It Was Like This Poem by Tony-Cemaluk Egbuonu

LIKE THIS, before they came,
Shattering, we were chartered,
Chattering; chanting choruses and songs,
From souls for souls, by souls, to souls.

As this, it was before they came;
Solemn, serene.
Some sitting, some standing,
Some sipping, some singing;
And dancing.

It was so, dear as our dear black gold,
While a soul in soliloquy sauntered by,
As all from all, listening;
Attuning to the tunes from tuned tones,
Of the gold-like black souls;
All, as in a collective outpour,
Of souls to great God, Chiukwu.

Like this, before they came,
We were like this.
Just as this, we were before they,
The skin-toned tones, as albinos, came,
Tuning; toning and lightening,
The souls as co-opted to co-shatter,
Our dear; genial and malleable,
Golden souls.

It was, and we were, just like this,
Before they came...