Oyedokun Ibukun Stephen is the winner of the February 2019 edition of the monthly Brigitte Poirson Poetry Contest (BPPC) which was themed ‘THE FEAT’.

Oyedokun, aka PENAWD, is a poet, novelist, essayist, playwright and recent English Education graduate of the University of Ibadan. His passion for poetry is ineffable, and he travels – as an artist or audience – to work towards art’s fulfillment in his environs and beyond.

His 24-line poem, ‘NOT UNTIL THEN’ is beautifully rhymed and rich in original metaphors. In second place is ‘DE-FEAT AND THE-FEAT’ by Emmanuel Faith while serial finalist Ogedengbe Tolulope Impact was the second runner-up for his poem ‘FEAST OF STARS’.

Below is the winning poem:

NOT UNTIL THEN

Not until mother calls my siblings

To tell tales of my mutual feelings:

When I starved for poetry dealings

Before its entourage of shillings.

Not until satire sits on solace

And buttocks dance to its pace

Without baton of fear to chase

As heat fades like the rainy days.

Not until rhythms sound in stereo

And poetry becomes wave of radio

Not just caged under the hip hop flow

As each blink sees art on TV show.

Not until cowries see profit in art

And not where morality falls apart

For craft carves cure to the heart

While others lit seasons and depart.

Not until unrepented gods flourish

As lonely moments set them a dish

And poetry wears not a robe of rubbish

As they beat their chests for its fish.

Not until unsaid words reach the sense,

Not until ink echoes beyond violence,

Not until art is the metaphor of affluence,

Not until then will I know my essence.