The Trouble With Nigeria - a Poem

When 'The Arrow Of God' is 'No Longer At Ease' 'Things Fall Apart' 'The Voice' of 'The Enemy Within' 'Whispers At Dawn' saying 'Weep Not Child' as 'The House Boy' named 'Maru' looks at 'The Sterile Sky' and 'The People Of The City' run after 'Samankwe And The Highway Robbers' up to The Juju Rock Where lived 'The Black Hermit' A man begotten of 'The Concubine' 'From A Crooked Rib' According to 'The Cardinals' - 'The Interpreters' of 'The Shadow Of Imana' But the ‘Mine Boy’- a ‘Second Class Citizen’ from ‘Serowe, Village Of The Rain Wind’ And a master of ‘The Marabi Dance’ Who doubled as ‘The Collector Of Treasures’ For his King said it was ‘A Question Of Power’ And so there was ‘No Easy Walk To Freedom’. ‘The Grass Is Singing’, he said Pointing at the ‘Arrows of Rain’ and holding ‘A Cowrie Of Hope’ to the ‘Devil On The Cross’. ‘I Will Marry When I Want’ just as ‘I Write What I Like’ And, being ‘A Man Of The People’, I say ‘The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born’ When I find ‘The Girl Who Can’ handle ‘Smoldering Charcoal’ And one who seeks ‘The Joys Of Motherhood’ And is not afraid of the ‘Dew In The Morning’ I will write ‘So Long A Letter’ to her And together we shall explore ‘The River Between’ for ‘The Return Of The Water Spirit’ ‘Gathering Seaweed’ at the shore And ‘God's Bits Of Wood’ To keep ‘Dreaming Pachinko’ warm and ‘The Chattering Wagtails Of Mikuyu Prison’ ‘In The Fog Of The Seasons' End’. (Titles of AWS- African Writers Series books including poem title- except Whispers At Dawn. A tribute to the Authors of those lovely books).