Something Happened After the Rain: Poems

By Gabriel Bamgbose

The poems in this collection concatenate myriad of happenings in life which, though may take a similar course, do not leave us to grin and grimace at the same time. The turn of events in life, like rain, offers mixed feelings which may be pleasant or otherwise. Though rain comes with peaceful breeze and great equanimity, sometimes it does not usually come with that expected gift of grace. Occasionally, we may have to rejoice and sometimes count our losses. As heavens may pour down its torrent of grace, it may as well drizzle down its tears of terror. Thus, its arrival and departure do not always leave us with a soothing countenance as we all anticipate. With the ease of rainfall, the poems flow with the truths of the common life of the postcolonial subjects in a world of their own.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Africa
• Release date: Aug 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9781482802511

Gabriel Bamgbose

Gabriel Bamgbose is a Nigerian writer and critic. He teaches Literature in the Department of English, Tai Solarin University of Education, Nigeria. He is the founding editor of Ijagun Poetry Journal. He is widely published in different academic journals, national and international. Some of his literary works have appeared in Lantern Magazine, The New Black Magazine, The Literary Yard, BareBack Magazine, Sankofa Magazine, New Asian Writing, Online Nigeria and Ijagun Poetry Journal. Also, one of his poems is longlisted for the 2013 Ghana Poetry Prize and will appear in Prestige Anthology. Currently, he is a Fulbright Fellow at New York University, New York.

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Copyright © 2014 by Gabriel Bamgbose.

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Contents

Acknowledgements

SING…

Song of a Child

The Peace of a Child

You’d soon be weaned

Me & You

Unspell this spell

I have come this far with you

i want to know why you fear so much

Rime of Doom

Wondering Wanderers

NIGHTMARES

CASHMARE

i have seen RIVERS

SPEAK…

Speak to me

A Different Mask

Rhapsody in the Mire

Mother, My Pride

How can I say this is home

If you pinch me

when the time comes

Uncivilised

Does he see himself?

you push me

This day in red and white

OFN

The man eats our land

Whirlwind

i have seen the fall of idanre

Our grey hairs

how dare you judge him

in search of ancestral cure

Looking for a chink in the wall

Sons of Guns

DIE…

if you want to die

when i saw your still body

broken

If I die

If I die

Euthanasia

EPITAPH FOR THE ELEPHANT

Tell me my friend that wants to die

DREAM…

She said I walked away

Forms in the Dark

Dreamatics

In the Cave

BRIDGES IN MY MIND

RAIN…

Something Happened After the Rain

a tree at the centre of flood

Rain

It’s about to rain

About the Author

for

Rafat:

the woman in whose womb I bloomed

and

Morenike:

the woman in whose bosom I find life

Acknowledgements

I would like to commit to this space my gratitude to Tope Omoniyi, Tosin Gbogi, Basit Olatunji, Niyi Adekanye, Aneesha Roy, Micah Medunoye and Biodun Banire for taking their time to read my poems and offer