I WRITE TO HEAVENS FOR THY NATION(v)
A Shepherds who has left
His sheep to wander alone
I write of.....
Dear heavens
The Shepherds
Entrusted with flocks,
Yet the sheep still wander.
Through valleys of hunger
And shadows of fear.
I write on the promises made
like morning dew -
Bright and beautiful at sunrise
Gone before sunset.
I write of leaders
Who’s word have now become air
And their actions are knife
Piercing through the skin of millions.
Heavens,
did we ask with greed,
while we prayed for good governance?
Did we ask for the impossible
when we desired peace,
food
Shelter,
And dignity?
The roads are heavily wounded
waiting for the treatment by a doctor
The hospital gasp for breath
If the ambulance don’t arrive
it did loose it’s life
The schools wait
like the Israelite waiting for moses.
And our soul
still waits for Adam
Budgets are spoken
projects announced.
Figures are counted like cinematic
Still, the people count coins before
buying bread.
Young men now carry certificates
like a test result,
moving from one lab to another
Old mens now work until their
backs bent like they are praying
Because retirement
has become the second coming
I write of nation.
where corruption is a tree with deep root
feeding on the sweat of ordinary people.
Oh heavens
heads are tired, not of labor
but of neglect
not of waiting
but of being forgotten.
How long shall power be worn
as a crown, instead of carried
as a responsibility?
Heavens, remind them
that history listens
that nations remember.
And every throne will, one day...
answer to a higher throne.
If they refuse to listen
then rise among us
for nigeria waits.
Funmilayo Bayo
Funmiwrites