Reading Time: 2 minutes
Meandering through despair, this poem seeks hope and promise. An evocative poem by Martins, a young poet from Nigeria, for Different Truths.
Roused in the heart of night
I sit and stare
Boiling in the rhythm of thought
On this road,
Life lost,
Life saved,
Beauty flies by and by
Pain flies by and by
Hope dashed against stones
Story meshed upon stories
Beforehand,
They pop up like a Raven
That fed Elijah meat and bread.
Feeding the myriad of people with wad
Under the gaze of sun,
The throngs aligned on a longish axis
As if money is doled out
To assuage the flared-up sac
There, mopping their perspiring brows
Some pressed in bladder,
Some pressed in the sac
To give ears to the callings
Of the hawkers spicy, relished rice
When the day piggyback its tasty honey,
They fed fat till they ran out of money
The world is there at their feet
Yet, they are sit-tight patriot.
Skinny beggars of dough
Lackey to their school-pundit, Judas Iscariot
Those who paced them,
On the golden throne-seat
Are now confined to a wheelchair
Waiting, on and on
Dancing Shoki
Painting the street light for gyration
The crabby cries
Where are the beautiful ones?
Are they yet to be fructified?
Are they still nipping at their
Mother’s nourishing coconut buttermilk?
Or probably still contemplating
On their caravan to the world?
Oh yes!
The beautiful ones are here
Who play sweet smart in politics?
Who put on the diamond-morning,
Silver sun-smile?
Who paint the sky green and white,
Like the Nigeria’s flag?
Who do not give arms to the rustling wind?
He is,
Who surrender to the fear of his Maker!
©Martins Tomisin
Pix from the Net.
