For Ayo Banjo at 90, By Niyi Osundare

Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo

Seasons come, seasons spell But your virtues stay dependable Untouched by passing fancies
Below is simply a somewhat amended mentation Of my ode to the Teacher
Two singular decades ago….

*

Old teachers ne'er die;
They simply wax wiser with passing moons…
Old teachers ne'er die

The vino of property is winking successful your glass,
Sip it successful style;
Sip it with relish.

For erstwhile you sat in the saddle*,
You ne'er rode roughshod upon our earth.
Your dependable called up our depths

Your soundlessness gingered america into song
Our increasing scrawls mellowed into hieroglyphs
On the tender papyrus that was your palm:

(Allophones we all, of your blessed phoneme)
Liberal star, compassionate moon.
Scion of a banal successful league with Light

Let your ebony laughter unknot our brows
As we travel each play from entity to sky
Powered by the upwind of your word.

Morning by morning**
We number your blessings
And respect our days

Old teachers ne'er die;
They simply wax wiser with passing moons..

** In the Saddle and Morning by Morning are 2 exceptionally crafted and evocative autobiographies of Ayo Banjo.

Niyi Osundare, 1 of Africa’s foremost poets and academics, is Emeritus Distinguished Professor of English, University of New Orleans.