(for Nduka Otiono)
Toyin Falola
how else does a scholar journey
if not through the turbulent tides of doubt, and
the unyielding struggles of perseverance?
Nduka, you have become a beacon of hope
that conquers the darkness of night.
you have journeyed through the wilderness of wisdom,
swam the ocean of knowledge, but never drowned.
here you are, floating on the surface,
where the stars of logic glow like embers in a fire.
you are a sojourner who continues to dream,
even when the sleep is sloppy.
he who dreams has conqured the battle of the mind,
reigning over realms of possibilities and impossibilities.
you have illuminated the minds of those who follow you
you have charted the seas of knowledge, and
paddled the canoe of determination to shores of discoveries.