For its ingenuity, even the blob of the “Realisations@30’’, a collection of poems by Olaitan Sanya- Abiodun, is presented with poems, indicating a clear insight to readers’ expectations.
The 83-page book also presents an electric mix of life experience and the divine intervention, giving the assurance of overcoming most of challenges in life.
The poet’s contents and structural semiotics provide informed methods with the aim of enhancing the readers’ understanding of her focus on subjects being discussed, although in an abstract manner, typical of poems.
However, although many of the poems look like sonnet — poems with 14 rhyme lines — most of the topics lack the attributes of a sonnet, not even in patterns and the sequence of words usage.
This, however, does not erode the clarity of the messages to the readers that emphasise courage, faith in God, dignity, resilience, diligence and planning, among other values.
The poems uniquely summarise Sanya-Abiodun’s life experience in all facets of life, love-life inclusive, offering advice and divine steps to take for the readers when such situations arise.
On Page 11 of the book is the writer’s reference to her personal experience when she writes: “In Me’’
In Lillian lies God and fame;
I bewilder the tokens of lust and hate;
But remember we are humans;
And this thing can change
In me a bigger one;
Of dreams and a sparkled tomorrow;
When I survey Abuja and the world;
I know life is not more than me
In the poet’s view in this lines, although there are challenges of life in every situation that can scare human beings, with confidence, diligence and faith in God, such challenges will filter away.
Apparently referring to Africans’ view of proper marriage, the poet writes in Page 17 of the book: “Singleness’’
I hear “unique’’;
I say “no’’
In Africa, it’s taboo;
In the West, it’s funky;
I love my culture regardless;
Singleness of purpose I need;
Singleness in marriage I forbid!;
Singleness in status is cute;
I love myself;
I must be single;
Till am ready to be coupled
Sanya-Abiodun goes on more to delve in more contemporary social issues, especially among the youth; the age bracket in which she is chief.
She is a poet that has clearly demonstrated how the youth can clearly separate emotions from realities of life in any circumstances.
This review, therefore agrees with the view of Michael Abiodun who writes the foreword of the collection, that the book is a mental door-opener to the past, present and the future.
According to him, if any relationship is strained among the youth or some are worried about the challenges of life, reading the relevant portions of the poems will provide consolation and a way of overcoming such situations.
Apart from little editing errors in some of the poems, the book is recommended for students, family and avid readers.
The poet also calls the attention of the readers to the necessity of reading the book when she writes in the blob of the book that “From a poultry breeds the sterile, the eggs, the sick; from somewhere come something; just look over there, you will find it’’. (NANFeatures)
