The poetry collection Symbols And Contemplations is a joint effort from Iguwo Ukwu and Uzoma Nwakuche, two lifelong friends with a shared interest in poetry. With 25 poems penned by Ukwu, and 31 by Nwakuche, the book is divided into two sections that allow each author to have their time in the spotlight.
The books page design and layout is problematic. For some reason, the publishers decided to eschew the standard practice of beginning each new poem on a new page and the result is a cramped and non-reader friendly book layout. It also does not help matters that there is no table of contents, which complicates navigation. Shortcomings with the layout aside, the poems themselves are straightforward and invite the reader to take an introspective journey and ponder on a variety of topics.
The inspiration for the publication’s title is immediately evident in the first half of the book, the section allocated to Ukwu. In the poem Hope, Nigeria is likened to a young virginal bride at the time of its independence, while in That Ancient Van, one of the stand out poems in the first section, that ideal has long been disillusioned, and the country is compared to “a dilapidated piece of ironmongery” that defies mechanics yet still manages to soldier on.
In An Ode To Tattered Symbols, Iguwo Ukwu mourns the faded glory of the Nigerian flag:
Once a symbol of unity in diversity,
Now a diadem of adversity,
Green rusted to brownish black,
White tattered by flak.
In Rebirth, the poet employs a rhyming scheme to rail against societal ills like “legislative hashes”, “plane crashes”, “pipeline explosions” and “political implosions.” A frequent refrain at the conclusions of these poems is hope for better outcomes, ensuring that despite their grief-stricken tone, the poems retain an optimistic outlook.
When he is not contemplating the state of the nation, Ukwu’s other preoccupations include existential ruminations like Why? And Theatre of the Absurd; matters of the heart as in He Waits and Of Old Firewood and Past Loves, an admiration for Fela Kuti (Conversation) as well as personal struggles with insomnia (Insomnia) and an academic career (That Reluctant Academic).
This ability to give both the mundane and the weighty attention is mirrored in Nwakuche’s section of the book. The nuisance of being stuck in traffic jams (Traffic Poem) or dealing with a rodent infestation (Rat Poem) is just as momentous as the economic frustrations harbingered by the depreciating naira (The Dollar Poem). But despite Nigeria’s societal regression, Nwakuche does not give in to despair; instead, as demonstrated in Proud Nigerian, he adopts a patriotic stance, proclaiming his pride in his fatherland:
The feeling overwhelms me,
My memories pacify me,
History absolves me, I now know why,
I am proud to be Nigerian.
Masculinist ideals are interrogated in I Am A Man and To Be A Man is a Problem, meanwhile a persistent yearning for feminine approval suggests appreciation for womankind.
The “Great Woman of the Lake” reverenced in Silence Besieges You! conjures up Uhamiri, the Oguta Lake deity central to Flora Nwapa’s seminal novel Efuru. Incidentally, Nwakuche is Nwapa’s son, and poems like Transformation and My Mother Forever suggest an ongoing conversation with her memory and legacy.
All together, the 56 poems that make up this collection feel relatable to the contemporary reader despite being written over a 20-year period – a testament to the timelessness of poetry.
Now that Ukwu and Nwakuche have both made their literary debut, one wonders what form their sophomore output will take. Another joint effort or solo outings each? Either way, here’s hoping the next book doesn’t take another 20 years.
***Akumbu Uche is a writer and storyteller from Nigeria. Her works have been published by thelagosreview.ng, Aké Review, Brittle Paper, Canthius, The Cincinnati Review, and elsewhere.
