Silent Storms

 

By

Obododimma Oha

The title of this essay is from a poem by Bimbola Faith. Naturally, storms are noisy and do frighten some of us. So, to talk of "silent storms" is to make the reader think twice. Poets use expressions that confuse us, to force us to scratch our heads, sometimes contradictory  expressions . In that kind of case, one just has to read and re-read. After reading and rereading Faith's "Ray of Hope" and encountering "silent storms," I thought deeply about its meanings.

When I think of storms, what comes to my mind is destruction, tearing, mangling, explosion, death and pain.

But applied to human life, we are told by psychologists that some storms are good for us. A little stress keeps us well exercised.

The poem interestingly puts storms against smiles. So, these "storms" are not the normal ones we know. Different experiences understood as "storms." The poet even qualifies the storms as operating silently within many the human being.

But culture is there to help us."Dimpled smiles" and even "ray of hope." Rays give warmth and dimples are seen as indexical signs of beauty in many African cultures. But that dimples are indicators of presence of beauty is simplistic. There is nothing in that depression on the temple that can signify beauty. In fact, elsewhere and other times, dimples could suggest ugliness.

"Ray of Hope" is calming. Consoling. Ray is actually hope, a connotation that is welcoming. It suggests a good management of the silent storms.

Let us consider the storm more closely.
(1) It is not heard outside the person.
(2) They are still destructive (" ravaging").
(3) They are deceptive in the signification that follows.

Tears are also signs of pain from the storm.  The storms bring sadness. They give birth to "tearing eyes."

But there is still hope.

The poet chooses to be elliptical about the acts of the silent storms. So, we have to imagine them? Biting instead of kissing? Frisking instead of hugging? Slapping instead of laughing foolishly?

I don't like storms, whether metaphorical or real. They scare me. Last time I read *Kontiki Expedition*and *Treasure Island*,I had to hold the person nearby to be able to sleep.

No poem, they say, is ever finished. Only abandoned. And so I believe that we are only given the introduction in "Ray of Hope." The full poem is on the way, just like this brief essay.