By Mariam Nihal
There has been a great response to e-books lately being launched on social media platforms, and Ogunfowodu Olufemi, a Nigerian writer is part of that fame. In fact the new trend comes with the wave of new social media poets who like Olufemi, even dedicate their works to Instagram followers. We caught up with the poet who believes he has been writing Broken Wishbones and Empty Spaces since he started writing poetry. “It contains the poems written whenever I'm broken or feel broken,” Olufemi told Saudi Gazette. He recently graduated from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, as a physiotherapist. Discussing this book, he says it is not all poetry. “There are some pieces of prose included in Broken Wishbones and Empty Pieces.”
As the title suggests, the writer delves into and what happens to be one of social media’s favorite or most relatable emotions- heartbreak. Discussing the book, he said: “it's about being heartbroken, it's about understanding that you don't have to be strong always, you need to take time within your grief, welcome it, learn and grow.”
Verses are kept short for effect and the poems exhibit a tragedy that resonates with his readers. Olufemi refuses to use titles and name poems, leaving the interpretation open to readers. “Poetry is such a personal art and everyone interprets a poem differently. Titling a poem can force an interpretation in a specific path, so I’m leaving all the poems untitled with a blank space and you can fill in a title that speaks to you personally. I do hope you enjoy reading them as much I loved writing these pieces of me in words,” he writes.
With this book, Olufemi also wishes to “create a safe haven where every broken person can take shelter, will not be castigated or mocked for breaking. It's a normal and important process in becoming whole.”
Follow the writer on Instagram @pyrokardia
