene And Mariana

Beyond The Dirge [Tribute To Maggie]

Part Three (Scribbles)

Remniscence

Song Of Hope

Hope Ii

Endless Quest

Reality

No. 19

Disvirgined

To The Hero

Cycle

Challenge

Masturbation

Incubus

Ode To Oracle

Song Of Victory

Epilogue

Acknowledgement

image002.jpg

Title: I Too, A Shoulder to Rest

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Year: 2004

Dimension: 36inches x 48inches

DEDICATION

For Magdalene and Mariana, who have taken petals to the land where the moon is the floor

Your songs still echo to the aerial zone.

PART ONE

(SONGS OF A COMMONER)

image004.jpg

Title: I Too, Am Human

Medium: Coffee, dye and ink on paper

Year: 2001

Dimension: 16inches x 22inches

LETTER TO CHIEF I

Why did you send your son

Across seven hills and seven rivers

To learn the secret of signs and symbols?

With tarnished coins, you bought his way

To waltz with white lilies