That Little Girl

Someone is eating alone in the park of many
and no-one is stretching a hand
Is she selfish
are we snobbish
Not only time but space will tell

Something is missing in the cupboard of fame
yet no-one is counting tonight
Is this horror
are we honoured
Not only scores but pain will tell

The little girl seeks company
but friendship is short
She opens up to reach out
and every hand is engaged
Yet she cuddles the wide horizon
which mummy planted in her

A little girl, an iron of yore -
she won't forget the boisterous lore
A fringe pastime, a deeply fright -
she can’t contain the rash sight
which daddy painted for her

This little girl, that tiny hand
will bring the battle-ship to shore
But if you want the anchor space
or like to stretch in case it failed
a mum, a dad may never do.

Alone To Atone

The soul who stole
paid
The soul who gave
got
So upon your rule
so within your reign
Time is speaking
again

The Court holds
with heads and hordes
with crown and clowns
Time is heavy
in pain

Soon, dear leader
you be alone
The waves cometh
the rays riseth
The soul that serves self
be alone to atone!

And We Hold On!

Denials and defiance
are the hallmarks of our rule
Demons and dethronement
have coloured our times
We create them
celebrate them
and crush them to boot
Then life goes on, again

Look back, and around
They come, they stab, they stash
No matter how we feel
No matter how they go
The world sets up a monument
We spell their names
and write their story
Making space for devils
Creating place for saints
To give both the chance
of their roll in legend

We hold on to darkness
to mirror our light
We cast the shadow
to enrich the substance
So, when the boy screams
we hush him with sweets
And when the girl flirts
we stuff her the pill
No back-steps
No new paths
Every stunt we pull
is from the new old bag

The TASK

Since divine forces freed the majors
from the fatality of politics and lucre
The fields are free again
Our patience has shamed the pain
and the guilty is running around
Sine the generals found the stomach
of patriotic honour and pride
the barrels are full  again
and the banks are heading for black
No matter the trickles and drops

Since the honourables stormed our House
the fire is flaming anew
creating a new pain again
We ask which task they choose
they answer with more flame, new looting
Each day we pray, each House a turmoil
Yet we have a task, a mission

Who is the matter in our matter
what is the call in our call
Rumbling stomachs are holding on
roving  eyes are raking ahead
but our silent fingers are hoping for hoes
not guns, not grenades
Those who have the throne have the task
we who gave the vote own the throne
So, let the message so come
and the heading so right
that the task, this task
be truly done.

Draft Dodgers

When times change

we balk and sulk

The signs were always there

When people change

we call the ancient tune

as though time was no use

Yet we love a changing world

and cherish the makers of change

You must hold high your head

the ageing hunter told his son

Those who don’t fall prey to snakes

he who does makes mince of lions

And when the village gong goes

he shall commune with bent sages

Let it not read in vain

this sacred code of life

for it gives strength

as it purges wealth

Drink it not in vain

for this is the secret of monsters

yet the goal of heroes

When the village crier calls

you may run, but can’t hide

You may deceive, but won’t decide

for duty is no honour in force

anger gives all fury in hate

You may dodge the kettle, not the pot

You may marry the princess, not the Kingdom

for if your day arrives and you demur

a million steps ahead

won’t bring you the gold.

JOS: The COST of BLOOD

Now in the season of joy

comesthe treason of pain

Pain of deep wounds seen

and deeper wounds beyond

Rain of stiff words heard

and stiffer words beyond

How may we counter with balm

how do we utter with calm

Jos, and the cost of blood

 

The goons of gain

can be boon to schemes

Bare hooks, hair nooks

What a gain

Blank looks, dark looks

Where again

The hearts in pain

can be homes of themes

Faith laws, hate lores

What a pain

True thaws, truce flaws

When again

How may we matter as dove

how shall we render with love

Jos, and the cost of blood

 

The hidden is ridden

and its golden forbidden

Your hold is your fare

their hold ought be fair

What a gain

The ridden is hidden

and its mirror forbidden

Be not beholden

they ought be golden

Where again

How may we banter as old

how shall we barter and hold

Jos, and the cost of blood

 

Peace is leased and seized

taken to highs broken to lows

given in lips fallen by hands

Yuletides as sad tides

in lands made and marred

What a tease

Yuletides as sweet tides

in hearts sacred and scarred

Why the tease

We will rescue peace

it will not cease

We will render love

as pure as dove

Now the order of culture, of nature

will nurture Jos from the cuts and blood

Endgame Blues

You may suppress the news
not the views
People are people
You may suppress the rumours
not the tumours
Ripples are ripples
Many disguise for power
eat power as flour
drink power as soda
garnish every guile and guise
By their trip, pray power
tears and laughter be endgame
Soon the lost and lusting
goes consuming
gets presumptive
stays deceptive
Marauders are marauders
From the cliff of bile and brigand
it is ramble, gamble, bramble
Oh power, behold the tumble
behold the endgame!


You may distort the news
not the views
Facts are facts
You may distort the budgets
not the targets
Fiction is fiction
Many disguise in power
trade myth as mystery
travesty as majesty
brandish every guile and guise
How your mirrors hide your tumours
and horrors pride as honours
be our note to sages - pray, unknot
How your carrots pay for pirates
and sticks slay our patriots
be the note of ages - pray, unknot
Fate-tempters in grimey game
losing rafter in sure endgame
Hate-prompters of hellish pride
oozing chapters we so deride
Pray power, call in sages
not marabouts - 
truths are bold roundabouts
upheld from ages
They will bind your guile
break each guise and disguise
Oh power, behold the honey
behold the bees...
enjoy the roses, endure the thorns
Serve and be served...
deserve and preserve
As you proceed, pray power
behold the game, the fame
behold the endgame!

Rains of Glory

The rains are pouring today
Will it be gory terrain
or glory again
Dream on, people
but work your dream
The rains are pouring again
Will it be? Will it be?
Ask no question! Ask no question
without action!
Bards have sung before
The rains are pouring again
Oh benefits
Ye deficits
The rains, the rains
the pains, the pains
The rains are pouring again
Hurrays
and horrors
The rains, the rains
the gains, the gains
The rains are pouring again
Rains of glory are for poor and rich
Pouring again in pains and gains
The wise are poring over plans, over facts
and actions
Fools are boring everyone with begging
commotion, haunting concoctions
So there’ll be pains in the rains
gains in the rains
with chains of stories for rich and poor
The rains are pouring again
Will it be? Will it be?
Ask no question! Ask no question
without action!
The sage has spoken before
Rains of glory, rains of glory:
You pour for all, fall for all
Who will rise will rise
You come for all, cease for all
Who will seize will seize
Rains of glory, rains of glory
I rise for benefits to work the pains -
work, work and work
I seize the moment as my raiment -
work, work and work
I’ll work the rains to earn the glory
 - work, work and work
Hear ye the bards, heed thou the sage
Alas, the rains are pouring again!

We Know Not

If we knew!

The mysteries of life
are the higher levels of knowledge
which outclass human permutations
benumbs human connotations
giving us shivers and sun
making living challenge and fun!

If we knew!

Must we know
Why should we be aware
Even in our non-knowing
we act, perform and play as gods:
Playing God!

If we knew…

If man were to know
if he knows his hollowness
and the mighty void he can’t fill
if he knows the holiness
that carries life on creation’s path
his faith will drive his fate
his say will be his way
Yes, he would save his world
 as he saves himself
he would bless our world
as he keeps his word
The huge emptiness of boasts
as if he owns tomorrow
as if he made life
as if he be more than man
will fizzle fast

If we knew…
we be mere MORTAL!

Why Bother?

Too many rivers to cross
Too many bridges unseen

Too many moaners around
Too many needy to give
When we look around
not seeing
we smell luxury
in our food

Too many chores to grind
Too many mortars unfound
Too many instruments to play
Too much energy unsecured
As light goes, sweat comes
or noise comes, noisy time
which takes our senses apart

Hmm…
If you listen they speak
When you speak, if you speak
only you listen to self
Yes, too many bridges unseen!

The REWARD

Don’t tell me to listen
even as I gear my ears
or I will switch off
Don’t ask me to follow
though I like to tow
or I will turn off
My joy is not for toy
nor my reward by wads
I ride a conscience train

Why ask me to train
and give me the drain
or am I the pawn
Why ask them the route
then give me the drill
am I the chess
Listen to the droppings again:
where will the dawn lead
Come to the village again:
who is your arrow-head
The cash? Or the pipe
The hunch? Or the hunt

As you go, dear driller
the reward be clear, and revered
Tell it, trail it
As you wine, dear driller
chew on it, dream of it
For those who went before
have marked the narrow path

It's The System, Stupid

Built system
broken units
and it suits
Broken system
built units
and it sues
The system fails all
upon its turns:
we, at the manholes
you, gouging on loopholes
In time man mans the holes
we're safe at home
In the end loop bares the loot
you're safely hung
Yes, the system

My Special Apologies!

Anyone who knows Nigeria and Nigerians knows that we are very passionate about our dear nation, and go the extra mile to mull over her. We will not be put down or held down. Ask the colonialists, ask the military, ask the Third Termists! Read up on the Nigeria vs Niger Delta conundrum. Ask the so-called "cabal" that held our late President Yar'Adua and his regime by the jugular! Just to add a more current scent, ask our soccer (mis)representatives - the Super Eagles (?) – to the just-concluded FIFA World Cup in South Africa: For earning us such a poor grade, and not rising to the challenge of making Africa proud in the first-ever mundial on African soil, they are being roasted! This, despite our criminal and incriminating absence of focus, bad and improper coordination, the palpable fraud in sports administration - not unlike everywhere else - late and inadequate preparation, and an ageing squad!!

Followers of this site may recall my passion and commitment when all was well. So, for me to be off - sort of AWOL - all these months is the most painful and depressing blow my country has dealt me thus far. Recall, dear friends, that we've had hitches and glitches before: Internet Access wahala. And the usual apologies followed. However, this time, it became very clear that there was a plot to "under-DIGITALize" the nation! The official national carrier, NITEL, had been "cornered" along with SAT-3, the submarine cable. As my preferred ISP and Nigeria's Internet backbone, we have been virtually crippled in the last 20+ months! I got very angry and decided to await the Glo-1 and Main One submarine cables being deployed by some great patriots Mike Adenuga (I told you before) and Fola Adeola (founder of GTB Bank) + Ms Opeke (a Telecoms Amazon). I will revisit this subject sometime soon.

If it cost these firms less than US$1.5bn to land their cables in West Africa, we could have wired up the Whole of Africa with US$5bn a few years back. Yet, Nigeria paid over US$15bn to exit her so-called "external debt", to the London and Paris Clubs of Creditors!! Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Libya, Nigeria & South Africa should have paid US$5bn to put their continent on a 21st Century Internet pedestal, under the proud auspices of the African Union. It would have been easier, cheaper and faster. Thank God for our conscientious compatriots and their likes around Africa, and within the African Diaspora.

Returning to my blogs, and remaining online, was my only condition for re-subscribing to any ISP. I have used most of what was on offer, and, along with other nationals, the story has been sad. So sad. Since you are reading this, it means I'm fairly confident I now have a good deal. Well, I hope!

My apologies to you all. If you had any lashes for my back for going AWOL, spare them: I've groaned under the harshest possible punishment: not being able to "speak" with you, "share" with you, in this privileged and enthralling zone of our Online Commons!!

What Shall We Tell Them?

The picture is the picture
and we live the facts
But the picture ain't right image
and the acts deny the facts
When our neighbours frown
what shall we tell them

The figures are the figures
and we know the facts
But the figures ain't translating
and the nation is stagnating
When our children cry
what shall we tell them

The speeches are the speeches
and we know the facts
But the speeches ain't conveying
and the nation is decaying
When our parents bleed
what shall we tell them

The experts are the experts
and we have the best
But the experts serve another
and the nation seems asunder
When investors cringe
what shall we tell them

The clerics are the preachers
and we know the facts
But religion turns pavilion
as vices hit contagion
When ancestors call
what shall we tell them

The braindrain is economic
and we know the facts
But the drain can be sweetgain
once leaders stop their looting
When the UN screams
what shall we tell them

The new world is the New World -
knowledge, culture, nature
And every bit we have lots
begging honest action
When tomorrow does call
let the nation stand tall
For, once we earn the victory
we have lots to tell them!

Count Your Silence

Life causes scant pause
but we must pause
or be paused...
both by a cause, for a cause
and the pulse of our source
The course of life
is thus rife for strife

Then silence...
the elders' sentence
is balm

Hmm. Elders!

Deal and Dealt

Deal a hand
dealt a hand

Strived for orange
were served lemon?
Ha ha ha!
Strife not, oh striver...
Lemonade it
and serve with glee
Ha ha ha!

Dealt a hand
deal a hand

Jubilee Knocks!

Thank God for both big and small mercies! I am writing with great gratitude myself, as with my dear country Nigeria, for resuming my blogs on the eve of our Fiftieth Independence Anniversary. Details will follow on why and how I've been off. But I apologize sincerely.

As I write, there is optimism in the air and in my own heart. If we cannot speak for the past, we can certainly play a worthy part in the plans for the future. These are indeed challenging times, exciting times, momentous times.

Your humble blogger shall do his bit. May God's Plan for country and citizen be fulfilled in Jesus' Name. Amen.

God bless NIGERIA!

Identity Song

Integrity, identity: WE are!

Because we dey, I fit dream
Because we choose, I fit deck
If I look and see sey una
tanda well well
my sister, I go do yanga
If I look and see sey una
dey kampe
my broda, I go dance samba

I am....because...WE are!

By Not Voice

Look into her past
far beyond the fast
Look into her eyes
deep beyond the gaze
See what you see
note what you note
Never dampen her date
never trample her fate

Walk into her night
far beyond the clock
Walk into her rain
deep beyond her drench
Heal what you drill
drain that terrain
Making merry her day

Not by word
Not by wand
Not in straits
Simply win by deeds
and noble creed

Sing into her soul
deep beyond her ears
Sign unto her needs
far beyond her feeds
Give more than take
stake, shake and bake
Many ovens abound
bake, bake, bake

Win by day
Win each day
Day by day...
simply win by deeds
and da noble creed

Blast the past
Bless da fast
Seal the deal
to heal all deeds
Fill da deal
to give real feel
Jointly win her will
and da noble creed

Alight

Come up to the mount of merry
but leave your greed below
Come here and try
Come here to fly
It is my moment and might
Pray climb

Come down to the ocean of merry
but leave your greed on shore
Come here and trawl
Come not to crawl
It is my measure and mine
Pray swim

Come home to my country of merry
but keep ya worry abroad
Come here and crave
Come cool to brave
It is my consent by conscience
Pray sow

Come now to my meaning of merry
But keep ya meanness away
Come here to know
Come sow and own
It is my season and sealing
Pray reap...and
Pray stay