My Poetry Is Therapy

Excerpt From SUNDAY TRUST Newspaper, May 30, 2010.
Written by Abubakar A. Ibrahim

It is a strange name, InspiroLogos, but for this slender performing poet, it is the perfect stage name. It epitomises her belief in life that words can be inspiring. And she has not stopped at inspiring herself with words but everyone who comes across her.
On stage she is sensational, delivering poetry with verve and theatrics that leaves the audience ... well, inspired! ut for this poet, voice talent, song writer and motivational speaker, born Ifueko Fex Ogbomo, a 2003 graduate of Music from Texas Lutheran University, United States, there is more to this name, InspiroLogos.
"That came from my mind actually, she said. "Inspiro comes from the Greek word, the root word for 'inspiration' and logos means 'words' and because I try to inspire people with words as a poet and a speaker, I decided to create that name because I like to be unique. When people hear that name I want that description of me to follow - InspiroLogos, they know they are going to get inspirational words."

BACKGROUND
Lady InspiroLogos was born some 30 years ago to a mixed heritage. Her father hails from Edo and her mother is from Benue. She said she is glad to claim both states. "Since I was born by two parents, I count both states as mine ... and the entire country" she said, laughing.
Coming from two states with rich traditions, she has not been influenced much by either, as she speaks none of her parents' languages. "I don't speak either because my parents speak English in our house. Obviously in order to communicate, the speak the same language," she said.
For what many might consider a minus, the poet considers it a plus. "I have an excellent command of the English language because it is my first language," she said. This is something her trade depends on and she has no problems with that. For her dose of local language, she makes do with a smattering of Hausa, which she learnt while growing up in Kaduna.

POETIC LICENSE
Lady InspiroLogos did not set out to be a performing poet, it came quite by chance It started when she was younger, she said. "I was a child when I started writing poems. I didn't really know what i was doing. I just knew i always had something to say. So, if it was somebody's birthday, instead of buying cardss, I would rather write for them or write for my parents. I noticed that people liked and appreciated it more because it was coming from my heart instead of something I just picked up in a store," she said.
But at that stage, she had not realised the potential imbued in her until much later in life, outside the shores of her country when she went to school in Texas. "Over there, I was really encouraged that I do have a gift because I didn't see it as a gift, it was just like 'oh well, i had my own thing to say' you know. But they kind of pushed me and said, you really have a way with words and you need to do something about it."
She did not do much about it until she came back home to Nigeria, where her talent grew wings and flew as she recalled with pride, "It wasn't until i came back home that I got into Abuja Literary Society Poetry Competition that i realized i was as good as people said because i went in and won the competition." That was in May 2009. That triumph came as a surprise. She admitted she was not expecting to win and when she did her life was transformed. She decided to transform her art as well, from a bud to a blossom. She introduced costumes, she introduced drama and she brought in flair. "It gets bigger and bigger everyday, you know, more drama, more costumes," she said. Now her performances are greeted with wows, standing ovations and sometimes with tears. She has grown from the fledgling poet to an accomplished performer.

STAGE TRIUMPH
Her most exciting moment on stage was in September last year when she performed at teh Eagle Square, Abuja. It was a youth summit and most members of the audience were young. She decided to deliver a poem called "Nigeria, Arise!" which she described as a patriotic piece. Given the youths general apathy towards the nation, she was stunned by the boisterous standing ovation that greeted her performance. "My most exciting moment was to see thousands of people get up and cheer 'Lady I.' 'Lady I.' because I wasn't expecting them to even appreciate, because I wasn't there to entertain," she said.

STAGE FRIGHT?
There is no tale of laughable stage fright for Lady InspiroLogos. For as long as she can remember, she has always been on stage. The one moment she could recall as her first was at 14, when she led out her church choir. "I actually recited a three-foolscap sheet speech from memory and I had people on their feet screaming." When asked if she was nervous during the performance, she said "I really was (laughs) but they told me i didn't look nervous, that i looked really confident" And so began her march to a life on stage with unruffled feathers.
Even now, she exudes a confidence that belies the challenges she has overcome and in some cases, still battling with. Life as a performing poet is "very difficult." The thrills have always been there, the joy of seeing the effects of her words touching the hearts of her audience, the satisfaction of having tonnes of commendations from inspired fans. But beneath this, there is the trouble of financial reward, which she says is not much to write home about. "There are ups and downs to it, but I'm never gonna stop," she said.

BENEATH HER BEAUTIFUL MASK
That is not the least of her challenges though. For one born with the sickle cell disease life has been quite a challenge. . .
. . . "My poetry is sort of therapy for me and also a way to present myself and present my thoughts; it's a way to escape into my mind and a world where everything works. It's also a way to express when there's difficulty in my life," she said . . .
. . . She is an elegant lady and if one never knew, one might never guess she has sickle cell. She seemed healthy, and vibrant as well. She calls herself an “overcomer,” having overcome what would ordinarily be an impairment. What happened, what transformed her from the sickly girl to a flowery poet gracing the stage with inspiring poetry and motivational talks? “I have a source of strength and that is my faith in God and what he has done for me,” she said. She has decided to commit her time and resources to fight the sickle cell disease by creating awareness. She has written a book, 'Through My Eyes: Then and Now!', based on her experiences and how she overcame the ailment. She wants sufferers of sickle cell to have hope and for intending couples to do the right thing by having their genotypes tested so they don’t end up with children having the disease. “The purpose is to tell a gripping story and at the same time, you are educating people about sickle cell disease. They are learning facts and figures they didn’t know before, dispelling myths that existed about it And they are also getting a message of hope, they are getting my survival strategy,” she said. . .
The book will be coming out sometime later this year.

The life of InspiroLogos is an inspiration as the poetic belle through her resilience, has demonstrated that thee is no challenge that is insurmountable and that in art, even the hopeless can find a light somewhere down the dark tunnel of life.