Donovan Dicks

The Greatest Still Fall

Well known throughout the nine villages

And even beyond
Slippery as a fish in water
Okonkwos fame had grown like a bush fire
The greatest wrestler and warrior alive
Killed five men in battle
Fall to pieces because he has added a boy

When did you become a shivering old woman?

He shivered
Okonkwo, you have become a woman indeed
He expelled it by thinking about his own strength
Not a man of thought but of action
Okonkwo was beginning to feel like his old self

The men drank

They talked
The world is large
For the first time in three nights
Okonkwo slept
His mind went back
Without making him feel uneasy
He began to wonder why he had felt uneasy at all

The priestess had crawled out of the shrine

Okonkwo and his wife followed
He had not slept at all
He had felt very anxious but did not show it
He had become gravely worried
When did you become a shivering old woman?
The greatest wrestler and warrior alive
Become a shivering old woman?

A cold shiver ran down Okonkwos back

Somebody was dead
It was Okonkwos village
From the center of the delirious fury
A cry of agony
Shouts of horror
Okonkwos gun had exploded
A boy lay in a pool of blood
Nothing like this had ever happened
Okonkwo was to flee from the clan
Okonkwo and his family were fleeing
To seek refuge in his motherland

Beginning life anew without youth

To become left handed in old age
Work no longer had for him the pleasure it used to
Okonkwo had yielded to despair
He was greatly troubled

Why is Okonkwo with us today?

Mother is Supreme
Why is that one of the commonest names?
I do not know the answer
So you see that you are a child
Is it right that you should refuse to be comforted?
If you allow your sorrow to kill you
They will all die in exile

You think you are the greatest sufferer in the world?

I had six wives once
I have none now
I have buried twenty-two children
I did not hang myself
I am still alive
For whom is it well?
There is no one for whom it is well

His friend came to visit him

Okonkwo was very happy
Two years later
His friend paid another visit
The circumstances were less happy
How is your father?
I dont know. He is not my father
Okonkwos head was bowed in sadness
Okonkwo was deeply grieved

Where is he?
He is not here
Where is he?
He is not here
They came to the tree
From which Okonkwos body was dangling

You think you are the greatest sufferer in the world?

For whom is it well?
There is no one for whom it is well
When did you become a shivering old woman?
Not a man of thought but of action
The greatest wrestler and warrior alive
Fall to pieces
When did you become a shivering old woman?
Okonkwo, you have become a woman indeed