“Imagination gives birth to things unknown but the writer’s pen turns them into shapes and gives to them living breaths.”
ALSO READ: BOWEN WOVEN WORDS COMPETITION WAS A HUGE SUCCESS
The 2018 OSCA WOVEN WORDS COMPETITION was organized by My Woven Words and it was only for undergraduates of tertiary institutions in Osun State as approved by the ministry of education, Osun state. There were Terms and Conditions for contestants.
OSCA Woven Words Competition remains the “first-of-its-kind” and “one-of-its-kind” in Osun state, Nigeria. To avoid Conflicts of Interest, we reached out to a number of unbiased scholars in a university outside Osun State to assess the submitted manuscripts and select the best contestants. All the contestant got a certificate of participation and some of the submitted manuscripts were selected for online publication.
Below is the write up submitted by the second runner-up of OSCA WOVEN WORDS COMPETITION Ayomide Akintayo, a student of the faculty of Law, Bowen University Iwo.
PRIZE: N20,000 cash prize and a Certificate Award
TOPIC: The Tenacity of Nigerian Youths in National Development and Leadership Role
A PLACE CALLED HOME
Bedtime stories of little Josiah
who ruled his fathers and father’s fathers;
daylight truth of ancient men with dwindling wit,
like the trickle of a just locked tap.
A country where the terminals and frail
are crowned by the flourishing and frisky.
Where the paddle has been used as food for fire,
causing us to sway with the tempest of the deep,
with prayers and offerings our only resort.
The labour of our heroes past now seems vain
with violence and apathy coursing through their veins;
The gerontic have built castles, not of brick nor glass,
but of corruption roofed with massacre and painted with deception.
Here comes an Insurgence!
There is an emergence of sprouting irokos
that will put an end to the shame of the maple tree.
With roots deep in technology and research,
The unconquerable spirit has been summoned;
The timid silence has been sent on exile
by the pain-coated wailings and doggedness.
Unemployment has brought us an opportunity to employ ourselves,
birthing innovations and dreams.
Gradually we explore the inborn potentials,
making waves even in remote territories.
Chigozie’s voice has provided the unity that could not be attained in years.
Oludele, the 25 year old parliamentry aspirant
has provided undergraduates with entrepreneurial skills.
Chukwuebuka, the just graduated civil engineer, with the help of the age grade
has constructed more roads than the old leaders ever would.
With the help of his friends, Danladi’s mere twitter banter has become law,
he no longer would be deemed “too young to run”,
Oh! the youths will no longer eat tomorrow’s seed today.
On destroyed lands and broken hearts we will work,
until these inflicted soldiers have a place to truly call home.
READ MORE: OSCA WRITE-UPS
Thanks a million!
