neither Antioch nor Damascus
but anyone who sees me spits
and loathe me like one of the lepers
chronicled in the Holy book
on the streets of these clans.
Up and down, I am fit.
But, one thing!
My pocket does not tell me the truth,
it is leaking like a hampered
eave of a house filled with water.
There is nothing legally right
I have not rested my hands on,
there is no person I have not met,
but hope, hope, hope I gain in reward.
When I look left and right,
I see myriad of contempt
unleashed on young people
dying for lack of what
the stomach wants.
I can’t console myself any more
because what would one tell
a man or a woman
whose father or mother
just died in his or her hand
because he or she
could not raise common five thousand Naira
for those who wear white aprons
our lives depended on?
(ii)
Reformers
When people receive mass burial,
they applaud that their nation is increasing?
Due to their ineptitude to make our roads!
When people are toiling the streets
under the scorching sun
and the indiscipline rain,
they applaud that their citizens
are the most hard-working people
in the world.
When their men are unable to impregnate their wives,
they won’t say it’s malnutrition occasioned
by their ‘famous’ reforms
but would contact medical practitioners
saying that infidelity and STDs are
deep-rooted in their men
they could not provide jobs for.
When hunger snatches our children,
they would point accusing finger
at HIV/AIDS,
saying that the African child is at the verge
of extinction if nothing was done.
But when the money
comes from Europe or USA ,
the unordained oligarchs
will pocket the money
and give us hope of Reforms.
Copyright 2007 Odimegwu Onwumere
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