The Throne

‘Ezenwayi’the great woman Who lives at the boundary Between the living and the dead She knows that an empty calabash Can not sink down the river She thought the people Why a pregnant goat should be above Being dragged to the market At the village square under The great ‘udala’ tree Villagers all gathered in anticipation With drums beating persistently Other instruments weaved into the beating Delivering an exciting sounds Wrestlers and dancers on intervals Perform under the glamour and cheers Of the excited audience It’s a day of coronation ‘ezenwanyi’ the priestess Branded the heir to the throne As she deliberately gave The young lad mark of kingship ‘obidike’ custodian of the tradition Took him to the hills On top of the mountains There the secret of the caves And the staff, symbol of authority Was unveiled to him His majesty the king And his royal entourage on On a royal visit to the neighboring village Across the border Between ‘ngene’ and the evil forest After departure of escorting villagers ‘ezenwanyi’ the priestess In her sacred shrine saw conspiracy Conspiracy among the chiefs She roared like a wounded lion She lamented… The earthen pot filled with talisman Surges smoke on intervals A sick dog that must die will not Perceive the smell of feaces Things fall apart and the man died The king was murdered coldly Darkness engulfed the whole community Under the brightness of daylight Unknown to them the villagers stretched Their wrath to the neighboring village And threaten to go to war The gods forbid them all As the priestess warned them not To contend with men “the gods shall fight their fight” The conspirators ignited the fire Of vengeance and war on the people And they ignore the warning of The gods and went for war Lives and properties were claimed Consequently the two villages suffered They began to appease the gods They prayed prayers of peace Stability and tranquility