LET US CALL THE CALVARY
For reprieve,
let us call the calvary.
Oti o
not the ones whose horses bribe themselves,
not the ones whose palm wine lie tapped
at the top of the trees that grew on the moon,
not the ones who will not cook for their children
whilst crying in silent voices
‘our husband has gone mad again’
not the ones whose throats gurgle Allah at dawn
and Luya at the golden grey hairs of the sunset
For reprieve,
let us call the calvary,
from amongst ourselves,
whose blood may stain the earth
for the freedom of kin.
—————-
MILITARY SWAGGER
They came in similar fashion,
wearing the same
like soldier ants –
protecting and promising that
the sugar cube in front of them
would be well disintegrated
for the greater good.
They kept this promise to the letter.
They said the worker ants
Had stolen
the sweetness from the sugar
And they promised
To return all –
They had been trained
for that specially.
They kept this promise to the letter.
They came and sat
On the throne of supervisory salutations
Theorising Congress misdeeds –
Capturing and punishing
All who didn’t read their books
They promised restored unity
and reparation.
They kept this promise to the letter.
They took the caps
From the heads of other ants
And asked them to dance
For the game was
Politics, politricks and parlour tricks –
The game of future sight
They also promised our family spectacles
for visions of the future.
They kept this promise to the letter.
—————-
Poems © Omogbolahan Bello
Image: Pixabay.com