by Adekoya Boladale

The monsters appeared as guards of the Kings 
In the royal robe of leaves and dust we greeted them with smile 
Our souls were filled with comfort for the King has made true his words. 

We have read scripts and heard folk tales of Angels and beasts
We have read Psalms and Epistles of monsters and princesses
In the cloud of our innocence
Beasts appears as angels
Monsters appears as love
For at the end of a scary fairytale
Lies, they live happily ever after

But today our marrows shaken,
Our souls trembles in fear
For we have seen beast as demons
And monsters as death.

In the step of bata, we shook to the rhythm of the ivory tower
In our quest for knowledge, we embraced the beat of Boko
Our huts were burning but the flames of shattered roofs deterred us not
Mama was shouting but we stick to our guns for knowledge is prime.

Parting the ashes of burnt villages
Trolling on the flames of lost hopes
We march as legions
With screams of death along our path
With echoes of agony beneath our feet
We head straight North hoping for a future full of bliss.

To the rhythm we danced
With hope and assurance that this part is ours to play
The words of the King restore hope
The flames from his lips gives comfort
For he has promised before heaven and earth
Sworn before the seven seas and skies
A world without tears and bitterness
A path laced not with evil eggs but gold.

But while we await the master to serve unto us the measure of brilliance
While our pens graciously dance, awaiting to solve the puzzle of Algebra
The monsters appeared as guards of the Kings
In the royal robe of leaves and dust we greeted them with smile
Our souls were filled with comfort for the King has made true his words.

Like wounded cats our smiles changed
The cheers and affections of our cheeks wrapped with flakes of fire
Oh no, the death that mama warned us about has come
The beast that papa feared has found us.

In the rumbling forest of Sambisa we march
In the wilderness far away where birds dare not sing
The trees and leafs trembles at the sight of the beasts
Snakes and scorpions seek shelter beneath the earth
I could see the squirrels with eyes soaked in tears
The grasshoppers weep in condolence for the fate to befall us.

In the camouflage of scholars we plead for mercy
With the purest of heart we beg for love
But the beasts listen not
Its ears blocked by hatred
Its hearts engulfed by wolves
Its lips taste for blood.

Dragged and bruised on the path long away
Blood beneath our knees map the path along
Our purity and flowers they pluck with force
And those who stood as Amazons
They send to great beyond

In chains and locks
Held as slaves for a sin we know nothing about
Our strength less body lies beneath the cave
Brutalized, marched, defiled.

Its almost a moon since the beast came for us
As mother forsaken us?
As father forgotten his little sun shines?
As the world move on without us?

Papa promised to be there when evil comes
Mama promised to offer comfort when sorrow knocks
Where is papa now?
Where has mama gone too?

They said the Kings lies in his palace enjoying the taste of hops
They said the guards tried to save us
They said they rescued us
They said it was a speech made in error

Oh mama!
Oh papa!
This dungeon we are tired of
They serve horsewhip as breakfast and slaps as lunch
For dinner they take turn to defile what is left of our purity.

Tonight we sleep praying
Hoping that death find us worthy for eternal journey
Tell the King he failed
Tell papa his sun shines rekindles no more
Tell mama promises are meant to be kept
Tell the world we fought and fell like Angels.

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