by Soyombo Ayomikun

 

They dreamt of a haven to be named Nigeria. Not a nation to be ravaged by a legion of diseases one of which is malaria

What more can we get from life

Than a world so green and free from strife

Beautiful streams peacefully flowing through our yards

Watering the growing lilies and providing grasses for the herds

Rain at its time not causing floods that could sweep away our shelter

The ground yielding to us yam in due time providing us food to pound in the mortar

Which we swallow till our stomach gets close to bursting and our brains shut down

Making us think less of the countless blessings at hand and then begin to frown

 It was a dark and lonely night yet one blessed by the elegant roses and willows

When some great men quietly placed their heads on their wooden pillows

They dreamt of a land perfectly peaceful and plush

Coloured green by the woodbines and grasses so lush

They heard the faint melodies of liberty drowning the cries of agony

From the young and old who in their chains are already becoming bony

They dreamt of a haven to be named Nigeria

Not a nation to be ravaged by a legion of diseases one of which is malaria

 Our founding fathers didn’t shed their blood for dreams that will drown in our pools of oil

They left us a legacy that with a dream to feed the world on our farmlands we should ceaselessly toil

They had no pen but with their cutlasses made signatures on the world’s page

All their days living as voices to be reckoned with speaking as a sage

To the world we were Africa not just in number but for the wisdom flowing from our stead

Among nations we could speak with pride securing our place as the head

Right within our waters were countless fishes waiting all to grace our plates

All to make us happy by drowning our strife they longed to swallow the baits

 Independence came helping us on freedom’s wings to fly

In celebration we consumed roasted chicken with sweet drinks till our spirits became high

Then the search for a leader began, one to take us to the Promised Land

A leader with a white heart, green eyes and a bloodless hand

Through decades of search we found none we could call a leader

When elections come in small rooms of power mantle of authority we release to the highest bidder

Rather than having more peace decades of liberty has caused us turmoil and a worsened plight

And when night comes in places we call homes we sleep enveloped by fright

 Daily on our farms children die of poverty on grounds that once produced fruits that rescued the hungry

Right in the waters yielding our oil we drown as for the lingering bright future we can no longer tarry

Our green fields are losing their colours and our flag is daily being marred with blood

Of the innocent, weak and poor whose dignity is swept off by corruption’s endless flood

Please why not arise as that leader we’ve all been longing for and again bring the rains

Causing smiles on all faces and freeing all captives from their heavy chains

Once again help us wash the flag clean of the innocents’ blood and corruption’s stinking fume

That we may once again have those green and white dreams causing our roses to bloom

In fifty-three years many of us will be long dead and gone

Lost in the pages of the book of times our lives none stopping to mourn

But we could forever be remembered heroes if only we’ll try

To give the very last drop of our blood in service tears from all faces helping dry

That through our pains Nigeria can once again arise on her feet a nation so strong

A nation of honour clothed in apparels of glory by selfless souls who chose not to be a clog

Why not go ahead and dump your life on the altar of service sacrificing it to the human cause

Then as it burns there you’ll realize that dreams are immortal as our Father taught on the cross.

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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.