By Chris Onuoha

The collection of poems, ‘A Passion of Tide’ has again proved the unflinching love Obinna Chilekezi has for life and nature. His previous works are all testaments to his subtleness to life; suffices to say, a passion that is based on easy living. Certainly his, goes with the saying, ‘show me your friend, and I will tell who you are.’

Obinna needs neither scrutiny nor introduction by anyone to tell who he is. His works define that search and speak volume to this testament. His guise is obvious by the choice of works, language and intuitive projections, as can be seen in his ever increasing publications.

To some people, poets are born, while some strive to become one through knowledge acquisition and practice. Obinna Chilekezi, as a Certified Insurance practitioner has demonstrated that whatever pushes him to care for people’s welfare in a professional ‘Insurance’ manner is coming from the innate disposition that spirals the poetry; hence, churning poem upon poem, is a job made easy through who he is and what he believes in.

He loves humanity so much that the unassuming subtlety towards life and nature in him, brings to bear, the poetic tone, language, imagery and choice of themes applied in his works. You may say he cannot hurt a fly by the way he handles issues, signaling how important it is to understand his point of views expressed in poetic languages.

From his body of poetry works, love, passion, emotional feelings and sense of belonging becloud it all. While some would choose to reflect eventful and awkward experiences in life perhaps, with a strong voice, Obinna Chilekezi would rather douse feelings and rekindle emotions in humanity through his works.

A Passion of Tide, his new book speaks more of his love for nature and humanity. Love here goes beyond eroticism but more vividly on life and ecosystem. From his previous poetic works that were created out of passion for nature and life experiences such as one, during his short sojourn in Banjul, Gambia called ‘Songs of a Stranger at the Smiling Coast’ and including ‘My Son Chilekezi Too Died, Rejection and other Poems among others, the poet has since then, became obsessed with emotional attachment to life, other than hard facts.

In one of his previous poetry publications, “Calligrammes,” Obinna took us on a journey across different spheres of life and its complexities; nature, politics, love, economy and religion of the people in Banjul. This also reveals his passion for humanity and ecosystem seen in the eyes of the small West Coast country called Gambia.

However, what is more appealing in this new collection called ‘A Passion of Tide’ is a subtle enquiry into a seeming bottleneck to love, seen on a title, “Let’s Allow Love To Shine.” This particular poem is just a dot in the midst of his usual pattern. Although he did not let us gawk at his obsession to love in other collections, he bluntly queried how love could thrive in a tense environment.

Certainly, with his knack for easy living, this collection pries more on the rationale behind the insensitive disruption of a system that should and has existed from creation. “… we embrace hatred/To this extent, of killing one another/We’re eliminated from life in full/Then to live again, the eye and mind/Must pause, not to stumble into other’s flaws.”

He went future to urge, “Brothers no other way/Than to let the sun of love/Shine in full for all to see/And we hone living skills/Through eliminating hatred,/Piled-up animosity/For hatred hooked, we hook others too/To hate others more./

But having being troubled by the height of insensitivity on the land which inadvertently affects true love for one another, Obinna, in his usual subtle appeal demands, “Brothers/Let’s go back to divine/Ready-made criterion/Of loving, loving others/Even if their mouth smells/And love others as self/For there’s tons of hope in the land/Though battered/But like the sun in a winter day/And a laughter at this bereavement seasons/O’ let us let love to shine as our sun.”

The poem depicts a clear kill-joy phenomenon that is systematically encroaching into the world today, especially in Nigeria, his fatherland. He went further to ask if it is possible to find a true nationalist who would stand firm and be a role model to the young and unborn. “Can we actually say/Without saliva in mouth/That there lived a great man/That served us without copulating/His purse with public cowry/Drowsing others to hunger and death/In this backyard can we say/There live this Nigerian/That hung his name in our hearts/For good, leaving mind public smiles/On the faces of all, not just stolen laughter/Only for his friends and family/Can we say of him/That even a commoner receives/a welcome hug.”

In between his fears for the punctured love and passion for life, the poet did not deviate much from his usual signature seen with the collections theme: “Passion of Tide.” Titles include “and you lightening my heart with joy; waiting for you; no roses for my Soxna; without your smile.

Others are “This rain; Don’t ask me how; Loneliness; Silence; What a cool day in a rural setting; Why do robins sing in December; my shattered dream; stained glass window; love note to my soxna and my dreams at my footstep.”

There is no doubt to say, the poet reflects more of events of the day in his collection of poems but in an emotion laden pattern. Obinna Chilekezi who started writing at an early age, 12, has remained consistent, churning book after book. He is a chartered Insurance Practitioner and has written many books on insurance of which one of them won the African Insurance Organisation Book Award in 2016.