Last night, I prayed for my sin to go away.
Tired am I of crying for the pains it gives my soul,
Tired am I of telling God how sorry I am.
In the day time, I labour to amend the sin,
At night, my work is erased like floods bringing down a village.
The houses and the buildings to shield us from danger are taken away.
The school’s library documenting the education is removed.
The place of worship, a symbol of faith is crushed.
Our farms, and the mediums of exchange to help build more, have floated away.
At night, I kept watch
Like villagers working all night to build a dam to prevent the flood.
In the morning we all are tired
And our dreams carry us far away to a place of no sin.
We forget there ever was.
When our eyes open, we all cry.
Unsure of our future,
Whether we will keep watch again.
Adaudo Anyiam-Osigwe from her book of poems – A Little Understanding: Poems from the End of Childhood to the Beginning of Adulthood

