Oxymoron of Civilization

Cock-a-doodle doo!

Distinct frenzied cries of excitement herald a glorious dawn

It’s the day of the New Yam festival

Little feet scurry about to complete their chores

Budding breasts swear at delaying cooking fires

Gray hairs converse in whispers as they hurry along

Man and nature peacefully crest along                                                                    

The Crown with twin elephant tusks has blessed and appeased

With charcoal-painted torsos, they pirouetted

Their leopard skins bobbing up and down to the flutes

While the red caps gladly dipped it in palm oil as they ate

Tapping their feet to the melancholic rhythm

Tonight! Water from the earthen pot is alu!

The milk from our gods flows for everyone                                                             

BOOM! BOOM!! BOOM!!!

Arrgh!!!

No longer are we roused by the familiar canorous cockcrow

Half-asleep children dragged to school at dawn

Hope we won’t fight in traffic today?

Why has the youth exchanged their hoes for guns?

Stories of bombings, massacres and kidnapping; dot the news                                             

cancer, global-warming, oil spills;

Politically and religiously motivated?         

How did we get here?

With sultry steps they landed on our shores

…with a Bible in one hand and a whip in the other                                                    



NOTE: I wrote this poem last year, please leave your comments