*58: A Retrospective*

1960- 1966
a bonfire is made,
from diverse firewoods.
a stray bird finally finds a land
she can call home in the heart of Pangaea.
but then, if you pray for rain,
you have to deal with the mud too.

1967 - 1970:
the sun strikes Biafra's earth with sorrows
and war pollutes her air with grenades, bombs, rape and teardrops, thereby drowning butterflies in bowls of blood.
the east still remembers - even the north,
of what it costs to fight a war of light and shadows.

1970- 1979:
irritations die and hope becomes
a song everyone knows how to sing.
but, the air is still gassed with wry croaks
from bald toads that want crowns instead of buggy swamps.

1980 - 1998:
tyranny spits in the face of God,
burying the souls of the just in darkness and diseases.
maniacs rule our cities, geniuses drive cabs.
misery grows wings and abominations flies around with pride.

1999:
the sky regains her blueness and freedom songs
fill the throat of songbirds. God heals a poliomyelitic adult with the word that gave existence a purpose: _Let there be light._
but our demoms did not retreat.

2000 - 2018:
like Moses and the Israelites, we have revolved in an endless cycle of fluctuations. nothing has changed. nothing may change. even angels have chills sprinting down their spines - They ask:
_who cursed Nigeria?!_

...

Pat Ashinze.
Man. Writer. Clerisy.
Ilorin, Nigeria. 2018

Cc: Obinnau
HumbledbYGrace