Ken Ugwu

Tears in the Gateway is the fourth poem in the poetry collection of Overman and other realities. “Tears in the Gateway” captures the protracted farmer/herders crisis that have degenerated into killings of innocent citizens and raping of helpless women in their farms and pollution of the environment by the marauding Herdsmen. According to the persona, “we feel sightless to our growing crops trodden by their beasts” (line 1). The result is destruction of lives and property as the plunder of the people’s means of livelihood continues unabated.

Bleeding the Earth is the third poem in the poetry collection of Overman and other realities. In “Bleeding the Earth,” ecological problems resulting from man’s unchecked activities in the physical environment is explored. The depletion of the ozone layer is depicted in the poem as a direct consequence of gas flaring and deforestation. This has brought untold suffering on the people as they face “the spread of numerous disease” and “the extinction of our fresh fishes” (lines 16 and 20) as contained in the poem.

Dark Wind of Omila is the first poem in the poetry collection of "Overman and other realities". Dark Wind of Omila,” captures the pains of dissident youths, apparently revolting against perceived injustices in the land. The poem opens with a gloomy atmosphere signaling the emergence of terror, anarchy and extra-judicial killings. According to the persona, there is the sinister presence of “A shivering sun that darkens a glossy light/where each raindrop bleeds a shivering night” (lines 2-3).

Each time I take a walk down the streets, I always feel captured with a responsibility to create the reality and recreate the shadowless moments of where I find myself, striving to give a voice to the young ones who never had it. These realities are insatiable appetite I detain in reverance, that I regard as a necessity to ink them down. Reinforcing a belief on a functional Art through my timely evaluation of social problems, nature, culture, romance and our responsibility to address them, and never compromising aesthetics; the essence of Art. Going beyond the contextual and linguistic expectations by moving with the wheels of time in regards to content and incorporating pidgin and my dialect. The "Overman and other realities" reflects a colourful adventure, and every observation I highlighted was thought provoking. As the OVERMAN emerges from its ashes, Ken Ugwu evolves red hot on the pages of his second book of poetry.

This poem talks about the trying times faced by the Igbo people of Nigeria, their struggle against marginalisation and very quest for independence.