DIRGE: "IN MEMORY OF OGOOGO – OMỌ KULODO" BY OLUMIDE SOWUNMI.

The demise of a hunter is mourned by fellow hunters.  

When a potter departs, the potters sing his dirge.  

When a swimmer breathes his last, the river and its masters cry out loud.  

Ha!  

When a voice of excellence passes on, singers mourn to the high heavens.  

When a man of depth "kicks the bucket", his cult and caucus perform rites of sympathy and solidarity.

You writers of stories,  

You playwrights,  

You actors of note,  

Let us do the needful now that Ogogo has checked out of this planet Earth.

Ogogo, Omo Kulodo!  

I will praise you from now till only God knows!

Ogogo, you are black ebony.  

Tall, and fit for every tailor’s finest designs.  

Taiwo Hassan, you performed and fully paid the rites of the twins.  

Handsome and controversial.  

You were sent as the Lord of Drama.  

You spoke sense in every role you played.  

Only the wise can truly be familiar with you.

You looked tough,  

But you had a soft heart.  

What you hated most was cheating and injustice at its peak.  

Your fury at the return of a falsely jailed prisoner after many years —  

"A bi aye yin fe baje ni!" — will never be forgotten.

Ogogo oooooo! 

Wherever you are, may you be comforted.  

Refuse the millipede,  

Do not eat the earthworms.  

May you be served only the very best that is there.

Sun re o, Akinkanju.

© OLUMIDE SOWUNMI 

- Nigeria.

“In Memory of Ogogo – Ọmọ Kulodo” is an elegiac tribute to the late Nigerian actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo. The poet mourns his passing by comparing the grief surrounding his death to the sorrow experienced when a hunter, potter, swimmer, or artist loses one of their own. Through these comparisons, the poem presents Ogogo as a distinguished figure whose contribution to drama deserves to be remembered by writers, actors, playwrights, and the wider artistic community.

The poet celebrates Ogogo’s physical presence, acting excellence, intelligence, and ability to bring meaning to the characters he portrayed. Beyond his public image as a tough and sometimes controversial actor, the poem reveals a compassionate man with a strong hatred for cheating, injustice, and oppression. His memorable reaction to the wrongful imprisonment of a person particularly illustrates his deep concern for justice.

The closing section adopts a traditional Yoruba farewell, wishing Ogogo peace in the afterlife and honouring him as an Akinkanju (brave/valiant man). Overall, the poem is a heartfelt elegy that combines praise, cultural imagery, remembrance, and grief, preserving Ogogo’s artistic legacy and moral character in the memory of those he left behind.