A new poem by Amore David Olamide that contemplates the meanings of Ọ̀yẹ̀kú Méjì, one of the integral verses of the Yorùbá religious corpus Odù Ifá.
The Ifá compilation opens with a chapter called Èjì Ogbè that explores the themes of light and becoming one with the world. In stark contrast the next odù, Ọ̀yẹ̀kú Méjì, addresses the darker aspects of life and suggests that good can come from bad, no matter how unlikely it may seem at the time.
In the following poem, the poet describes the path of an individual who, in order to avert death, adheres to several spiritual preconditions advised by Ifá.
The death that will kill a seasoned swimmer
Will rather make the hyacinth suffer horribly…
