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Ìṣọ̀làá

Tukur Ridwan

From The Line of Great Elements

Mo tẹ̀síwájú pẹ̀lú yíyí afẹ́fẹ́, tí ń gbá erùpè

Kúrò lójú ọ̀nà mi, láti ṣí ọ̀nà sí ìjọba àtijọ́

Ti àwọn baba ńlá mi. Mo wá láti bùkún

Àyíká yìí pẹ̀lú ìpèsè ewì.


Mo wá bí ìtàn òṣùpá, tí ń jókòó

Láàárín àkójọ ipa’sè láti tọpasẹ̀ 

Orúkọ mi dé gbòngbò rẹ̀, bí àgbẹ̀ tí ń wale 

Sínú ìsàlẹ̀ ilẹ̀ fún ìkórè ọ̀la.


Láti ilẹ̀ amọ̀ ti ilẹ̀ Àfọ̀njàá,

Bàbá àgbà mi, Ìṣọ̀làá, lọ sí ìhà gúúsù,

Ó sì tẹ̀dó sí Olúwọlé láti tan àwọn irúgbìn rẹ̀.

Èmi, Ìṣọ̀làá, jẹ́ ọ̀kan lára àwọn irúgbìn wọ̀nyí ní Erékùṣù.


L’àárín gbùgbù Èkó Ilé, mo jẹ́ ọ̀kan lára

Ìkórè ọ̀la ti bàbá àgbà mi—tí a sọ ní orúkọ rẹ̀.

Èmi ni ọjọ́ ọ̀la ilẹ̀ náà tí bàbá mi

Rí fún wa láti tẹ̀síwájú pẹ̀lú gbígbín náà



I advance with the wind’s whirl, sweeping the soil 

Off my path, to unfold the road towards the olden 

Empire of my ancestors. I’ve come to bless the

Ambience with the bequeathment of poetry.


I come like a moonlight tale, sitting 

Amidst gathered footprints to trace my name

To its roots, like a farmer digs into the soil’s 

Crevice for tomorrow’s harvests.


From the clayish terrain ofÀfọ̀njàá's homeland, 

My grandfather, Ìṣọ̀làá, headed further south

And settled in Olúwọlé to spread his seeds.

I, Ìṣọ̀làá, am one of these seeds on the Island.


In the heart of Èkó Ilé, I’m one of my grandfather’s

Tomorrow’s harvests—named after him. 

I’m the future of the land where my father 

Found a home for us to continue the plantation.


About the Author

Tukur Ridwan

Tukur Ridwan

is a Nigerian author of three chapbooks, poetry mentor at SprinNG Writing Fellowship, and winner of Brigitte Poirson Monthly Poetry Prize (March 2018). Publications include AKé Review, Poetry Potion, Coalition Works, Stripes, Engendered, Afrihill, Ojùjú, Afrocritik, Everscribe, Prosetrics, Zoetic Press, Empyrean, Suburban Witchcraft, ArtisansQuill, and many more. His poems were shortlisted in the Collins Elesiro Poetry Contest (2019), the Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize (2020), the Bridgette James Poetry Competition (2025) and also featured in the "Eyes that Speak" Art Exhibition by Prince Saheed Adelakun in 2024. X and IG @Oreal2kur