I. The Source and the Breath (Sonnets 1-5)
Olodumare: The silent sky, the architect of all that is seen.
Orunmila: Witness to fate, who held the tray when time began.
The First Breath: The descent from the chain into the waters of Ife.
The White Cloth: Obatala molding clay with trembling, holy hands.
The 4,000 Seeds: A sonnet for the infinite sparks of divinity in nature.
II. The Lords of the Earth and Iron (Sonnets 6-15)
Ogun of the Forge: He who clears the path with a blade of fire.
The Hunter’s Cry: Oshosi, the arrow that never misses its mark.
Eshu at the Gate: The trickster who sits at the crossroads of choice.
The King of Koso: Shango’s thunder, a double-axe carved in the clouds.
The Smith’s Song: How iron became the bone of the modern world.
Osanyin’s Leaf: The one-legged god who speaks the secrets of herbs.
The Granite Mountain: Gods who dwell in the stillness of the stone.
The Red Soil: A sonnet for the earth that drinks the libation.
The Warrior’s Dance: The rhythm of the bata drum calling the brave.
The Farmer’s Debt: Orisha Oko, who pulls the yam from the dark.
III. The Queens of the Deep and Wind (Sonnets 16-25)
Oshun’s Mirror: The honey-sweet goddess of the healing river.
Yemoja’s Veil: The salt-heavy mother of the rolling Atlantic.
Oya’s Gale: The woman who wears the horns of the buffalo.
The Nine Turns: Oya’s dance at the mouth of the cemetery.
Oba’s Sacrifice: The faithful wife of the flowing, bitter waters.
The Coral Crown: Olokun, the mysterious wealth of the seabed.
The Mermaid’s Comb: Legends of the water spirits (Mami Wata).
The Scent of Ginger: The sensory path to the goddess’s altar.
The Moon’s Reflection: Yemaya as the silver light on the waves.
The Braided Stream: How thousands of local goddesses join the sea.
IV. The Ancestors and the Unseen (Sonnets 26-35)
The Egungun: The masquerade where the dead walk among the living.
The Mothers: Awun—the powerful women who fly in the night.
The Ibeji: The twin spirits who bring double joy and double grief.
The Oro’s Whistle: The voice of the woods that warns the profane.
The Ori: The god of the inner head; the destiny you chose yourself.
The Calabash of Light: A sonnet for the containment of the soul.
The Lineage Tree: Gods who are simply our grandfathers made holy.
The Village Shrine: The nameless spirit of a single, ancient tree.
The Marketplace Spirit: The chaos and commerce of the busy plaza.
The Night’s Watchman: The spirits who guard the town while we sleep.
V. The Four Thousand Nameless (Sonnets 36-45)
The God of the Anthill: Small powers that build great kingdoms.
The Spirit of the Rain: A thousand gods in every falling drop.
The Hidden Orisha: Deities of the forgotten valleys and caves.
The Echo in the Forest: Spirits who mimic the hunter’s call.
The God of the Loom: The divinity found in the weaving of cloth.
The Fire’s Tongue: The spirit that lives in the hearth’s flame.
The Road-Walkers: Spirits who travel the highways of the bush.
The Animal Guides: The leopard, the python, and the eagle’s soul.
The Silent Many: A sonnet for the gods whose names were lost to time.
The Diaspora’s Song: How the four thousand crossed the dark water.
VI. The Cycle Completes (Sonnets 46-50)
The Palm Nut’s Wisdom: Sixteen signs that tell the story of all.
The Priest’s Chant: The Babalawo speaking to the void.
The Sacrifice: What we give to keep the world in balance.
The Return to Ife: All spirits returning to the holy center.
The Eternal Irunmole: A final sonnet for the four thousand, one and all.Now enjoy the reading.
First Sonnet (Sonnet 1: Olodumare)
The sky is vast, a canvas stretched so wide,
No eye can find the border of His throne.
Within the silent blue, the secrets hide,
Of things created, and of things unknown.
He does not walk the dust of earthly street,
Nor does He taste the palm wine or the oil,
Yet every pulse of life and every beat,
Is governed by the Master of the soil.
Before the first of Irunmole came,
Before the ocean’s salt began to sting,
He whispered into being every name,
The Breath of Life, the Everlasting King.
No shrine is built for Him by mortal hand,
Who holds the universe within His span.
No comments:
Post a Comment