THE Blue Ocean (Volume 1) is a collection of poetry by child prodigy Antoinette-Rita whose interest in writing poetry began at a very early age.A final year law student at London School of Economics, Antoinette-Rita wrote her first poetry at the age of six, and song lyrics at the age of nine. Her first publication, Purple & Blue, a collection of poems, was released before her 18th birthday. Her preoccupation with poetry appears to be not just an art genre for artistic expression, but also a medium of communication with nature and life couched in all its mysteries. In Purple & Blue, she notes on the blurb that the poems in it, 'are very mysterious to me / They are rich and as soft as can be / They have deep shades that will never fade away / And they hold passion that is vibrant and intense / For a portrayal hidden in sudden suspense!'. She goes further to state that 'Purple and Blue signify a hidden meaning / They are seen by every living being / These colours send messages all around my spirit ...' No doubt, the same applies to The Blue Ocean (Volume 1), a rich collection of poems which offer insight to the young author's experiences and encounters with nature as well as her philosophy. This is however, an improvement on her previous effort. The book is a picturesque narratives captured in verses, rhymes and rhythms; it touches on the physical to the spiritual; the relationship between man and his creator; peace, power, and posterity, among other issues.Employing various figures of speech, the book takes the reader on a journey of discovery and rediscovery, while exploring nature and its vast landscape with all its awesome mysteries, as it provides for the author, a veritable canvass for her brush strokes of fine rhymes, rhythms and rills of colours.Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo notes in the foreword: 'From writing her poem at the age of six, Antoinette-Rita has not stopped. Rather, she has improved and she is becoming better by the day. I personally find her poems intriguing, exciting, amusing in parts and instructive. I am sure that every reader will find this second collection of Antoinette's poems as worthy as I have found it.' The 122-page book is divided into three sections, namely Peace, Power and Prosperity. The book is composed of 66 poems.The section, Peace has 22 poems which not only dwell on the need for peace in the world, given its beauty and elegance, but the author significantly paints various images which bother on life, love, destiny, happiness. Writing on the significance and beauty of a peaceful world, the author opens the section with a poem titled Peace in the World. In it she notes: 'Peace in the world / What joy it will bring / No need to cry / No need to run or hide / Peace in the world; a removal of pride / Peace in the world / Drifting from land to land / Loving each other should be our plan / And as I take this stand / Take it with me / And see ' How beautiful the world really is when at peace..' Following this call for peace, the author invites, as it appears, the reader and indeed, the world, to her world which she states, is a 'world full of dazzling, shimmering pearls / Where golden beaches are always a beautiful sight / Where you are not judged for being black or white / Where poverty is conquered and no longer in existence / Where love and friendship begins to develop in our essence...'. For Antoinette-Rita, music offers a soothing exhilarating effect; it elevates the mood, and like light, it breaks away all darkness. Other poems in this section include Unforgettable Memories, A Christmas Wish, Paradise, The Perfect Beach, The Sun, and Icicles, one of the poems in which the authors celebrates the wonders of nature. In the poem The Blue Ocean from which obviously, the book derived its title, the author explores the beauty of the ocean and its wonders. According to her, The Blue Ocean moves with grace, hope, power, might, strength and enthusiasm. 'The blue ocean / Clear and cool / Beautiful yet blue / Calm with corals / Colourful and wonderful / Too wordy for words / The blue ocean / A liquid so thin / Droplets without mass / Something I cannot imagine / But something yet so alive / It has rhythm / Uniqueness / Quite a catch / Sensuous to see.' The section Power, has 23 poems which are largely deep philosophical ruminations as well as her views about issues. It opens with the poem titled, An endless dream. But is not just any endless dream, is one which, as the authors puts it, may be full of secrecy. 'An infinite delusion / An ambition, a vision / Emerging into reality, an atmosphere of honesty and understanding / Conscious in a trance / And awake in reality / An endless dream / Becomes a deep mystery; but to you, it may still be a fantasy / An impression of peace, unity and understanding / This is also held in my endless dream / I dream and pray for harmony / So that harmony / Will last... and be admired for eternity. Also in this section is a poem which presents the author's view about abortion. Titled, A Voice to Hear, she expresses her disdain against abortion. 'Put an end to abortion', she declares, and added emphatically, 'Let the children fill the Earth / For we are the future / And the future lies in our hands / We have our plans / To make the older generations proud / So I speak on behalf of those in the womb / 'Let us grow / 'Let us have an opportunity to share our abilities' / 'Give us love that shall forever overflow' / 'Give us the right to live and to succeed'' The author who is also a singer, songwriter, producer and novelist, writes also on the impact of music and dance to her creative imagination. This can be found in this section, the poems Dancing and Singing, among others. The last section of the book is Prosperity, and it has 23 poems, which makes it the largest section in the book. This section opens symbolically on a love note with the poem titled, The Rose of Love. While The rose of love, she states, is not beauty, but it is care, adoration and consideration in everyday emotions. 'The rose of love / It is an extraordinary blessing and a peace offering / Which God, has generously given us to share / And to pass, on from generation to generation...!' The poems, like those in the previous sections, offers a rich panoply of poetry woven in beautiful rhymes and rhythms drawn from the authors creative imagination. From Angel in The Mind to Valued Fantasies; from Wonderful Kingdom of Animals to Precious Love, running through Emotions to A Broken Promise; then to Moons, Stars & the Earth, the author's consciousness about things happening within and around her and her sensitivity to choice of words, imagery, rhymes and rhythms are palpable. It all stemmed from A beauty from thy heart in which there is No limit. It is a world a world of Magic, and of Rainbows, where Settling in the winds, even in Tears of joy, she wonder Why is the world like this, and How it feels to be accused. The book ends with the poem titled Thoughts in my Heart. Here, the authors states: 'I dream about the goodness in life / How we should give people consideration / Let them feel loved if not liked / Let them feel like humans and not rubbish / I think that everyone is beautiful / In their own way, everyday / I think we must show children the right way / Let us become good role models for those of the future. In all, Ocean and Blue is no doubt, as it is noted in the blurb, a powerful and inspirational book for all generations. 'As vast as the ocean itself. This book is rich in its poetic and beautiful imageries. It will elevate and inspire every reader to gain peace, prosperity and power in their lives.
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