For the love of culture, here is a Short Poem on Ekpe Masquerades.
Every culture has its own tradition. Ekpe Masquerades are enjoyed by the Cross River and Akwa Ibom State in the South-South part of Nigeria. Poem about Ekpe Traditional Masquerades
Have a feel of this nature poem.
Ekpe Masquerades
In galaxy of mixed colours
He swirl his costume
Within a circle
He moves side to side.
Like a possessed goddess
He found his gyrating foots
As the drums of the initiates
And their chanted songs
Evokes the spirit of its ancestors.
Suddenly, he turned right and left
Then like a wounded bull he charged.
Around his waist, a bell is fastened
For each sound his swinging waist rungs
Are messages only the initiates could interpret.
On the ground, on the wood
Even on the body of the initiates
Her sacred secret writing – Nsibidi is written.
For every singing, dancing, walking
Or movement of the body made by an initiates
Are signs only a highly-ranked member could read
And interprets what the message meant.
On his hands, he holds a bunch of leaves – Oboti
To the sky he waves as a sign of respect
That he might reverence the Almighty
As the Supreme Being above all begins.
Sacred traditional institution of our forefathers
In the olden days, you served as an instrument
That enforces our traditional authority laws
And order you carry like a guided light
To teach the moral value of our traditional heritage.
Your oath of secrecy are swore to by members
To keep the rules and regulations in secrecy
Defaulters are not found among your midst
For fear of repercussion are better imagined than said.
Nsikak Andrew
4th June, 2007 & 26th June, 2007
COMMENTS