Nigerian-born Irish poet wins international human rights poetry award

Lind Grant-Oyeye won the human rights poetry award from the Universal Human Rights Student Network (UHRSN) UHRSN with a prize money of €300. Lind Grant-Oyeye uses poetry as a medium for
highlighting social issues.

She topped candidates from over 93 countries to win the first prize with her poem” M.Moments.” M-moments looks at the issue of migration in the face of the refugee crisis. This award was initiated by UHRSN to draw attention to the current refugee crisis in the world, using a-poetry-meets-politics approach.

Below is her Poem, M-Moments:

Silvery hair, bones thinned in-out, of life the silver screen speaks.
Letter M, embossed in audacious colors. It had begun long before her time….

time when clay pots were sanded out to shimmer.
It starts by falling- falling in love. Minute carts tenderly packed
full of moments, full of memories delicately loosely tied together.

It flows with fantasies of prized certificates, a desire for a stamp-the majestic seal of approval.
It flows to the stage of self- journey through dark subways, tunnels to the unfamiliar…
untested promise lands. She heard some had swam bellied-up in wavy pools,
Chillin’ to the historic tempest.

Others swim to “bien venue” cat-calls, to honeymoons filled with French kisses,
flowers and fresh caresses, beauty and beautiful feet planted on cozy carpets,
romance lasting into wintery and the hurricane hugging days.

On strange lands were some feet planted. They kissed strangers
and slept with enemies -red juices pressed against their lips,
with the firm force of a heavy weight boxer’s strength, kissing Judas’ doppelgänger
to the sweet sound of the language from Babel, spoken with a lover’s passion.

Faint memories show M in the alphabet song, is for Migration, for marriage.