Mama Africa

Mama Africa
Look down and see the fates
Of your beautiful virgin daughters
See what has become of chastity
Thrown to the four winds

Mama Africa

The Whiteman brought us civilization
But civilization has its price
Morality is confined to history books
Practiced only by prudes

Oh Mama Africa

Weep for your daughters
Who have become breadwinners
For their fathers
And sell themselves for dollars

Mama Africa

Our hands are stained with blood
Your land is filled with blood
The blood of your daughters
But they erect mansions

Mama oh Mama

Will Africa ever be clean again?
Free from this hunger
This corruption
That makes your daughters forget their shame.

FOR TARI

You stole away at midnight
When non watched
We are bereft who loved you
Only memories comfort us now

Memories of you are a gold yarn
Linking together all who loved you
Our memories weave a living tapestry
Of how you were amongst us

So we know you will never be forgotten
Because we carry you with us
In our laughter and in our tears
We see you reflected back to us

That face that was so welcoming
Those hands so ready to soothe
The hug that always made better
That heart that never tired of helping

We will miss you sweetheart
And indeed we do already
But your voice will live on in our thoughts
And your laughter will echo forever in our hearts.

For Ebitari Tekenah

I have tried to write something for you my friend. I think is perhaps more for me than you.

I know how much you would appreciate the love i have tried to convey if only again you could read it. I remember how you exclaimed over my blog, how proud you were of me. How you called chidi to say eseosa now has a blog, you must read it.

Hey Tari, how did this happen? How did you leave us your friends so early and with no warning whatsoever? You who held our circle of friendship together.  You who always had news of everyone and who so willingly shared all our joys and hurdles. How could you go so soon?

Tari, i sit in my living room, it is gone past midnight and i keep replaying all the tokens of our friendship. Our shared laughter, our long conversations, me and you dancing, us walking down the streets singing songs from long ago. Though now in retrospect i feel i did not share enough of me with you. If only i could turn the hand of time.

I see on facebook condolences are already mounting on your wall. I cannot bring myself to write on there, no, that would make it too real. I still feel it is a bad nightmare and i might yet wake up.

Ebitari, you had so much heart and I am going to miss you very much.

Adieu.