A Review of Obinna Chilekezi’s A Passion Of Tide by Lynn White

These are splendid love poems written with a distinctive voice. The love of Obinna Chilekezi for his Soxna, for his home, for his life spill out in his words.

He writes of his love at a distance, seeing her smiles in “this rainbowed light”. Such beautiful words streaking across space in the opening poem and floating through dreams as he continues in his longing. And later in “without your smile” he deals with the pain and loss of an angry parting and this sense is present in many of the later work here.

“Let’s allow love to shine” is more philosophical engaging with love and hate in wider society recognising that “For hatred hooked, we hook others too/To hate othersmore”. Such evocative phrasing recognising the power of hatred and the need to love others “Even if their mouth smells” to bring hope and laughter back to us.

Many poems express love of his home, the animals and flowers, rivers and sunshine -even the occasional heavy rain. Living in north Wales I can identify with that! I loved “This rain”. But the rest is exotic (for me!) and revealing and beautiful.

He goes on to explore more human relationships and emotions always referencing love, loss and longing and locating the poems firmly in his particular environment both urban and natural, and it’s changing seasons. I wondered if he had actively plucked the phrase “in company of butterflies” from the American artist Whistler!

I’ve done so myself! Too beautiful a phrase not to re-use in the 21st century! Altogether a beautiful evocative collection that I was pleased to review.

You can get A Passion of Tide here.

https://selar.co/A%20Passion%20of%20Tide