The late dawn of 2020 brought with it bright melanin eyes
crinkled at the sides with mirth of anticipation for a glorious beginning.
Green spirits donned in white robes soared
with renewed faith for a better future ahead.
But before the long awaited sun could pour down
its radiant beams of blessings on us,
An eclipsed evening swept in, the world stood still and our anticipation sunk
into a testy sea of doubt-soaked anxiety.
The virus had breached our stronghold and soon, like the Egyptian firstborn night,
heart-wrenching wails could be heard stirring
the desultory waters of the Lagos lagoon at every day break.
Overstrung murmurs filtered through slit holes underneath
bolted and thoroughly sanitized doors of peoples homes.
Days breezed into weeks and weeks, spent staring at hazed news channels
with blank red-rimmed eyes, wringing fingers
and stiffened shoulders, bleed into more troubled months.
At last, dawn rose again, three hundred and something days later.
Dust-mantled shacks, cleaned-out stores and deserted offices
buzzed anew with an exodus of resumed life.
Every street hummed with harmonious epitaphs of citizens gone
to join the starry skies.
Covid’s agency had punctured a gap in time and scythed
through were the fragile legs of our nation’s structure.
We had to slim-fit out bubas, wrappers and jalamias to match
the new size multiple times shrunken.
Here and now, we either laugh at our desolate situation
or weep our withered souls dry.
We either struggle to survive or choose to die.
Who will save us now that fate has failed us?
Our royal lands lay bare and silent for our youths have begun to flee off.
Tidal hope and despair tosses our rusted crowns about
in churning currents of sorrow’s sea;
The viral rise of Afrobeat, the renewal of government seats.
The perpetual fall of economy, oh what abundant windfalls of home-spun calamities.
What say ye, giant of Africa?
Will this be thy defeat? Their history?
With unity and faith, may the coming years see
the sailing of our beloved nation back towards the safe shores
of peace and progress it was once headed for.
And with lifted arms ready to push and rebuild, we all say amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels