Odinanwa, The Orphan's Lament

In the land of the Igbo, where the sun dips into the west A young boy child wandered, with a heart that was unblessed His mother's passing, left him alone and blue A fate worse than death, for a child who once knew The warmth of a mother's love, the comfort of her gentle hand Were now but distant memories, in a world so grand He roamed the forests, with tears that never dried Searching for a love, that he could not find His name was Odinanwa, a name that meant "the pathfinder" But now he was lost, in a world that seemed so unkind and rudderless He cried out to the gods, to Chukwu and to Ani "Why hast thou forsaken me, and left me to suffer thus?" The villagers passed by, with sympathetic eyes But none could fill the void, left by his mother's demise He was but a child, with a heart so pure and bright Left to face the world, without a guiding light The moon rose high, in the midnight sky As Odinanwa lay, on the cold hard ground to cry He wept for his mother, for the love they used to share For the warmth of her embrace, that he could no longer bear But still he held on, to the memories of her love A love that though gone, would forever rise above And in his heart, a flame, of hope did still burn bright A light that guided him, through the dark and endless night