BRIGITTE POIRSON ON MY HALL OF FAME by Ebi Robert

Our Hall of fame has many names indeed. We appreciated some names last year which is the normal practice in the community. This year we shall be recognizing a gem so rare. I call her my second mother from a foreign land. She is no other person than Prof. Brigitte Poirson from Dole, France. Brigitte Poirson is a former language teacher and university lecturer in France and England. Brigitte Poirson has published eight books in French and in English, and won numerous awards for her prose and poetry, apart from books she has contributed to within and outside. She is also the curator and editor of Via Grapevine, a series of anthologies published in South Africa. She has edited many works written by writers all over the world including AN EMPTY KINGDOM. She currently works as an editor with Words Rhymes and Rhythm, a Nigerian online publisher, and with Expound magazine, improving African Literature. The popular monthly and annual poetry competition organized by World Rhymes and Rhythm is named after her. This great woman wrote the forward of AN EMPTY KINGDOM. I must say this: “I have not seen Brigitte Poirson before. I have not seen her in person. We just talk on social media, yet without me asking, she volunteered to help edit my play, seeing that I am a young writer that should be encouraged. This woman never asked me for anything, not even a dine. In where I come from, writers are hardly encouraged; people rather want to eat from you because they see every vacuum as business opportunity. They do not care to know how you started but what they know is to profit from me by way of money gains and so they ask for money for every little help to render (with few exceptions). But this lady has edited and improved my writings in many ways without asking for a naira or a dollar from me. I admire her for this. How I wish our established writers over here can act like this woman, many young writers would have been established far better than they are.” Let me tell you a little story of mine.

“There is this Mr. A. He is a local writer in my place. In other to get him pen down a review for my work, I spent 10,000 naira. I am talking about an established writer that ought to help the young ones out. I was even told he got pissed off at the first 5, 000 naira. In other to project the book further, another sum was paid which amount I won’t mention, but be well assured it is above 30,000 naira. I was told the money will be used to help persons who will help make the project work. But to my beholding, I was made to understand after sometime that not a dine was given to them. This invariably means that one man mismanaged it all. If I don’t say this, one won’t know what young writers pass through in the hands of their seniors whether they pray for the younger ones rising or for their down fall. Now I ask: How much has “AN EMPTY KINGDOM” provided me with these petty sales, that some persons want to capitalize on it as a means of making money for themselves? If I don’t say it, you won’t know. This is a writer’s plight in where I come from. I know every trick people play on me, but act as if I know nothing. Sometimes it is wise to look foolish for the right reasons. I mean, looking foolish.”

But here is a woman who acted differently like few other from the rest. Because of her great works in my life I decided to pen down this poem in eulogy of her. It’s an eulogical acrostic beyond acrostic.

BIG BRIGITTE, PRICELESS POIRSON

Brigitte, the African Abcoulomb

Igniting the darling design of our Acanthi

Giant voice in my soundless Beginning

Bigger for any write-hand (not right-hand) Adverb

Raining rain on the raining tour

Icing on a righteous rapini

Giant voice in my soundless Beginning

Igniting the acaudal abdomen of our Acanthi

Teacher in a teaching tent

Teacher that poets must rent

Echo of my minstrels’ Tense

Priceless princess on the mountain top

Raining rain on the raining tour

Instituting a cocky cord at our canthi

Calculus that we calculate at calendric

Eagling the African camaraderie

Lady that is humble and loyal

Echoing you an eclogue

Sounds not less for the shepherd’s dress

Sounding your song is sure for the Press

Pay the dues and grace the clap

Ocotillo that is obbligatto

Icing on a righteous rapini

Raping the rhymes on poesy tour

Singing the similes of the shiny shores

Osting her colours on celestial crescendo

Never is this moon brighter than the sun

[Take the first letters of Each line and the last letters of each line separately- what do you get? That's the eulogical Acrostic]. 

                                                                                                              Ebi Robert