Diplomatic Dreams In Dust Poem by Oluwagbemisola O. Lawal

In a sun-baked land where promises bloom like mirages in the heat,
Our leaders spin tales taller than the baobab trees,
Claiming visa chains with an Arab realm were snapped, set free
'Oh, travel now, my people, the doors swing wide! ' they decree.
But lo, the sands shift, and from the dunes comes a sharp rebuke,
The Arab envoy chuckles, 'What visa peace? You've been duped! '
Why peddle these illusions, these candy-coated lies so sweet?
To curry favour in the streets, or just to hear the applause repeat?

Then comes the next grand yarn, woven with Asian silk so fine,
'A new visa path carved just for us, a golden lifeline! '
Our spokesman parade it like a trophy, gleaming under lights,
But the Asian halls echo back: 'No such gift in our sights.'
Refuted again, the truth crashes like monsoon rains,
Washing away the facade, leaving muddied, embarrassed stains.
Why the endless charade, this dance of deceit so bold?
To win hearts with hollow gold, or keep the masses controlled?

Oh, leaders in your ivory towers, with tongues forked like serpents' tails,
Do you not see the world watching, as your fables fail?
Each lie a crack in our shield, tarnishing the shield we bear,
Embarrassing echoes ripple out, staining the air.
Why fabricate goodwill from thin, vanishing vapour?
To mask the rot beneath, or play the eternal japer?
Enough! Let the lies crumble like ancient clay pots,
For truth's exile must end, bring consequences, tie the knots!

No more phantom visas, no more diplomatic jests,
Our image abroad bleeds from these self-inflicted pests.
Why court ridicule on the global stage so grand?
To cling to power's slippery hand?
Stop the spinning, face the dawn's unflinching gaze,
Or watch our nation's pride dissolve in a hazy blaze.
Consequences await, sharp as a thorn in the side
For every lie told, let justice be the guide!