by Adeife Adebiyi

Behind the ancient hills of Jagun
The tired moon retires swiftly to sleep
Albeit quite rudely, without so much as a goodbye to me
Hmmn,
Please somebody should warn her not to try it again
Else…

The creepy dark sneaks in too like Alao
Our celebrity household thief
Searching for daily bread at night fall

All’s still and quiet
I settle to scribble;
Precepts upon lines
My mind, pad and pen fighting to dribble
Then at that precious moment….

The bush frog yells
CROAK… CROAK… CROAK
Killing my inking business
Just because he desires hot babes
To display his froggy finesse
Imagine that…

Suddenly…
Suddenly….

Squeaks…squishing…clanging
Rattles…banging…janglings
My ears hear
My big eyes
Begin to scan angle 90-360 degrees like a native owl
In the suspicious zones of my tiny room

My God!
I see them! …All of them!

Distinguished squatters
Pregnant Lady RATkin.. Honourable CockRoachete
Convoyed
By their pikins and pikins’ pikins
Gong their pested, uncanvassed presence
Without notice, so i may notice

Arrrrrrghhhh! mtchewwww!
Grating, irksome, pathetic plagues
I stomp and rail,
Threatening sopona, brimstone and hail
Up NEPA! Power’s out..great!
Chai!!! What kind of life is this?… I wail

Captain and Zulu suddenly bark feverish
Our Shepherd dogs
Rousing Hades and Olokun crayfish

Massive thuds I hear beneath my jagged window
I ask; dem don come?… u know…the notorious armed visitors of the night

My brain starts shaking; threatening to jump out
Then my teeth threatens too
..’m pleading with them both to hang in there…

Then
I faint
To unfaint
And possess some faith

Sweating vicious in this chilly harmattan
I devise a plan;
My lips and hands too shaking

But now…see me now
I’m buried… No shaking!
Beneath that pile of dirty rags
In the giant dustbin by the corner

Adorned in silly glory like uncle Lagbaja
Brazilian hair to glass nails
I evolve champion
Me lagbaja
Daughter of lagbaja

Suddenly,
Kuukuuruukuukuu!
The lousy cock crowed thrice
To saint peter and me

I awoke in sheer poetic fantasy
To this mad imagination
The insanity of my mentality

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Adeife Adebiyi is a poet, motivational speaker, writer and graphic designer. You can read more from her on her Naija Poetry blog and Fan Page, which is dedicated to promoting unique and creative poetry in Africa especially Nigeria. #AnyBodyCanWrite

30 Days, 30 Voices series is an opportunity for young Nigerians from across the world to share their stories and experiences – creating a meeting point where our common humanity is explored.

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