Cacophony in the Dark

All day

all night

I hear the sound

and I try to

block my ears

close my eardrums

from the boom and blare

of the drums and trumpets

hounding my every move

questioning my will to beak free

from the seemingly endless chains.


One-two

listen to the strident, halting beat

of merciless drums

churning out the harsh melody

that smashes our calabash

our gourd of peace

housing the fruits and water

That cement our existence.

But the cacophony in us all

hears no voices

but its own.



The loud noise drowns us all

so I must spare my eardrums

from the furious beat of confused sounds;

The naira beats the drum,

the tempting beat tries to cajole me:

one-two

move your feet

three– four

shake you waist

five-six

to the empty beat.



The assault flows on

like the endless stream

so I try to tune off

from the ruler-merchants

from the soil-traders

from the arms-carriers

even from the book-masters

and the mirror-holders.



One-two

we go to school

three-four

not to become fools.


Cacophony in the dark

why do you disturb my sleep

with your worn-out tune?

The deafening noise is always so empty..

The Warrior

My friends is a brave and courageous warrior,

A seasoned warrior,

In the wars he fought with all his heart

And all his might;

Along comes a time for reconstruction,

A time to recover from the turmoils of war,

From the harsh, brutal duels;

Incomplete recovery due to haphazard treatments,

Malaria syrups cannot touch yellow fever;

Still the warrior fights on,

Reconstruction is not easy when it is only on paper;

But the warlords are laughing and feasting.

Wining and dining,

Chatting and jiving,

Singing and dancing,

And my friend is

Still fighting.

As We dey watch de News

Na coole for evening so,

We jus dey watch de news,

De thing come happin

Abi you no watch de news?


Kai ! De thing wey dem do no be better o!

Wetin? ! A whole six months?

Come see wahala as we dey watch de news.

No be de news all of us dey watch

Dem show us?

Nat wa o!

We fit see road wen den jus dey off all de light?


Tori change small, tori come dey one kain,

Dem begin beg,

Yeye dey smell,

Dem dey carri apology

Yeye don rotten finis,

Upon all de beg wetin comot?

Apology nko? How far?


I beg comot yeye for my front,

How person go beg

E go come say e no guilty?

Na so we see propa wahala

As we dey watch de news.