A Nation Bleeds

A nation bleeds  Her people groan Heads bowed Knees aground   Her cries for help are not in vain But she despairs too easily  Forgetting the victories of years gone by   If it was not the Lord who has been on her side? She would have been desolate, and empty Begging for the crumbs…

There is a Country

My heart is heavy as I write this. I have pondered for days on how to respond to what my dear country is going through. What do I write? What do I say? What strategies can I put in place for these precarious times? How can I guard my heart and stay sensitive to the…

One day soon

One day soon, our pens will no longer be melancholic, hoping for change. Soon our ink will dance on paper, happy that the days we longed for are here Those who profited from a sad narrative- a tale of woes will search for the words to describe the joy on our children’s faces They will…

BLACK FRIDAY

Yesterday, the sun forgot to shine on Paris The clouds held rain from Ethiopia Japan was shaken to its roots Nigeria remains in denial And Lebanon cannot sleep It seems the nights are no longer lit by the stars Even the moon seems to have fallen asleep The days are filled with screams of disbelief…

Glass Houses

Disclaimer: this post was written months ago and was inspired by happenings in my school. It is not in any way related to present circumstances in the country. Thank you for reading. They sit in their glass houses And throw stones at us They plan the trajectory, the arc, the throw Devising new ways to…

Cold Fire

Yesterday, everyone that hates us was tried and convicted For stealing and looting For the bombs that dropped on Baga and the girls of Chibok Today the sun will rise upon the graves of those who rest Upon the hearts of those who endlessly hope My name is Fatima and I live in a town…

NI BAGA (I Am Baga) — A Poem

I am not alone, I know: never alone The corpses littered herein are my own They keep me company while asleep peacefully Today, their struggles have ended finally Ye children left standing, come around! I will tell all of ye a tale as familiar as sound: The day upon which sorrow lost its bitterness And…

For Baga

The world watches The harmattan winds brought a new hardness to their cold hearts Our children are slain in broad daylight Fathers shot as they shield their children from the messengers of death. Mothers burnt alive saying their last prayers Destinies that will never be fufilled In a country where lives are squandered Where politics…

Welcome to Baga

Welcome to Baga where nightmares live and dreams go to die I had heard the men talk in low tones about what they did to Chibok and how the nation stood still for a day and moved on Mama never thought they would come we have soldiers here, she would brag oh but you see,…

For our Country(A poem)

So in the spirit of independence day, I asked my friend and poet extraordinaire, Luke to do a piece and he did! Enjoy! Arise O compatriots! In selfsame manner as kings on chariots Stand in defence of thy fortress tall Wherein lie thy treasures great and small For far too long thou hast laid down…