Author: David Achodo

David Achodo is a PhD candidate and Graduate Teaching Associate in French at the University of Tennessee, USA. He is the Primary Organizer and Founding Member of the “World Languages and Cultures Graduate Student Association,” University of Tennessee. A French, English, German, Fon, and Yoruba speaker, Achodo is a Scholar, Translator, Interpreter, Poet and Preacher.

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Come In

Come In

English
1Come In
Come in, O Welcome Itself, Kiss crowned
as King! Your rule is our will! No change
can change You! May
Darkness unmake its errors at the
thunder of Your verb.
Sciences found waves, prophets decode winds, yet
Your slip unseen through worlds’ frequencies. The
sun is Your shadow: –and the fade of Your shade
keeps the noon running.
Descend, Maker of matter, to the
mortal You molded! Give weight to
wonder; translate grass into grace:
–Till all nations wash
their flags in Your psalms.
Fon
Byɔ xwégbe!
Byɔ mɛ, ɖo hwiɖesu wɛ nyi kwabɔ: nu é
e xwe aza na ɖi Axɔsu ɖɔhun e!
Acɛkpikpa towe wɛ nyí jlǒ mǐtɔn! Huzuhuzu ɖebu
sixu ɖyɔ We ǎ! Tɔn do ablu ji bo
nu e ni bɛ gɔgɔ tɔn lɛ yi.
Nǔnywɛ xwitixwiti ba do nu jɔhɔn lɛ,
gbeyiɖɔtɔ lɛ nɔ tín jɔhɔn lɛ mɛ, é
ɖò mɔ̌ có mɛɖebu sixu mɔ dindinwayi
towe ǎ.
Hwesivɔ wɛ nyí yɛtɛn towe: –bɔ
kinkɛn yɛtɛn towe tɔn wɛ
nɔ zɔ́n bɔ hwemɛ nɔ ɖò wezun jí.
Jɛte, Wa gbɛtɔ e a bló é gɔn!
Na zìn nǔ kpácámɛ; ɖyɔ gbehan dó fɛ́nú mɛ:
–Kaka jɛ hwenu e akɔta lɛ bǐ na klɔ́
asyá yětɔn lɛ́ɛ ɖo han towe lɛ́ɛ mɛ e.
French
Entre
Entre, ô Bienvenue elle-même, Baiser couronné
comme Roi ! Ton règne est notre
volonté ! Aucun changement
ne peut Te changer ! Que
les ténèbres défassent leurs erreurs au
tonnerre de Votre verbe.
Les sciences trouvent des ondes,
les prophètes déchiffrent les vents, pourtant
Ton glissement passe inaperçu à
travers les fréquences des mondes. Le
soleil est Ton ombre : –et
l’effacement de Ton ombre
maintient les midis en mouvement.
Descend, Auteur de la matière, vers le
mortel que Tu as modelé ! Donne du poids à
l’émerveillement ; traduis l’herbe en grâce:
–Jusqu’à ce que toutes les nations lavent
leurs drapeaux dans Tes psaumes.
Yoruba
Wọle
Wọle s’inu, O Ireti funra Re
,
Ẹnu rere ti a fi ade busi
bi Oba! Ijọba Re ni ife wa! Ko si ayipada
to le yi O pada! K’Okunkun fọ aṣiṣe rẹ danu
ni ariwo Ọrọ Re.
Awon onimọ ri awọn igbi, awon
woli tu afẹfẹ silẹ, sibẹ
Ifojusi Re ti ko han n kọja itankalẹ aye.
Oorun jẹ ojiji Re:–ati pe idinkuro ojiji Re
ni o n mu ọsan ki o maa n sare.
Sọkalẹ, Ẹlẹda ohun gbogbo, si
eniyan ti O ṣẹda! Fun ẹdun ọkan ni iyanu;
yi koriko si ore-ofe:
–Titi gbogbo awọn orilẹ-ede yoo wẹ
awọ wọn ninu orin-iyin Re.
Notes
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Date: 2026-04-14

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Invade My World

Invade My World

English
1Invade My World
Cool the ember of my breath,
where healing halts at its rim. May
flame turn fame, and
let Easter whisper in winter;
every vein of mine grips dawn drowned–
the stars of tides fast faced.
Wander in, into my silence, through
the midst of my stone garden–
colored, sharp, flame-shaped sickle
of the meek Wise that sings
the Davidic wisdom in ages, with her
king’s prophecy archived in her
tongue’s library. On my May bed at midnight’s
mirror, I see a flying future, leaving the flies
of her foes fried in fury! It is all grace:
The work of Word at work–and I
have to live with this blessedness
all my day.
Fon
Byɔ nɔtɛn ce bǐ mɛ
Nɔ fá gbɔjɛ ce sín myɔ,
fí e azɔn gbɔ nú mɛ nɔ nɔte ɖè ɖò tó tɔn to é. Blo
bo nu zogbɛ́n nɔ huzu nusuɖaxo, bo
nú Paki ní nɔ xó hwíhwɛ́ hwíhwɛ́ dó jǐ ɖo avivɔ hwenu;
kan ce lɛ bǐ nɔ hɛn zǎnzǎnhweji sín sìn fifa–
sunví e ɖò tɔsisa mɛ lɛ é nɔ kpankɔ́n.
Nɔ ɖisa byɔ xwi cící ce mɛ, gbɔn
jikpá ce e mɛ è sɔ́ awinnya dó bló é tɛ́ntin–
hwǐ e ɖó sinmɛ, bo hwɛ́n, bo cí zǒ ɖɔhun é
mɛfífá Nùnywɛtɔ́ e nɔ ji han
nǔnywɛ Davidi tɔn sín hwenuxó mɛ, kpo é kpo
axɔsu ɔ sín nǔɖɔɖ’ayǐ e è hɛn ɖ’ayǐ ɖò wema tɔn mɛ é:
ɖɛ tɔn sín wemaxɔ. Ðò zan ce jí ɖò
sun atɔ́ɔ́ngɔ́ ɔ mɛ ɖò zǎnzǎn tɛɛn
nukpɛn‚ un mɔ sɔgudo ɖe ɖo zɔnlin ɖi wɛ, bo jo
kɛntɔ́ tɔn lɛ do nyi xomɛsin mɛ ɖi sukpɔ
ɖɔhun! Fɛnú bǐ ɖíè;
Azɔ̌ Xó ɔ tɔn wɛ ɖò azɔ̌ wà wɛ–bɔ nyɛ ɔ,
un ɖó na nɔ gbɛ̀ kaka kpo nyɔna enɛ kpo
ɖò azǎn ce lɛ bǐ mɛ din.
French
Rentre chez moi
Rafraîchis la braise de mon souffle,
là où la guérison s’arrête à son bord.
Que la flamme devienne renommée, et
que Pâques murmure en hiver;
chaque veine en moi saisit l’aube noyée–
les étoiles des marées vite affrontées.
Entre, pénètre dans mon silence, à travers
le milieu de mon jardin de pierre–
coloré, tranchant, faucille en forme de flamme
du Sage doux qui chante
la sagesse davidique des âges, avec
la prophétie de son roi archivée dans
la bibliothèque de sa langue. Sur mon lit de mai, au miroir
de minuit, je vois un avenir ailé, laissant les mouches
de ses ennemis brûlées de fureur ! Tout est grâce:
l’œuvre du Verbe à l’œuvre – et je dois
vivre avec cette bénédiction tous mes jours.
Yoruba
Wọ Ibugbe Mi
Tú ìtẹ́-ẹ̀fúùfù ẹ̀mí mi,
níbi tí iwosan ti dúró ní àárín rẹ. Kí
iná di orúkọ rere, kí
Ìsìnkú ajinde sọ ní igba òtútù;
gbogbo ẹ̀jẹ̀ mi mu ààrọ̀ tí o ti rì–
ìràwọ̀ àwọn ìrìn omi to gbìmọ́ kíákíá.
Ṣí wọlé, sí ìdákẹ́jẹ́ mi, kọjá
àárin ọgbà òkúta mi–
àwọ̀n, kíkankíkan, irin iná tó dà bí àgbàdo
ẹni ọlọ́gbọ́n rẹ̀rẹ̀ tí ń kọrin
ọgbọn Dafidi ní gbogbo àkókò, pẹ̀lú
àsọtẹ́lẹ̀ ọba rẹ ti pamọ́ nínú
ìkàwé ahọn rẹ. Lórí ibùsùn oṣu ẹbibi mi ní
àkókò àárọ̀ òru, mo rí ọjọ́ iwájú tí ń fò, tí ó fi
tàrà àwọn ọtá rẹ jẹ̀ nínú ìbínú! Gbogbo rẹ̀ ni oore-ọfẹ:
Iṣẹ́ Ọ̀rọ̀ l’oju iṣẹ́–àti pé emi
gbọ́dọ̀ gbé pẹ̀lú ìbùkún yìí gbogbo ọjọ́ ayé mi.
Notes
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Date: 2026-04-14

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A Quest

A Quest

English
1A Quest In MY Quest!
O letter–let her enter! For creation
lingers unnamed–the one
made in my world unknown, blooming
a day before Sabbath!
Davidic spirit in her, ever recited in
Collectte’s diary–in the innocence of
Time! How I face your gaze
In every phase, in the
Strength of weakness: taste of blaze
In every place–Quest of West, signs of
Time for the man of the moon!
I stand with patience armed as speed; –
I watch every light through the dark arc; –
Every syllable is a silence in my sacred diary: –
Nothing naughty.
What I haven’t seen already sees
me, for the future curls behind
the future, and tomorrow is after tomorrow:
a time in time–in the span of my palm. I face
your gaze in every February feast. But
destined castles fade to shade, that the bride
of pride may wear the world’s third bloom! I
transfer Him their burdens as if they were
dawns. But I pray fate to carve
upon our hearts the word that wove
our waves! For only
ETERNITY has neither a lowercase nor a period
Fon
Nú biba ɖe wɛ ɖo nú biba ce lɛ mɛ!
O wema–ni byɔ mɛ! Nǔɖiɖó lɛ bǐ nɔte ma ɖó nyikɔ–
mɛ ɖokpo e è bló ɖò gbɛ̀ ce e è ma tuùn
ǎ e mɛ, bo ɖò jiji wɛ
azǎn ɖokpo jɛ nukɔn nú Gbɔjɛzán ɔ e!
Ayixa Davidi tɔn wɛ ɖò xo tɔn mɛ,
bɔ è ko nɔ xà kpɔ́n ɖò Najinɔ
Collectte sín wema mɛ–ɖò xomɛvɔnɔ nyínyí mɛ
Hwenu! Lee un nɔ kpɔ́n nukún towe gbɔn é
Ðò akpáxwé lɛ bǐ mɛ ɔ ɖi è, ɖò
Hlɔnhlɔn gǎnmaɖó tɔn: myɔ sín vivǐ
Ðò fí bǐ– Hweyíhɔwaji sín nǔ ba kpɔ́n, wuntun
Hwenu su nú nya sunví tɔn!
Un nɔ te kpódó suúlu kpó, bó sɔ́
ahwanfunnú wezun kínkán ɖɔhun; –
Un nɔ kpɔ́n wěziza ɖokpó ɖokpó gbɔn ablu mɛ; –
Xókwín ɖokpó ɖokpó nyí cícící ɖò wema ce mímɛ́ ɔ́ mɛ̀: –
Nǔ nyanya ɖěbǔ ɖe ǎ.
Nǔ e un ma mɔ ǎ é ko mɔ
mi, nu sɔgudo tɔ lɛ ɖo sɔgudo ja, bɔ
sɔ ɔ́, sɔ gúdo wɛ é ɖe;
hwenu ɖé ɖo hwenu mɛ–ɖò alɔkpakpa ce mɛ.
Un nɔ kpan nukɔn nukún towe ɖò su we gɔ ɔ
mɛ ɖo xwèwuxwèwu tɔn lɛ bǐ hwenu. Amǒ
xɔ ɖaxó ɖaxó e è sɔ́ ɖ’ayǐ lɛ é nɔ cí ablu
mɛ, bo nu asi yɔyɔ̌ kpo xomɛhunhun kpo sixu
dó flowa atɔngɔ́ gbɛ̀ ɔ tɔn! Un
sɔ́ agban yetɔn lɛ jó n’i ɖi zǎnzǎn tɛɛn ɖɔhun.
Amɔ̌, un nɔ xoɖɛ ɖɔ é ni kpa
xó e è lɔn ayi mǐtɔn mɛ ɖi
tɔsisa ɖɔhun e! Ðó
Gbɛmavɔmavɔ ɖó kpo wɛ ma ɖó wekwín kpɛví ɖé ǎ,
é ka lɛ́ ɖó wuntun fifonu tɔn ɖé ǎ
French
Une quête dans mes quêtes!
Ô lettre – qu’elle rentre ! Car la création
demeure sans nom–celle
formée dans mon monde inconnu, fleurissant
un jour avant le Sabbat!
L’Esprit davidique en elle, toujours récité dans
le journal de la Collectte – dans l’innocence du
Temps ! Comme je fais face à ton regard
dans chaque phase, dans la
Force de la faiblesse : goût de la flamme
en chaque lieu – Quête de l’Ouest, signes du
Temps pour l’homme de la lune!
Je me tiens avec la patience armée comme la vitesse; –
Je regarde chaque lumière à travers l’arc sombre; –
Chaque syllabe est un silence dans mon journal sacré : –
Rien de malicieux.
Ce que je n’ai pas vu me voit déjà,
car l’avenir s’enroule derrière le futur, et demain vient après demain:
un temps dans le temps – dans la portée de ma paume. Je fais face
à ton regard en chaque fête de février. Mais
les châteaux destinés s’effacent dans l’ombre, pour
que la fiancée de fierté puisse porter la troisième
fleur du monde! Je
Lui confie leurs fardeaux comme s’ils étaient
des aurores. Mais je prie le destin de graver
sur nos cœurs le mot qui tissa
nos vagues ! Car seule
L’ÉTERNITÉ n’a ni minuscule ni point final
Yoruba
Ìṣàwárí kan ni ninu Ìṣàwárí mi!
Òwé – jẹ kí ó wole! Nítorí àdánidá
dúró láìlorúkọ–ẹni tí
a dá ní ayé mi tí a kò mọ̀, ń yọ̀ bí ododo
ọjọ́ kan ṣáájú ojo Isinmi!
Ẹmí Davidi ìnú rẹ, tí a máa ń ka nígbà gbogbo
ní ìwé àkọsílẹ̀ abiyamo Collectte – nínú ìmọ̀lára
Àkókò! Bá a ṣe dojú kọ ìrísí rẹ
ní gbogbo ìpò, nínú
Agbara ìfaradà: ìrírí ìná
ní gbogbo ibi – Ìṣàwárí Ìwọ-Òkè, àmi
Àkókò fún ọkùnrin oṣù!
Mo dúró pẹ̀lú sùúrù tí a mú ní ìyára; –
Mo ń wo gbogbo ìmólẹ̀ nípasẹ̀ àyíká òkùnkùn; –
Gbogbo àsọyé jẹ́ ìdákẹ́jẹ nínú ìwé mi mímọ́: –
Kò sí àìtọ.
Ohun tí mi kò tíì rí ti ń rí mi,
nítorí ọ̀la ń yí sẹ́yìn
ọ̀la mìíràn, àti ọ̀la tí ó tẹ̀ lé ọ̀la:
àkókò nínú àkókò – nínú àfà ìka mi. Mo dojú kọ
ìrísí rẹ ní gbogbo ayẹyẹ Kínní. Ṣùgbọ́n
ilé-ọba tí a yàn ń ṣokùnkùn sí ojiji, kí iyàwó
ologo lè wọ ododo kẹta ayé! Mo
fi ìwọ̀n wọn sí Ọ́, bí wọ́n ṣe jẹ́
òwúrọ̀. Ṣùgbọ́n mo bẹbẹ ayànmọ̀ kí ó máa
yà lórí ọkàn wa ọ̀rọ̀ tí ó hun
igbi wa pọ̀! Nítorí pé
AYÉ ÀÌPINNÍ kò ní lẹ́tà kékeré tàbí àkíyèsí ipari
Notes
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Date: 2026-04-14

My Love Poetry (Revised)

~ David Achodo ~ Leave a comment
My Love Poetry is the premier collection of my five poems on the power of love as a metaphysical quest. Dominant themes of affection, heroism, destiny, spirituality, and timelessness are stylistically woven through tension and revelation. The imagery of time, covenant, prophecy, and light maintains the assurance of destiny’s verdict in the search for love. The first poem, “A Quest in my Quest,” reveals the poet’s patience, anticipation, and endurance through time as he waits for the bride of his dreams. The second poem, “Invade My World,” is an invitation to a transcendent future wife. This piece blends sacred longing with romantic quest. The third poem, “Come In,” is an ode to the sovereign personality of love, weaving emotion with sacred heroism. The fourth poem, “To My Fatherly Mother,” is a birthday tribute to the most powerful feminine figure, whom the poem describes as powerful as a man, differing only in the womb she possesses. This collection ends with a return to the original motif of the poet’s thirst for true, sacred love and a destiny fulfilled, as the final poem, “Have My Quest,” demonstrates. Overall, My Love Poetry articulates an appealing love dialogue between a masculine self and a feminine self, and then between humanity and Self, which is truth.

Abstract
My Love Poetry is the premier collection of my five poems on the power of love as a metaphysical quest. Dominant themes of affection, heroism, destiny, spirituality, and timelessness are stylistically woven through tension and revelation.

Continue reading “My Love Poetry (Revised)” →

My Love Poetry

~ David Achodo ~ Leave a comment

My Love Poetry is the premier collection of my five poems on the power of love as a metaphysical quest. Dominant themes of affection, heroism, destiny, spirituality, and timelessness are stylistically woven through tension and revelation.

Continue reading “My Love Poetry” →