Internalised normalcy and ableism

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91 Ebe ihe ọkụkụ na-aba ụba Where poultry farm increases

Na-enyeju mmadụ afọ; And feeds the people fully Ebe obere mmiri na-achị achị Where little streams flourish

Na-egbu bam bam Sparkling brightly.

Na-adị jụụ, na-akụjụ obi With cool and calming effect

Onye nọ n‟ọrụ One at work

Mgbe ụbọchị dị ọkụ When the weather is hot Ee, leenu otu ụmụ nnụnụ Yes, look at the birds Na-efegharị na-egwugharị egwu Flying and playing freely Na-eti pịọ, pịrọọ pịrọọ Whistling, loudly

Na-abatacha n‟ime ụlọ Even entering into the house

Ihe obi ụtọ All for joy

Leenu otu ebe niile si dị jụụ See how the atmosphere is serene Mmadụ abụrụ ezi mmadụ People are goodly natured

Chineke kere God created

N‟abụghị ihe a kpụrụ akpụ And not statutes

Na-enweghị ohere That has no time,

Ichere onwe ya echiche. To ponder for themselves Mmadụ abụrụkwa ezi nwanne ibe ya Relating well with the relations Ha ezigbo onye agbata obi ibe ya And good neighborhood

Ihe ndị a ka m chọrọ. All these are my desire

Ha kara mma mma They are much more precious

Karịa ọla ọcha na ọla edo niile Than all the gold and silver Nke jupụtara na nnukwu obodo That is filled in city life

Biko, hapụ m n‟ime ime obodo Please leave me alone in the village

Ka m dịrị ndụ m So I can live

Na-enwere obi ụtọ m. And enjoy continous happiness

Echebima, G. N. (Akọ Na Uche 2001) This is a poem of nine stanzas written by Echebima. It is a praise poem that extols the life in the rural area and criticizes the life in the city. The themes are:

A. Therapy in the quietness of rural life B. Tranquility amidst the strife of life C. Rural poverty

D. Desire to be free

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The state of the society where we live is that of chaos, noise, too many struggles, conflicts and confusions. These are what the city life is all about. With all these development – the sky scrapers, the tall magnificent buildings, the tarred roads, the fleet of cars and busy people every where struggling without rest, morning, afternoon and night. The poet dislikes the noisy commotions observed in the city life stressing also that these people in the city have no time for brotherly or neighbourly friendship and relationship. Saying hello is just enough.

The poet is in love with life in the village because of the fresh, unpolluted air as against the polluted and smoky air in the city. Trees fill everywhere, providing fresh air and quietness, as against the deforestation carried out in the city, leaving the environment open and without shades. The cool village streams and springs that refresh and cool the weather during hot seasons, the peace, harmony and quietness of life as against the stampede, turmoil, bombings/ shootings, confusion, hustle and bustle, struggles, intimidations, jealousy and oppressions observed in the city life where everybody is struggling hard to survive, and selfishly never caring about the welfare of his neighbour. The fresh fruits, the natural spring waters to drink, the beauty of God‟s creations and the natural beauties all around the rural setting, the love shared among brethren. All these re-juvenate and make the poet never wanting to dwell in the city where there is no rest, Hence:

Enyị m, ị na-achọ igosi m

Ebe ụmụ mmadụ enweghị ezumike

Ma n‟ụtụtụ, ma n‟ehihe, ma n‟abalị (Stanza 3, line 1 – 3)

For all the pyramids of magnificent buildings, the tarred roads and the fleet of posh cars, the poet prefers the rural village which he says is most valuable to him than silver and gold. Hence:

Ha kara maa mma

Karịa ọla ọcha na ọla edo niile

Nke juputara na nnukwu obodo (Stanza 8 line 3 – 5) They are more valuable

Than silver and gold

93 That is filled in the big cities

The message of the poet is clear. For all to de-congest people from the many populated cities and re-locate to the rural area where food, water, health, peace, joy and happiness reside, it is of great necessity to develop the home of the poor man whom society has forgotten. Rural development of a country is the best way to get farm products quickly and economically. Fresh foods are essential to health.

A society whose people live in poverty and ignorance is a country that is destined to wither on the vine. To ignore the rural development in the community means wasting our natural resources, the talents and giftedness of our people. There are so many untapped natural and human resources and potentials wasting away in the rural community. These rural dwellers wallow in rot and underdevelopment as against the dwellers in the city that have good roads and other social amenities.

(See Picture 12 Pg. 183).Equal opportunities should exist with “liberty and justice for all”. Rural development can attract tourism and recreation if government harness and organize the cultural artifacts in the rural community. Rural development improves the quality of life and economic well-being of the people. It can generate jobs through agricultural and domestic farming and stimulate industrial and commercial growth in the economy. The poet concludes with an appeal to be left alone, to be in peace in the village where he finds peace, joy and happiness to live his life in full satisfaction.

Thus:

Biko hapụ m n‟ime ime obodo Ka m diri ndụ m

Na-enwere obi ụtọ m

Please leave me alone in the village So that I can live my life

And enjoy continual happiness (Stanza 9, line 1 - 3)

There is nothing like peace of mind. There is therapy in the quietness of life.

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The village life offers a kind of refuge for the poor, weak or sick; a hiding place for people who cannot withstand the competitive harsh condition of bustling and hustling experienced daily by city dwellers.

Life is much better in the village especially for the poor because they do not have to pay rents as tenants or be chased about by the landlord because they live in their village house. There are no bombing, shootings, stampede, strife and commotions that can warrant high blood pressure and stress because the village life is peaceful and restorative. There is no place like home; East or West, home is the best.

However, because the cities are highly developed while the rural village is undeveloped, a big gap is created between the rich and the poor while the rich are living in comfort, the poor live in poverty, eking out a living in what ever way they can. This aligns with the Karl Marx ideology that explains and draws attention to the class struggle; the political, social and economic gap between the upper class and the lower class encapsulates the glaring injustice and seeks to address these imbalances.