MUSINGS IN THE UK

About the Book

Sometimes we hear a quote attributed to St Irenaeus: “The glory of God is man fully alive” which leaves out the second part: “and the life of man consists in beholding God.” It is this full quote that I would apply to Benjamin Garba Usakule’s volume of poems entitled Musings in the UK because, through his poems, he sees everything –from Creation, as in his delightful description of a busy bee, to wider social issues – through the lens of a life rooted in God. He himself confirms this in his opening acknowledgement: “I would like to thank God, the source of all inspiration, for guiding my thoughts and sparking my creativity throughout the creation of this collection of poetry.” The poems range from deeply thoughtful to light and humorous, such as the observant and very logical Of Irregular English Verbs, poking fun at the English language; but the light of God’s love animates each one, even those tackling troubling topics as in Migrants. Barbara Reed Mason Catholic Author and Catechist

About the Author

Benjamin Usakule Garba was born in Jambiri Village in Bauchi State, North-eastern Nigeria. He attended St. John Vianney Minor Seminary, Barkin Ladi, Plateau State and studied Philosophy and Theology at St Augustine’s Major Seminary, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. He is a Catholic Priest ordained for the Catholic Diocese of Bauchi. He has published a play, Arrows of Love (2021) and a volume of poetry, Whispers from the Sahel (2024). He is at the moment working in Salford Diocese, UK.