Evil Pains Of War (Part 2) Poem by Kingsley Egbukole

It came like a whirlwind
It consumed papa like a starved furnace
It consumed papa's five brothers like a glutton
It bestowed women the right to head the home
"Tufia kwa"! what an abomination
It left me and my little sister fatherless
It made mama a young unprepared widow
We were all young
We were innocent but not spared

Papa's house was razed down with fire
Years of labour dry leave crumbled
Homeless we became before our eyes
Helpless grand papa's seven wives moped hopelessly
Internally they grieved their hearts out
Urine drops trickled down their legs
They dare not alter a word
With the ugly guns at the ready
As the royal institution is desecrated
We were innocent but not spared

The goats and chicken were not spared
With firewood, pepper and rare salt
Forcefully extracted from defenseless women
They made delicious pepper-soup
A banquet held
Soldiers at war

(Saturdy 23rd August,1997)