TONGUE TIED

I rehearsed all day
The songs I will
croon to you
when we meet.
You held me tongue tied
And I forgot the words
To my songs
What followed was
A melody of thunderous silence!


 

 

 

KINDNESS

The seeds of kindness
You gave me
I have planted in
The fields of gratitude
That you might reap
Any where at harvest time.


 

 

 

LIPS OF SONG

The smack lands
On her cheeks and lips
The same that sang
The night before
How he forgets so soon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHILDREN OF UHURU

 

Let's picket these walkways of oppression

a human chain against tyrants.

In the cold

in the rain.

that our children shall live on Uhuru Street.

 

But who shall lead the chorus of this new song.

For the choir master died today!

 

 

 

 

 

GIVE ME YOUR PRINCEHOOD

For Bala Usman

 

i want to be a prince!

Give me your prince hood 

the one you gave up

to dine with paupers.

 

but accept my dirge

for you gave up your princely robe,

and shun the Emir's court

and prostrating courtiers

'May your reign be long'.

and for that i shall sing for you

'May Allah rest your soul'.

 

Now that you are no more

I beseech you to give me your princehood,

You prince of the paupers.

 


ATIKA
for I.B. Garba

Poets do not fall in love
love flows in them.
Amongst the brook of books
your love found its course
meandering among poems
until it became a line
a verse
a poem
Then it became you
The new poem that flows in the poet.