Poetry: Death Shall Equalize Us All

by Michael Udenyi

There are as many offenders as are the laws
One for the rich one for the poor
The law is an ass that’s been messed by flaws,
But death shall equalize us all.

When their cup is full to overflow
And their evils unguarded go
They live to die and in resurrection overgrow,
But death shall remedy all their woe.

When two play one must loose
Life or death each one must choose
All must die all must cruise,
But death and life in love must fuse.

Let the criminal that decree against crime
Die painfully, yes die for a long time
The good die young, yes in their prime
But time cannot heal, no not in time.

 

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Category: Literature

Title: Death and the King’s Horseman

Sub categories: African literature, drama, theatre

Author: Wole Soyinka

About: District Officer Pilkings has a habit of sticking his nose in where it has no business, but then again so do most colonial masters. District Officer Pilkings, however, should know better than to stick his nose in the business of sacred traditional African rites. Customs demand that upon the death of Oba, the Horseman to the King must proudly end his earthly life and join his master in the life after. Elesin Oba is a proud man from a proud lineage who is unwavering in his belief and practice of his proud tradition. On what is to be his final day as a man Elesin Oba looks forward, with pride, to facing death. But District Officer Pilkings, he has a habit of sticking his nose in where it has no business.

Thoughts: from the legend himself, this play exudes grandeur from cover to cover (and even some classic cockiness in the foreword from the author). Endeavour to look beyond the obvious conflict and you will find a deeper core conflict that expresses the raging battles of man with man, life, death, culture, mysticism, and the beyond.