Recounting a myriad encounters in the boulevard of memories - A review of Dr Olushola Adeborode Kolawole's book, 'Reflections'.


Reflection is looking back, so that the view forward is even clearer - anonymous

Dr Olushola Adeborode Kolawole writes with the gusto of a ready writer, plying the lush garden of words with pomp and style; and the riveting evocations in this brilliant ouvre , will first curl around your essence before drawing you into the intricacies within the simplicity of the work and introduce you to the unflinching brilliance of this splendid collection of poems.

Dr Kolawole emotes like a wordsmith beating every word into shape till it conforms to the bindings and biddings as assigned. Dr Kolawole bends words like a master craftsman with a lilt of grace to his pen, to fitly suit his musings. His collection of poems seem like a cluster of grapes from which a reaper could slake his throat with as much as necessary.

This collection of poems, 'Reflections', explores different themes of human experiences ; accentuating the need for the trimetric pitchfork of hindsight , foresight and insight, strung to the leash of reflections in the safari of life.

Dr OAK, demonstrated in this collection, why we all need to reflect on our actions and inactions and every moment that has brought us high and low. And that by reflection, we learn new strategies, pick the holes in our plans, redesign our plans and cleverly blot out certain recurring mistakes which have held us down; and also that through reflections, men are made and also become wiser and equipped in the pursuit of their intangible and ephemeral dreams.

Dr Olushola Adeborode Kolawole in the poem, Time, depicted the importance of being conscious of the hourly glass of time that pours in every split second and why we all should avoid the glistening snare of worthless strides and also shun the company of sleazy persons. The poem also extolled the brevity of time and how time should always be employed for productive engagements.

In the poem, racism, Dr Olushola Adeborode Kolawole lend his voice to the issues of racial discrimination across geographies and sue for such tension to be doused through equality and fraternity and the overt yielding of countries to the basic tenets of the fundamental principles of human rights.


Dr Kolawole, in the poem, friendship, painted the critical imprint of friends on our direction in life; corroborating the old adage that says, 'show me your friend, and I will tell you who you are'.

In this collection of fifty poems of inspiration, Dr Olushola Adeborode Kolawole took us on a poignant ride in the speedboat of this amazing write, as he traversed a wide range of themes , from friendship to racism, courage , freedom, backbiters , patriotism, Daffodils, wake up call, nature , rain , Nigeria , heroes , boredom, positive thinking, to mention but a few. Dr Olushola Adeborode Kolawole wove every line with deft cognisance of the use of precise literary devices in each poem; employing metaphors to grease our imagination with suspense. Each poem is paunchy and easy to read and is written in everyday language. Surely, Reflections is a compelling body of work worthy of accolades for a first body of work by a prismatic writer, and a delightsome read for all lovers of poetry.