Landscape of morals

At those times when words fail to succinctly express feelings and thoughts but leaves humanity in a confused haze as to what course of action to take in the face of our changing societies, brute reality and neck breaking desperation for survival; Eric Ganan Pam offers us more than just conscience; more than just a […]

At those times when words fail to succinctly express feelings and thoughts but leaves humanity in a confused haze as to what course of action to take in the face of our changing societies, brute reality and neck breaking desperation for survival; Eric Ganan Pam offers us more than just conscience; more than just a voice in defense of our common existence he offers us faith; faith in the father teaching his little child to walk, in the market woman trading her wares by the market place, in the student consumed with inspiration and dreams, in the elderly people full with priceless memories but most of all enduring faith and belief in our fellow men, in their simple everyday activities and ability to be progressive.
A moral landscape avers that the multiplicity of tribes, race and religion are not just candles which will brighten our path as a nation towards the greater development of every citizen but a dazzling light shed off by a thousand suns, suns reflecting the hope of all humanity however diverse our forms of expression. This the poet achieves with the romantic ease of William Wordsworth and the subtle but righteous aggression of Wole Soyinka leaving no doubt as to his convictions that every human being has a claim on self-dignity and a chance at betterment. The following rhetoric though not intended to incite, forces the reader to question and seek redress within lawful bounds for believed wrongs
The weak were crushed
under the iron feet of fear…
What is more piercing?
than denial of basic rights?
Rather than assert himself as a fount of knowledge and wisdom, the poet makes a plea for humility in  the poem ‘Teacher’ drawing us to the sacred duty of guiding others and inspiring young minds; never minding the educational  challenges being experienced by people globally. In his own words
You are my hero
You are my compass
You are my inspiration
Typical of the greats, Henry Brook Adams, Walter Cronkite and Nelson Mandela, repetition could not have been more apt in reflecting the unquestionable need for mentorship, counsel and advice.
Temptation to refer to a moral landscape as a catalogue of the poetic forms may be faced by the reader as one ode gives birth to an epic a  ballad, then a lyric all beautifully interlaced with arresting metaphors, flawless similes enduring rhetoric hand in hand with apostrophes. See moving lines like
Veirat my sweet Veirat
Each time you shrill out cries
I grow more fond of you…
The collection would lack justification if pressing issues presently faced by the global community had been left unengaged; issues such as military government, terrorism and violence down to the intricacies of politics, economic pressures and health, for what is the future of a country whose citizens are sickly and unfit for work? Eric Ganan pam’s journey towards sociocultural liberation and fulfillment climaxes at the threshold of the family. Being the smallest unit of society the reader would find the heart of poetry in the piece ‘A lovely home’ which the poet compares to precious diamonds.
We find in a moral landscape a voice not only fresh but energetic, and daring towards facing squarely the human struggle and proffering solutions. What this reveal therefore is that the poetry of Eric Ganan Pam is not merely for the purpose of performance, entertainment or academic documentation but to practically engage todays realities and transform them into tomorrow’s dreams. Therefore offering to posterity a kind of walking breathing and talking poetry far from the elusiveness with which the written poetry has long been regarded.