Percy Omenazu's Journey to Poetry Part One

MY LIFE AND THE JOURNEY TO POETRY WORLD Part 1

The first time I was in a pure poetry class in senior secondary school was under Mr Igbokwe at National High school Aba and the first poem he taught us was David Diop's AFRICA. As a result of how interesting the class was, I became the first to memorize the poem in my class and till today, I can still recite it. The poem really awakened a particular consciousness I never knew could be existing in me. How could a man use a few words to paint a long generational story? I started practising poetry.

However, the first time I was able to write and document mine was in 1996. Before this period, I was of the opinion that those poets whose works we were studying and memorizing must have been specially trained to be able to write at least one poem. I couldn't believe that an ordinary person without studying English and literary studies in the University could write a poem. There were so many ideas to communicate poetically but I was simply unable to express them until one day.

My friend and brother before the war, Evang Okey Moses who was also interested in writing gave me a piece of poetic work by Kaodi Onuoha who was then a law student at Abia State University Uturu. I read the poem just once and went into a deep thought. Okey wanted us  to discuss the poem but I am sure he didn't understand that I was not interested in the discussion. I was about to be admitted into the Law faculty, I never knew that a Lawyer could be a poet. However, before me was a poem written by a Law student. I was highly inspired.

Friends, the next visit to Okey, I presented to him my own poem for his consumption. Today, poems don dey fetch me little little things for pocket.

It looks like a mountain but you have the ability to climb or fly over it inside of you. Jacob said:"This is the gate of heaven but I did not know...."

Have a nice weekend and expect more of this story....
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