Nigeria my pride,
Dark land of green and white,
Tall trees, blue skies, hot sun,
Red, black and white earth, warm rains.
Stretched plains, bold mountains,
Grasslands, rainforests, savannahs.
Sure men, brave men.
With backs of mules and unbreakable will.
Strength that builds and uphold nations.
Lush women of boundless wisdom with
Stretch-marked bottoms like beautiful zebra stripes.
Fertile wombs and sturdy thighs; breasts that feed nations.
Withstanders of rugged oppressors,
Adventurous and innovative youth,
Proud and elegant oldsters.
Nigeria my shame,
Madmen line the roadside,
Frail and crippled colour junctions,
Gutters overflow with green water and waste,
Children and adults defecate shamelessly on the streets,
People live in tunnels, pens and kennels. Human beings.
The rivers overflow with milk and water
Which is immediately sucked in by black holes.
The sky rains with manner
Vultures devour before the people can gather.
The masses cry tears, sweat and blood,
Pomp men lie loosely
Saliva imbued with fat and sugar drip from their mouths.
Officers stand on the squares
Pissing on the law they swore to protect and uphold.
Graduates use exclamation for question marks
And mistake “go” for “went”.
The doors to education are shut deliberately and vaporized.
And so cunning, malevolent foxes herd ignorant sheep.
The two horses
Costus Spectabill – Our National Flower
Hidden at ports
Proud Africans we are
Nigerian?
Not so much,
Elsewhere, citizens are misconstrued for frauds
If the root is poor, how can the leaves be green?
We are one people but different species,
Immaterial and complex barriers divide us.
Love, hope and truth are like plaques for the dead,
The living no longer cares.
Erasmus said, “The future of a nation is in its youth.”
If the future of the youth is stolen,
What hope is there?
The youths are idle and the devil works.
Villains roam freely while innocent men wait
Trial for years while they waste in prisons.
Lawmakers and enforcers do the biggest crimes and sleep comfy
Hungry for bread, a poor man hungry for bread pilfers
Is whipped publicly without mercy.
Nigeria my pride, my shame,
Anchor of my roots, mother of my bones,
The only home for me.
Like a bride adorned with expensive jewelry,
I long to show you to the stars
Nigeria my pride, my shame,
What must be done to make you shine?
Poem by Michael Jimoh