Is the birth of dawn: fresh hope,
Heralded by yowling.
This effusion of grief – superimposed by
Tinny voicing, a cry:
Father is back –
Father is back again!
‘Tis ample comfort that suspends grief,
Neutral emotional platform
As a worn shell is laid away.
The man that would not die
Has come to live again.
The Box is now a cot;
Dirge – a lullaby;
Balm – fragranced oil;
Shroud – nappies and fur.
The father is now the son:
Infant on my knee
I shall gaze often into
The windows of your soul,
Searching for the man
That was and is –
Was that a gurgle
Or an effusion of wisdom?
* In the Yoruba culture, the name ‘Babatunde’ is given to a male child born shortly after the death of an elderly male. It is believed that the elder is reincarnated in the child.
Written by: Toby Ogundiran
Edited by: Kukogho Iruesiri Samson
