Contemplation on Owonrin Ogunda (oworin ogunda, ojuani ogunda)

A vanity has bewitched so many
I am left wondering what will remain
When the spell has lifted
Truth has become the enemy
In a war waged by the righteous
More concerned with being right
Then doing what is right
Science has been gutted and left for dead
Another casualty of the crusade against a
Perceived enemy that does not exist
Truth has been forsaken for dominance
Leading us down the same dark path
That has devastated humanity
Over and over throughout the centuries
A tyranny of might
Is always driven by
A nucleus of fright
Feeding the mayhem that
Leads to an inevitable
Mass exodus of souls
I hope this time is not like the last
I hope this time we come to our senses
I hope this time the body count is not so high
Remember when there is no one left to go after
They will go after you

Contemplation on the Odu Oshe Osa ( oshe'sa , Oche sa )

You can not buy Ifa
Wisdom is not for sale
No one can teach you Ifa
Knowledge is born from life
Few will grasp the meaning of Ifa
Understanding comes from deep within
Only the rainbow can capture the spirit of Ifa
Insight happens when blindness allows you to see
How then will you capture Ifa
When it dances in your hands
Like a tornado from heaven
Rearranging the landscape
Then vanishing into thin air
By each time placing yourself
Squarely at its center
Letting the chips fall as they may
Then clearly seeing what needs to be done
In the aftermath
Ifa is chaos
Ifa is synchronicity
Ifa is

Contemplation on the odu Oshe Ogunda

Humankind brought to its knees by an invisible enemy
Perfectly amoral and silently efficient
A killing machine whose defeat requires we look
Closely at ourselves and others
Like a trojan horse entering the most sacred of temples
We do not know if our enemy stands next to us or is us
We are each in time revealed
Whether through word deed or lack thereof
That is the cruelty of this enemy
Until we are humbled by its power and act accordingly
We can will not win
We can not win
Unity of purpose is the only place we will find salvation
The only path to victory
Together we build palaces in the sky
Apart we never get beyond the first story
I choose us ... who do you choose?

Contemplation on the Odu Ika Iwori

When you decide to 

Fully live in the

Moment

Is when you will finally achieve

Immortality

Jump off the edge of darkness

Timeless love will cradle you

In its warm embrace

Forever 

Contemplation on the Odu Ika Oshe

People want magic to fit in a bottle

But most often it doesn’t

Magic at its best is

Messy 

Contemplation on the odu Ika Ogunda

I stand

Center stage

Blinded by a flood of light

Hoping to be heard

Dreaming of acceptance

That will never come

Shamans live

In forests

On mountains

Invisible even amongst the masses

Being other

Is the gift and curse of

Sight

Silently I scream before opening

My mouth

In roaring whispers I

Paint pictures of humanity

Upon your eardrums

Forcing you to reconcile

Your truth

With truth

A vengeful angel of mercy

Wreaking havoc with the 

Building blocks of your 

Moral constructs

I pray for you

For us all

In poetic streams

While guiding you towards the

Edge of rapture

Performing a slight of word

Before disappearing

Leaving you to question

What is real

What is dream

What is truth

As you leave the performance

Bewildered

Wondering

How did I get here

What does this mean

Who am I

Really

New contemplation on the Odu Otura Meji

I am alone
This room is cold
Silence wraps me tightly
Unclear whether my eyes are open
My sight betrays only the darkness that surrounds me
Entombed in a void of my own creation
Screaming and shouting
Harsh obscenities
At no one
I reach deep inside
Move through my throat
Into the recesses of my tangled soul
Desperately clawing my way through the madness until
My hand reaches that flickering light
Pulling frantically upwards
Releasing a beauty
Into the world
So I might
See
I was born
Then I was reborn
Created from broken pieces
Swept up after each bone crushing fall
A mosaic of understanding
Enlightened mind
Clear sight
Alive
I will never be alone
When wisdom is my companion
I was reborn so I can
Live

Contemplation on the Odu Irosun Oyekun

There are some doors
We must walk through alone
Open only for an instant
Before vanishing
One step forward and
We become one
With everything
And
Nothing
This world of slumber
Is permanently wiped
From our eyes
So we can finally
Grab the key
Unlocking
Eternity

Ifalola's Odu Ifa poetry book review

Alaafia all,

A break from the usual poetry to offer up this wonderful review of my book "This poem called life: Contemplations on Odu Ifa".

Marcos Ifalola Sanchez's poems are the result of deep contemplation upon the wisdom of the Odu of Ifa. In fact, they can serve as a kind of commentary on the Odu of Ifa for those familiar with the latter, and an accessible introduction for those yet to become acquainted with Ifa. Practical, playful, profound, and piercing, Sanchez's poetry reflects the beauty of the verses of Ifa, but in an idiom, and with a charm, all of its own.
-Oludamini Ogunnaike
Professor of African Religious Thought and Democracy at
The University of Virginia

Thanks so much Professor Ogunnaike!

To purchase your copy, please visit https://www.blurb.com/b/8256683-this-poem-called-life .  Thanks for your support and don't forget to spread the word. 

O'dabo!