Juxtaposing Trials, Triumphs in Conversations With Midnight

Yinka Olatunbosun

“Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood,” T. S. Eliot once said. Conversations with Midnight: A Collection of Poems (2025) by Ochoche Agada validates this thought. Published by Paperworth Books, ‘Conversations with Midnight’ is a powerful collection of poems that explores the essence of human existence. It converses with the reader as it takes them on a journey of discovery about life.

Through vivid storytelling, the poems in this 165-page book delve into the African experience—life, community, and growth—highlighting the challenges and triumphs that shape our resilient spirit.

With titles such as ‘At The Floor Of The Mountain,’ ‘Colours Of Fear,’ ‘Dancing On A Strand Of Hair,’ ‘Journey Of Harmony,’ Sometimes I Wonder,’ ‘Teach Me To Be Free,’ ‘Distant Echoes,’ ‘My Acres of Diamond,’ ‘Paradoxes,’ ‘Fragments Of Hope’ and the eponymous poem, ‘Conversations With Midnight,’ as well as ‘A Chequered Story,’ ‘A Forest of Willows,’ Silver Lining,’ ‘The Panacea,’ and others, this collection of poems is a profound and stirring testament to the resilient spirit of the human. Every verse resonates with the raw truth of hope, fear, and struggle, painting vivid portrayals of the storms we all navigate.

This collection challenges us to confront our deepest fears while celebrating our greatest triumphs, ultimately illuminating the indomitable strength that sustains us through adversity.

As the poet notes in the Introduction, a tide of serenity often captures the mind when the sun sets, and the moon appears in the sky, ushering in the midnight. Continuing, he says: “Conversation with Midnight explores the relentless nature of our worries and the choices presented to us every night until the morning when we awaken to mull over the dream and the scream they can elicit when they torture us – thoughts that keep us awake and sit up through the night surging through our being and telling us the things that we must do. The ones we must remediate are the stories we should seek to tell.”

‘Conversations with Midnight’ captures tales of hope, fear, and struggle, reflecting the storms one navigates in life. Significantly, each poem “offers a rhythmic and thought-provoking message inspired by the diverse landscapes of Africa, from bustling villages to serene highland settlements.”

As dusk falls and we confront our innermost thoughts, ‘Conversations with Midnight’ becomes our companion. These poems inspire, provoke, and sometimes chastise, presenting the uncomfortable truths we often shy away from.

The poet deplores various figures of speech, including metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, irony (opposite of literal meaning), onomatopoeia, alliteration, and others, to titillate the reader and convey his message.

Significantly, it is the eponymous poem, that the poet shares what is no doubt a personal experience, like most of the other poems.

“When the night comes,” he says, “comes bearing a chain of choices, fight or flight, light or blight, many vacant voices/ Sleep is our way of keenly awaiting daylight / But midnight subtly stirs us to stare at pictures we wish were airtight.”

Continuing, the poet also notes: “Midnight is a cosmic creature; it seeks to speak with us on our terms/This is the reason it comes with such serene fanfare, like mice in a haystack.”

Much like a philosophical journey, the poet invites us to think and appreciate nature. In ‘The Panacea,’ the poet notes: “The sky gives shelter to the man and his companions/ trees give housing to birds and their ilk/ bees, too, in their hives braving thunder/ Oceans in mesmeric motion; the seas, and their wonder. / When you sit and learn under the shades of nature, you cannot go under. / Beyond the colours of fear, there is so much more to ponder.”

With 80 uniquely titled poems, this collection takes the readers on a journey of introspection, reflection and projection. Immerse yourself in the intense, melodious world of ‘Conversations with Midnight’.

Ochoche Aklo Agada is a multifaceted storyteller and poet with a profound love for African history and folklore. Driven by a deep connection to his African heritage, Agada’s work explores the rich tapestry of African stories, delving into human civilization’s evolution, structure, and essence. His writing reflects a profound curiosity about the physical, natural, and metaphysical realms, offering readers a distinctive perspective rooted in cultural and African traditions. Agada is also the author of ‘The Hand of the Iroko,’ a poetry collection that intertwines the roots of tradition with the branches of contemporary consciousness.