Aftermath

after all the seismic emotions
ruptured geophysics
my land remains a collage
     of rusted pipes
     collapsed rigs
     stunted undergrowth
     withered earth
and mushroomed waste…

Compensation

for demolition of the iroko
erection of  a crisscross of pipes in the backyards

the Corporation built a modern market
some classroom blocks

set up a public tap
paved a major asphalt road

and the remnants
from the satchel of its charity

shared among the puzzled fathers
the listless mothers, the restless sons.

Fumes and Flares

they say Lagos is crowded
choking
on industrial fumes

what if they can see
the flares smothering the air
in my land
oiling the Corporation.