Somewhere in Africa

A bitter ode to my beloved country

Welcome to my country
Where majority think through their tummy
And pass faeces through their mouth.
We attentively listen without remembering
And carelessly speak without thinking
Welcome to my country
Where everything is in automatic reverse gear

Mothers stealing meats from their soup
Fathers conniving with future fathers to pilfer their own
Daughters achieving ambitiously through their thighs
Illicit wealth from sons are flaunted under the sun.
Maids being made out of from the sane
This is my country
Where Jesus wept.

The worst of us all rules the best of us all
Their yearly gimmicks spawn panics
Empty panics that can never birth frantic actions
Invariably emboldening the worst to plunder more
In a damning and maddening frenzy.
This is my country
Where things have fallen apart
But the centre still magically holds.

Have you been to the Niger Area?
Densely populated area in africa west
Where production is zero and consumption is hero
Importation is all, exportation poorly small
Abundant natural resource but can't can a vegetable sauce
So you have not been to the sleeping giant?
The beautiful bedlam!

They have powerfilled politrickians
Powerfools who know how to hold power in full.
Elections deify them into overnight demi-gods.
Through their loots they manacle all to submission
Once in ABJ they acquire fleets of exotic JABs
The powerfools graspingly rein on to reign
As hunger terminates the dreams of the real sovereign

Yes! This is my country where;
Servants are masters, masters are servants
Creativity bows in awe of mediocrity
Light scampers in flight in view of darkness
Change is prayed for not worked for
Success is valued in terms of bank account
Hell is not held in trepidation cos we are already in it

Welcome to my beloved country
Where it is immoral to be moral.



Footnote:
ABJ means Abuja, which is my Nations capital
JAB is a catchy way of referring to a car.

Reviews

[Miss Cherry]

Beautiful piece filled with wonderful figures of speech. I totally agree with all you have said about my country but there are yet so many beautiful things unwritten yet about my country. It would be nice to read a piece written by you about these beautiful things except of course these are your only feelings about my country. Kudos Tobi! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and for a second forgot it was written by someone I know. Well done!

[Everett DeValle]

I'm just catching up on readings...It is always interesting to read other poet's thoughts from other countries...and love the brutal honesty of this write...you didn't sugar coat how you felt about your country and that helps in progress...it may not be now, but for future generations to look at and say, hey lets end the corruption...I do believe it does take effort, yet greed will always be there to be the culprit. Wonderful write.

[Tobe Osigwe]

Dalu ri nne Everett... That's Igbo which means; Thank you very much.

[Tobe Osigwe]

Cherry am pleased with your review. However, I pray I find positive events in my country that will inspire my muse. For now all I see is obscene display of mediocrity.

[Everett DeValle]

Wow, I learned something today...I cherish that...yes, and it's evident in other impoverish countries where corruption is rife...yet, I believe individuals like yourself can change the world and even a country. :)

~Ev