Segun Ozique

Like stuck in the mud they consigned us to standstill traffic, hours unend Not bothered that we scratch and scrap daily, faithful feed for ever hungry family Here the frustration of who really is sane in this insane universe Got me reminiscing What good is this sanity as has it defined to me? Where I have invested in sweat and toils decades and score of lifetime When I only can live of equal to neighbours in dreg and misery To social strata bottled in wild wilderness of squalid state of being Daily we lined same route, like now squeezed and stranded in a frightful frypan-like vehicle Same faces I see daily to soon regenerating lines of offspring as we soon may pass on in misery Inches from us as we waited with impunity our passages is condoned for very important personality Line we must not cross drawn by men and women, puns of our stock dressed behind guns, shields, and tanks Who left their families at twilights to wait in guard for hours while one in question folicks and

Another day and Dawn gradually announces sunrise nearness In the hush within the walls filters the birds' twitter The torments, the troubles, a remote planet By yourself here you are as you, made whole Cast from the reflections above mirrors stirring sensual image That's you like no other beautiful body laid across the bed Instinctively drawing your touch to a pretty heart, even If only this state be carried If only you would stay true, be you Dance to the beats of your heart Not to the music of these others who define and bound you Nor those others hung and filled with grief Would you stay believing in the perfection as within your kingdom? As scattered around you Are the apparel you would wear to leave For soon daylight brings the sun declaring you late Is then to choose of two defining halves Either stay hiding, die a thousandth times, carry on life shadowy Or go, to live, carry on, by the memory of the walls in your kingdom

Memory reminds me; of the good consulting days When? Probably a decade and score days Is that how long HIV/AIDs has been with us? Much more In that world the victims would sneak on us; inquiring, demanding, imploring, searching for answers to the 'whys' 'whats' or 'hows' of the woes be falling them Then there were the media paid rats of the prints and electronics part, of the partaking charade Then the big donor bosses, the top echelon civil servants and experts riding in gigantic cars who come super-vising The politicians would not miss outs as they stop by to inquire what progress and difficulties-they care not do anything about-we face And always, on our feet Day or night We question, study, analyze Coffee, tea, beverage and all chewable passed around to refreshen the mouth and up our low sugar levels against weariness Naps may come on chairs, tables, benches among the figure crunchers who must sit-in to monitor budget and logistics utilization t

Through telephone set in your hand Beautiful news just popped into your text box Took a while, a second reading to register But then it did, leaving grinning engraved On your face before an implosion of a woo bliss Imagine no longer bothered by whatever Before then the vagaries of the day Where time, works and worries immediately get Consigned, oblivion, subdued, caged and banished What to do with yourself next you do not know That is the reach; the apex state of optimum joyful burst With delight and happiness unbounded, unmitigated And all things around you sparkling in prettiness As you drift into mind-boggling fairy-tale sails Time and place whittled to glorious bloom And nothing else matters but grace and praises To make everyone who sees you ask, "what happened?" And you answer, my child just gave birth to a gracious baby boy

Poor soul Recoiling from the blazes of eyes Burdened day or night by own shadow Soul pleading for rain; some light refreshment To wash and lighten the Avenue of faith Unhook the hope being throttled Bring back loyalty of life being turned into vapour Once a soul like wind Unbound and unhinged upon sail And all that you touched of same value Like the anointed and followers Your family no compunction or caustic Once a soul With zest obsessed With gigantic combustible ador King of the crowd on mates Soul never lost in combat Who when others look they think bloom Now, the soulless soul Character clouded by mourn Searching for fleeting doorway In fear of the boo in the pathway Sighting the cloak and sword as cue for troubles Eyes always in watch for probable intrusion Of the voyers in search of who to taunt Who to pin their tag that debase and shames Defeated soul sentenced to endless blues The mask face foreshadowed by misfortune That passers-by look to see sadn

AUTHOR'S BIOGRAPHY: Tony Agenmonmen is a consummate marketer, author and currently President of National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN). He has over 32 years experience in marketing, spent majorly with the blue chip company; Nigerian Breweries PLC. He is known for hard work, perseverance, professionalism and strong moral belief. He is a crisis manager and a stickler to 'due' process without loosing sight of reality, flexibility or human fallibility. THE BOOK Reviewed by Segun Ozique. 'EXCELLENCE IS NOT BY LUCK': TAKING CHARGE IN CHALLENGING MOMENTS explores the world of marketing in practice and the inner working that keeps the consumer falling in love with, staying with as well as coming back again and again for their favorite brands. Tony broke down the insider working of very complicated and complex relationship to simple, easy to read and understandable narratives. He made it abundantly clear that successful marketing, branding, sustainability of t