Slaves Of Destiny Poem by Olalekan Ololade Sobande

In 1960,
and the house was still
1960 to be precised,
and old memories revolve in my eyes,
the bells are tolling
and our leaders are crying for independence continually.
A month is dead and from the soul of itself must there be sent.
A sweet and potent voice, of its own birth,
October 1 slipped in
I was reading and didn't feel in
amild wild cheers of screeming masses
but it's shrouded things I see.
Yes I cannot help the shedding a tear
coz the future is unclear.
Now fast forward from October one
many had ruled us including Gowon,
what's past is gone
and what is to come
is such a mystery
is a pity Nigeria now living in penury.
From crane to nook
Independence is good
or so I've heard
how does that good turns bad.
Be not amazed beloved, if sometimes my poem grows dark,
It is because our tom tom of revolution and change is becoming black,
:
If I exchange the lyrical reed for the khalam or swiftly galloping war drums
perhaps, beloved, I shall fall tomorrow, on a restless earth and slumps.
O Nigeria! We receive but what we give.
And in our life alone does Nature live.
Than that inanimate cold world allowed.
To the poor loveless ever anxious crowd.
But now afflictions bow us down to earth.
Nor care that they rob us of our mirth,
they waste the attention of our eyes,
the glittering labour of our hands.
The moments we're born
they plant around us
the mills that grind lies
lies to last us a lifetime
we're free
with freedom of being unemployed
we may proclaim that one must live
not as a tool, a number or a link
but as a human being,
then at once they handcuff our wrists
we are free to be arrested, imprisoned
and even hanged
:
there's no need to choose freedom
We are free
but this kind of freedom
is a sad affair under the stars.
Our palm as hard as a nut
let no man speak of justice, guilt nor gut.
Our face swollen by the bites of poverty and hunger
tears plummeting and running down our chins as we surrender
Yet we chose not to complain
''I am African - I hate a wasted journey''
but what else can I do to avert this 58years journey?
For we are slaves of destiny
Our crime was the early independence of our country.
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(C) 2016 Sobande Olalekan Surajudeen
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