ALLEGORICAL: "TURN TABLE" BY AKAN ESSIEN

An owl saw a wolf  

lonely and lean  

and whispered:  

"A dove is good  

for food."

The wolf being told 

became a fool.  

He waited to maul  

the dove  

he was told  

was good  

for food.

Then the owl told the dove:  

"Come, let’s pull  

a naughty old mule  

that sleeps in a pool."

Together they went  

to hatch their plan 

not knowing  

the wolf was waiting  

to munch  

not one  

but two.  

And he did.  

Limbs broken.  

All of them gone.

© Akan Essien

- Uyo, Nigeria.

The poem "TURN TABLE" by Akan Essein tells the story of an owl that manipulates both a wolf and a dove for its own purposes. The owl convinces the hungry wolf that a dove would make a good meal while also persuading the unsuspecting dove to join it in playing a trick on a sleeping mule. Unaware that the wolf is lying in wait, the owl and the dove walk into danger and are attacked. In the end, all those involved suffer destruction, illustrating how deception, greed, and foolishness can lead to tragic consequences. The poem teaches that dishonest schemes and manipulation often bring harm not only to the intended victims but also to those who create or participate in them.