My Poetry

E GO BE

One day, One day, as I go dey waka for road

I go see say my street be like abroad

And for night wen I reach bustop enter Ojuelegba bus

I no go too fear say dem fit kidnap us enter koro.

I been sidon the oda day ask myself one question

"Wetin go make me finish school come go do coper shun"?

Shey na for dis very country wey everything don dabaru?

Wey people wey no sabi talk better say na their turn to rule?

As e be so, everybody don taya, no cap

But I sha get hope for mind say good thing fit still happen

As dem don talk say light dey at the end of tunnel wey we go use see

After all, we all don too waka waka and suffer, but e go be.

I don reason am say I go fit use dis hope hold body

Unto say some kain things been don already occur wey bloody

Make I just dey watch dey pray say time go reach

Make I for fit japa, come look sapa for face

Tell am say, "O boy! E go be, see you never"

N.B: This is my first pidgin poem which has been published in the longest surviving Student Journal in West Africa, "The Muse", in the Department of English and Literary Studies, UNN. 

DEATH

shatter me once again with

the broken words from your mouth

and let me find no reason to heal from

the wounds on my bruised skin

this time, tear me into pieces 

till you have satisfied your monstrosity

I will not dodge the missiles you shoot 

into my heart; I've been a dead soul.

NEW BEGINNING 

The war is over; the drum beats to our victory.

Our feet will wriggle and dance Egwu Ogene vigorously  

As we sing to the beautiful beginning of victory.

We will make merry and go round

No longer will our people be bound

The sun has risen; it's a new beginning.

SOLACE

I've been searching for the right answers. 

Is it written in cloudy skies?

Or maybe the sun rays?

Or engraved in raindrops?

Will you help me find my way

To someplace where I can find relief?

Can you heal me of this grief,

This ache that crushes me every day?

I'm still searching for a soul-saviour 

All I need is an eternal succour

Do you know where solace is hidden

For someone who's broken and downtrodden?

SCARS

Agbarada is calling me to dance with him again.

Under the dim light of the milky moon

He wants to see if I would again feign ignorance

And obey his command 

But I have grown into a lady, wise and witty 

I cannot forget how he treated me

The last time I agreed to wriggle my tiny waist for him

I will not make the same mistake again

Nor will I suffer my poor little head to rise this very night

I still feel the pain and agony he caused me

Tearing through my flesh and 

Sucking in my veins with 

His devilish claws are like that of a wild dog and his fangs 

Like the venomous serpent

These scars remind me of my folly

How my innocence made a fool out of me 

But now I know better than to let

Agbarada fool me again

I will not go out to dance 

Not because I am afraid, but because I now see 

him who is in disguise.

WILL WINS

Big dreams you dreamed,

As the light of hope beamed.

You craved success,

Never yielding, never wanting less.

Everyone chided you

Declaring, "You are not among the lucky few."

Their tauntings left you in disarray,

Your hope shattered, your dreams blown away.

You shed tears of bitter sorrow,

Depressed, unwilling to see tomorrow.

"I am worthless", you confessed,

Convinced about your dreams, that you were just obsessed.

Then, from deep within came a voice,

Whispering hope. Now you have a choice

Where there is a will, there is a way.

This very dark night will turn into day.

At last! With great determination, you did arise.

You are willing. You have what it takes to win the prize.

Now everyone cheers you on. You are victorious!

Now you can smile, for to win is glorious!

BROKEN

When my world crumbles,

I'll sit by the pile of debris

While sipping hot tears

Shed for wasted and lost years.

When my world crumbles, gnashing in pain, I'll say,

"Oh! My dreams are all gone!

Shattered and left in disarray,

I could fall when my leg wobbles.

I'll watch it burn and break

Still, I might try hard to keep breathing,

But when it quakes and crumbles 

I may not survive the stumbles.

Would you stay with me in my creepy dark moment,

When the remains of my beau monde

Is but a mound of dusty, ashy freckles?

At the peak of the mountain

My world lies and will crumble.

Shall I survive the shock of time

When my world crumbles?

WOES OF TIME

Woes of Time

Oh, Time!

You soothe the soul and 

then sting! 

You bring jubilee but still

inject pains, subtly

Like the scorching heat 

of the sun, you make men uncomfortable

 yet you are needed 

You heal wounded hearts and

stab the lazy with your fiery darts

We call you on the numbers 

even in our sleep and slumbers

you are constantly present.

Oh, Time! 

You're both a friend and a foe, 

You teach lessons everyone should know. You make, you mar 

You are a bird and a talebearer

Now you have given me a test, as always, that I must pass. I will not be at rest, till my footprints are seen on your sands.

GOLD

Gold

Impure as the dirt in 

the iron ore you scattered 

and blackened every hand

Where will cleansing come 

from, the spring of the river or

waterfalls from high mountains?

Beneath the earth, you lie 

Only fire can bring out your true nature

Your cleansing must from heat come

You, must the hot furnace, pass through 

Do you spark? No, you glow

Yes, you shine and then 

We mine so you will be made 

A true cost never to rust

All hasten to admire the substance

once impure and detested.

Now their eyes looked on 

greedily to have you 

All scamper to possess this treasure 

purified and with glittering grandeur.

SORROW

With grief, I write 

And a lump in my throat

How is it that no one

can see I'm hurting?

Why? My tears drop and 

You are oblivious to

the wound I have

I am neither cross 

nor mad at you

I only want you to see my pain

This dreadful feeling which I can't

get off my chest.

I don't want to be here! 

I want to be free! 

Let me be lost in the wind 

Let me die a glorious death 

See! I only want happiness 

Show me that gleeful path

And then I'll tread on

Never looking back and

will find me

My joyful self.