JEWEL, a poem based on Wole Soyinka’s «The Lion And The Jewel »

It’s time to start the revolution!
The decision to decide lay with me
Yet I wasted so much time
What was I thinking?

Laugh to scorn
You bloody
excuse of a man

A dream
With a mean
A mission
A misplaced vision

The trauma of losing
Gasping for freedom
Without even pushing

Indeed, I chose
An option disgusted
Unacceptable
But it’s culture!

It is what it is
Don’t oppose
What I want


But if you cannot
If you’re not willing
It’s called Sacrifice
I will stand by my culture!

My name is Jewel.

Why based on Soyinka’s play?

The Lion and The Jewel is a play written by Wole Soyinka. The play places emphasis on the traditional norms and customs that govern marriage. The  Jewel, Sidi is faced with having to marry a learned young man, Lakunle, who is from the city and feels he knows it all, and a King, Baroka, who is highly culturally inclined.

Reading the play caused me to think deeply about the choices that we make in life. At a point, I was very angry with the writer for making Sidi choose the King, Baroka, but after carefully thinking about it, I realized that sometimes hard decisions are the best decisions. She chose the man who was willing to pay her dowry and go according to custom and tradition. I get it - it’s crazy in our modern society to make such a decision. The king is old. Lakunle is young. Yes! I know. But this is where I want you to take a minute and think!

It’s time for the young generation to choose respect over looks! It’s time to know when to walk away and when to say No! It’s time to be a JEWEL.

                                                By Evelyn Asare
                                               (Evelyn The Piper)