A poet’s celebration of mother’s love

A review of Olumide Sowunmi’s collection of poem, Songs for Amori.
 A mother’s love is indescribable, and this is what probably prompted Olumide Sowunmi to pen a collection of poems, Songs for Amori for his mother.

In speaking the mind of Sowunmi, Jare Ajayi, in the introduction, explains that, “anyone who reads this anthology will encounter an expression of love and profound respect for motherhood.”

Ajayi says: “Sowunmi, employing simple words, poetically celebrates motherhood, waxing philosophical and metaphysical by giving insight into what made his mother tick.

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“Recalling some of the positive attributes of his mum, the poet tactically calls attention to some of the lessons that the life of the woman preach.”

The collection opens with Amori, where the poet describes spirituality as the pillar of his mother’s life.

Sowunmi further reveals that the woman is always ready to help, while love is everything about her.

In The Best of Amori, the poet reveals the attributes of his mother, explaining that:

Loyal and devoted

Straightforward and orderly

Large-hearted mama and grandma.

He further reveals the woman’s profession as a nurse, as well as her skills when he says:

Passionate and peace-loving nurse

She sews as she hoes

Tailor of smooth stitches

Farmer with uncommon passion

Practitioner of fair politics

Mama of word and craft.”

The poet also reveals his mother as someone who promoted family planning in the poem, Marvels of a dear mother.

He says:

Set in her white uniform of holy nature

Mother puts on her cape of mercy

Moving round the city of Ibadan

Chanting the lyrics of cleanliness

From Bere to Foko, Oranyan to Oje

Popo to Inalende, Molete to Onireke

And UCH

Preaching the gospel of family planning.

In the poem, At Amori’s Departure, one can sense the heavy heart of the poet when he says:

Men screamed

The sky wept

Sky wept

Then men and women

Young and old

In the spirit of good

Gathered in celebration

At Amori’s departure.

With 19 poems, Sowunmi reveals how much his mother meant to him, and the huge vacuum created with her passage.