In this section, I am trying out an experiment: a serialized narrative poem - really, an epic.  The title of the story is "IFEGI-OKU" (pronounced: eee-fay-gee-oku), literal meaning: "something that holds fire", from the Igbo people of Nigeria.  

No one that I know of is called Ifegi-oku.  If such an individual does exist, I imagine he would most likely be male.  Yet in this story, Ifegi-oku is a young woman who lived and died in pre-missionary Africa, where the action is set.  The story of Ifegi-oku is alluded to in the novel MY SONGBIRD CAN DANCE, the play within the play, so to speak.  If you have already read the novel, you know what I'm talking about.

"IFEGI-OKU" is written as a narrative poem, in present tense and is organized in tight four-line stanzas, varying in length from one page to... well, there are no limits really.  Each "chapter" is an installment.  Each installment reveals a moment in the protagonist's life and, hopefully, moves the story forward.

The idea for this story came when I realized there aren't any African epics... of the style of the Greeks of antiquity.  Since African storytelling was mostly of an oral tradition, with numerous animals representing the characters of individuals, one would be hard-pressed to find a written story in which a mortal, and a girl at that is the star of the show, so to speak.  Of course, I stand corrected if such a thing does exist.  In any case, these musings brought about the idea of Ifegi-oku ... a headstrong girl who rocks her part of the world with her inflexible stance to follow her heart.  

As far as this page is concerned, I will try to add a chapter/installment at least once a month (more often if time and my muse permit).  At the end of the epic - I have no clue when that shall be - I will bind the entire effort into a book that will be available for you to own.  

Since this is called the POETRY page though, it does imply there should be more poetic pieces than just the one - albeit, a long story, right?  Therefore, it is possible that other pieces may come to exist here.  Do not hold it against me if I fall short of that ambition.

Thank you, and enjoy IFEGI-OKU.

Sincerely,

Vigil Chimé

Please click a chapter below to start reading.