Lagos Is A Story Poem by Ebubechi Ireke

Lagos is a story of various tales.
Tales of wars and rumors of war,
Of victories won and defeats endured.
From OKO, once the land of husbands and farms,
To EKO, now the city that never sleeps —
A place where dreams rise with the sun
And sweat builds legacies in the sand.

Tale of strength and patriotism,
Tale of battles fought with conviction.
From times long before

From Eshugbayi Eleko's royal resistance,
To Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti's fearless voice,
A lineage of defiance against injustice.
Tales etched in courage,
Now woven with beauty and entertainment—
Eko rising, ever vibrant.

A city with dirts as flower beds,
With stares icy enough to rip your dress off,
With fear enough to make you missing.
'All roads lead to Rome '
Must have been speaking of Lagos.
As far and near the flashlight of parties draws all to her.
Her vibrant nightlife defeats nature's rule of sleep,
And guess the city really never sleeps,
Cause it awakes even before Nigeria rises.
As heaven's must have thought of Lagos when it said 'There's neither night there'
As Lagos neither knows of such.

Where traffic becomes a teacher,
And hustling is a survival sport.
A city that bends but never breaks —
Cracked roads, unbroken dreams.

Yoruba drums, Igbo traders, Hausa guards —
All speak Lagos in rhythm.
Here, tongues differ but ambition speaks one language.

A place where dreams wear helmets,
And success is paid in scars.
The city of kings and king makers,
The city that rises and falls men.

From colonial halls to bustling councils,
Governed by promise, tested by challenge.
From good intentions to lessons hard learned,
Lagos shapes itself through fire and storm.

Yet, through flawed hands and shifting powers,
Her spirit endures—unyielding, proud.
A city not just of streets and towers,
But of people—bold, resilient, loud.

Lagos, a story still unfolding,
A heart that beats with endless hope.

This truly is Lagos
Shine ya eyes.

© Ebube