Natural Hair - Poetic image

By Jm

Natural hair poetry -activepens.com

Black hair serenade

By Jm

Black Hair

Babe, I saw you this morn' when
Lots of deep conditioning did not
Alter the tenacity of your hair and you
Carelessly, in desperate surrender
Knot it, into a Cantu weave

I see you, I love you, I am you.

Jumoke Eniola Odepe

ON

A day bridal shopping in Lagos - Lu

By Jumoke Odepe

Image by Carolina-Marinelli-Unsplash

My name is Lukeman, it's a boy's name so just call me Lu. My parent had wanted a boy so badly and had a name so when I came out as a girl, I got the predestined boy's name anyway. 

It was on day 7 of my 2 weeks bridal shopping vacation in Nigeria. Tan, my childhood friend, and chief bridesmaid had spoilt me silly. I had just shopped for jewelry gift certificates for all my bridesmaids from the Lagos bridal jewelry shops of  Deinte and headed straight for my favourite food joint. In my over 10 years in Canada, the only thing I missed more than family is the food. On my over 15-hour flight from Canada to Lagos, I was encouraged by the thought of visiting my food joints. 

Refuelled, we drove down to Cornucopia to shop for my engagement beads, Tan and I chatting like Parakeets. We were about to turn into Isaac John street when Tan gave me the look, I have always known the look which questions everything I stand for. That look, the look that says, "Hey there is something you are hiding from me!", that look! it bothers me. Before I could ignore it and escape, Tan blurted

"Don't you think it's time you came back home?" 

I was totally unprepared. I melted in my seat. I travelled over 6,000 miles to recuperate from the effects of my dismissal from work where I was walked out of the premises by my haggard and brutal nin-com-poop British boss! 

My answer might make Tan feel I did not get on in Canada, that I was a loser. But who asks blow-below-the-belt-questions like that? 

I wanted to tell Tan that such discussions wear me out and render my African vacation useless. 

I wanted to say "hmm... I have no regrets! It's been honey and sugar. My career skyrocketed and I was promoted immediately after I joined the company I work for. The kids still know my culture, in fact, they speak my language so well with little effort on my part and I don't miss home one bit. I look back and all my colleagues in Nigeria are at the same spot as I left them, so I don't feel any sense of competition. Mortgage and bill payments are just like Nigeria, getting a driver, getting cleaners, getting nannies is exactly like Nigeria so it's been heaven on earth!" 

Instead, I found myself spilling the truth like a child bribed with candy.

But I knew Tan just resigned as director of her multinational, has bag-packed, and is all set to leave the country for Canada so there was no going back for her now.

TO BE CONTINUED.

Jumoke Eniola Odepe

NY.

Year of the woman

Women will rule in every country in...

on a beautiful day.
in a few moons from now.
women will rule in.
every country in.
every continent of.
the world.

end child soldiering.
ceasefire here. 

ceasefire there. 

ceasefire. yup.

stop human trafficking. 

modern-day slavery.

calm the storms.

stop the wars.

rule with intuition.

balance. justice. equity.

rule of law.

peace on earth.

on a beautiful day.
in a few moons from now.
women must rule in.

every country in.
every continent of.
the world.


By J.M.

Jumoke Eniola Odepe
ON, Canada

Photo credit: Jill Wellington - Pixabay

nurse's daughter

to all the nurses

those who bore us and those who didn't

to all the nurses

those who know more than doctors and those who don't

to all the nurses, 

those who day shift and those who night

nurses are to doctors what law clerks are to lawyers

they make the professional fly and take less credit

in the name of my mother, a nurse indeed

i say thank you to all 

the nurses on earth.

J.M.

Toronto, 2020

Figuring me

looking within. looking without.

looking above. looking beyond.

what work of art. what masterpiece.

so intricate. undiluted.
figuring me.

Jumoke Eniola Odepe
Ontario, Canada

Pix by demorris-byrd-unsplash

women should rule

Image by:Chris-Murray-Unsplash

women should
rule in
all countries in
all continents of
the world
women

women are the earth, the source the
origin
women don't
do wars
they settle it all
over a waffle recipe
women

women would
dialogue, negotiate, persuade
rationalize
no uptight ego to
make irrational decisions
women create
abundance
fruitfulness
multiplication less
logic complications, semantics more
intuition, spirituality
women

women should
rule in
all countries in
all continents of
the world.

jm
Ontario, 2020

pix by: chris-boese-unsplash

Finding me

sometimes
we find our self
late
it's okay
just find
your self

Jumoke Eniola Odepe

ON, Canada

Eru Iyawo list (Yoruba Traditional Wedding Items)

By Jumoke Eniola-Odepe

Eru Iyawo List

Eru iyawo (Bridal luggage) is a vital part of the Yoruba traditional engagement/wedding. The eru iyawo is the gift(s) that the groom and his family bring to the bride and her family on the traditional wedding day. 

Historically, there was no fun-fair with the eru-iyawo packaging, however, in modern times, we have vendors who package eru iyawo professionally and well-spaced event halls to entertain your guests!

That is one item off your to-do-list. Both the bride and groom's families meet a fork in the road when the appropriate list can not be provided. The list below is quite comprehensive, you can tweak it to your choice.

Eru Iyawo List

Bible
Engagement rings for bride and groom
1 or more briefcase (s) of clothes, shoes, and handbags including Yoruba traditional aso-oke fabric, 2 sets of lace+matching gele and 2 sets of Ankara

42 Tubers of yam (Isu)

42 Bitter kolas (Orogbo)

42 Kolanuts (Obi Tabata)
42 Alligator Peppers (Atare)
42 pieces of dried fish (Eja Osan)
1 Dish of peppered corn  meal (Aadun)
1 Pack of Sugar
2 Baskets of Fruit
2 Decanters
4 Crates of canned or bottled soft drinks
4 Crates assorted drinks
2 Cartons of bottled water
2 Bottles of non alcoholic wine
2 Cartons of fruit juice
1 Bag of salt
1 Bag of rice
1 Umbrella
1 She Goat
1 Keg of palm wine
1 Keg of groundnut oil
Packs of Biscuits and Sweets

Monetary Gifts (Modify)

Owo Ori Iyawo (Bride Price) – N2,000
Owo Ijoko Agba (Money for elder's consent) – N1,000
Owo Baba Gbo (Money for the bride’s father’s consent) – N2,000
Owo Iya Gbo (Money for the bride’s mother’s consent) – N2,000
Owo Ikanlekun (Door knocking fee) – N500
Owo Isiju Iyawo (Fee for unveiling the bride) – N500
Owo Aeroplane (Bride Aeroplane fee) – N1,000
Owo Iyawo Ile (Money for the Housewives in the family) - N500
Owo Omo Ile (Money for the Children in the family) – N500
Owo letter kika (Letter reading fee) - N500
Owo Telephone (Fee to call the bride out) – N500
Owo Isigba iyawo (Engagement gifts unveiling fee) – N500
Owo Alaga Ijoko (Master of Ceremony's fee) – N500

Eru Iyawo list

UPDATED, MAY, 2020