When the Gods Visited

When the gods visited in their ragalia, We were like those that were dreaming. We walked in the shadow of our stupidity, We Danced without legs in the public Because thousands of our smiles were missing And our white teeth were not shinning as usual. The ghost of Azikiwe was with them. The ghost of Awolowo was behind them. The ghost of Tafawa Balewa was backing them. The spirit of Ikoku carried their bags on his head. They were angry when they saw everything; Everything they had worked for was dead and gone. When they asked us for cowries, we brought papers. When they asked for the shrine, we showed them The unused refineries which stood untaped. When they asked for kola, we presented minerals to them. When they asked about their mother, Nigeria; They were suprised to see strips on her back. She sat alone in the dark wailing of what the leaders Had done to her in her prime. The ghost of Zik was not Happy with us, I saw him cried and wept like a child looking for a breast milk to suck from his mother's chest. Muritala, wailed, moaned sorrowfully on the sorrow They had pushed his mother into behind him. I saw him danced the forbidding dance of mouners. Things fall apart; mountain crumbled, oceans howled The gods were angry upon us for our sins. We have forgotten "Amala" and now eats Salad, We have abandoned "Akpu" and eats Rice. No more oil on the ground and yam on their shrine; The gods were angry and furious with our lives. They are no longer receiving dry gin on the ground. They saw a change of names and characters, Their children now bears "Horlorwaphemy" instead Of "Oluwafemi" they were given by the gods. Some now bears "Chinahasir" instead of "Chinaza". They are foreign names which are foreign to them. On their skins were tattoos which was not so before, It wasn't so from the beginning when the gods were the leaders of the world with their smiling face. It wasn't so! It wasn't so!! They all wailed in unison. Man to man, woman to woman; in marriage, Tufiakwa!! They spat on the ground which shook in fear. They perceived the bloody street smelling of blood, Vultures were every where seeking to devour men. Their interpreters are far from them in a lost battle; Battle that they fought alone in the darkness, The dubious darkness all over beckoned them to come. Disappointed they all turned back and began to go, I saw them leave in tears one after the other. We've failed and disappoint them all. (C) John Chizoba Vincent