Lekki Tollgate blues

We love our country

Almost drained to death

By the greed of our fathers

Do they think of the future?

We love this country

Moulded from diverse tongues

A mosaic of colours and creeds

Glittering green, winsome white

We love this country

Never want it to die

Peaceful protests organised to teach

Our fathers the sight and sounds of peace

We sing, we dance, we joke

Drink, eat and play

But our fathers still miss the point;

Violence is no child of harmony

We are peaceful, full of joy

That a nation, tomorrow, will emerge

Structured by the sweat of the youth

Children of rainbow colours

We made so certain

No law would be broken

No arms or missiles we have

A heavy coat of vulnerability!

We want to dialogue

But our fathers speak only analogue

How can we meet to talk

Our language is digital

We were sadly wrong

Deadly wrong we were

Our treasured armour

Gave us away, like sitting ducks

Tortured Tuesday, day of death

October rain of bullets

Tore our country’s flag, blood stained

Dancing to the rhythm of the national anthem

Blood on the road, soaking the soil

Breaking bones sing dirges

For the departing souls

Of our martyred youths

Ghosts, our fathers swear

Did the shooting spree

But do ghosts need arms?

Sad story from hardened hearts!

When we say blue

Our fathers hear brown

Neither rhythm nor rhyme

Animates our fathers’ twisted tales

Ade A. Ajakaiye,

Ibadan.

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