XOXO

Our winners are here!!! Happy New Year??????. It’s that time of the year when everyone is trying to get their destiny together. God has been so faithful. I want to thank all of you that submitted your entries. 

1. Emem Ekanem. I guess she knows the writer so well. Her explanation is on point. Her prize is Antidote by Corey Van Landingham. 

The first four lines showed the writer was tired probably from a journey to somewhere she had no idea about. The journey was long and she looked emaciated from hunger.  From ‘the chit chat’ phrase, there were other people having a conversation but the writer didn’t join in. 

She heard voices and couldn’t figure out a word. This could be as a result of not concentrating or them speaking in a foreign language unknown to her in this place she came to. She wasn’t concentrating. She had mixed feelings of sadness and happiness at the same time. 

Someone spoke to her and there was a physical attraction to this person. The writer became very shy. It could be as a result of her looking unkempt. She stammered when she spoke to him. Her hair was also scattered. It was black and had a white tip. The writer revealed she was in a weak mood (fragile state) and she was trying to be perfect (utopian) 

He was welcoming to her but she didn’t want to show her emotions immediately after she admired his looks. In her guts she knew he was the one she would fall in love with. 

The writer had doubts she would fit his perfection. Summer represents joviality, warmth, liberation, light. Sunflower represents happiness, vitality, unwavering adoration, devotion. She thought he would get all these from the neighbour or someone else but her fears were put to ease (it didn’t happen)

Winter (December to March) and Spring (March to May) was filled with laughter. This is supposedly the time time they had together. Even when the writer was down, her days were filled with smiles from her dandelion which represents courage and pride. He’s seen as a strong man here. 

Cottage and trees shows a rural setting even the livestock as guards shows presence of animals like goats, sheep, chicken etc everywhere. The writer was scared the happiness she found would end soon. She became disoriented. She cried a lot and felt pain (that love kind of pain)
Putting threads and thimble signifies the writer started sewing and when she got injured, the red blood flowing reminded her of love. 

Despicability shows something bad and terrible happened between either of them but there was forgiveness. It didn’t seem they were far apart anymore because of how frequent they saw each other. Households United probably through marriage. Hearts became one showed true love and yin yang shows the balance in their lives. 

2.  Precious Osanebi. Her prize is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

The poem is about a girl who went to a strange land, she was a bit depressed and shy but she found someone who she fell in love with at first sight. She thought he was too perfect for her and she wasn’t worthy of his love. She was also scared he would fall in love with the girl next door but he didn’t because her days with him was filled with sunshine and laughter. Their love story was a simple one as hinted with (cottage, trees, livestock). The writer found happiness and thought it won’t be for long so she felt sad. In the end they came back together, married and had a happy ending. 

3. Nnaemeka Uzomba. His prize is The Art of War by Sun Tzu. 

It’s a love story like any other, unlike any other. It begins with the moment ‘she’ met ‘him’, the writer explicitly states how ‘she’ was neither in the right frame of mind nor physical state for the journey ‘she’ was set to embark on, yet from the beginning, ‘she’ saw the end. The writer then goes on to tell us how this story was to be the “and they lived happily ever after” in spite of ‘her’ fears emanating from the onset to curb this joy ‘she’ had found while ‘she’ wasn’t actively searching. 

In one sentence, my interpretation is this: all that we seek, seeks for us too.