A drum roll of platitudes to the mystic jewel that keeps institutions from falling apart and jabs on other existential embodiments - a review of Odunjo Gbenga David’s ‘Sweet Colours Of Womanhood’. - By Olatunde Baba

Odunjo Gbenga David’s Sweet Colours Of Womanhood reflects the leitmotifs of everyday women and also addresses multifaceted themes that annotate the triggers and importance of the roles of women in societies.

David in his writing, also accentuates the different encounters of women amidst their evolution, expectations, premonitions and realities in this terra firma.

The array of poems in this ouvre, ensconced the invaluable roles of women in the society and how women are the grandmasters of socio -economic viability and conscionable politics in a state.
All successful men in whatever field of life have by cliche, had good women beside them. And all other fallen men may also have been touched by the wrath of this necessary evil - in the words of Shakespeare - as the scythe that brought their doom.

Odunjo Gbenga David wrote about the pains , tribulations and accomplishments of women in the society while extolling the sacrifices they make to ensure the fabric of every home , village, and community does not fall apart.

Gbenga also wrote concerning other spice of life; combing the broad waistline of history and other quotidian topics and also projecting the possible outcomes of societal leanings based on current observations and socio economic processes.

The opening poem , Oju woye, narrates the situation in a local district council market and how people hustle day and night to make ends meet and then the shenanigans of thugs and transport unions around such an environment.


David in the poem, Entanglement, reveals the knotted issues around undefined and indecisive relationships; and how this could turn into a show of shame and blood bath amongst lovers. And warns that things should be defined at start to prevent cock and bull stories, unnecessary cancellation or emotional blackmail.


Odunjo also wrote about sisters and their vital roles in life in the poem , Little Sister, where he asked little sisters to dance and revel in their bond of kindness.

David also critiques the malaise of turpitude in his poem, Lekki tollgate, and also elucidates the questionable posit of constituted authorities and their gaslighting peroration.
This collection of poems is also replete with Cinquains and Haiku which are scarcely patronized technical writing styles in most collections of poems.

Odunjo, in the poem, Sweet Colours Womanhood, relays the sacrifices of women and the important roles women play in accomplishing tasks and maintaining balance in every institution coupled with their innate ability to darn the loose seams of societal moral fabrics while thumping the generational against inertia.

The flowery cadence of David’s work can thus be felt in the poem,

Ebute,
Gaping
patient, calling
sailors long for its beds
arms spread hug for caravans home
at last

Every sailor longs to see the shore again, someday or after so many days no matter how pumped and vested they are in the voyage. So earth is our temporal stay while the after life is a dream deferred.

In the poem, pizza mall, David wrote about a man who had a crush, whose crush turned out to be a soldier lady but still dazed by her blinding beauty.

In this collection of poignant poems; Odunjo Gbenga David has contributed a germane literary piece to the artistic space. We can posit that the sweet colors of womanhood is a brilliant work from the Franklin stove of a special literary breed and a fresh voice in the forested landscape of poetry.