Light-less        

Where I was born,

where the very heart of

people lives,

where the very name of

my tribe was culled

Nights and Light are fiends.

“Mama,” I protest,

“I hate Nights without Light”

for God gave Light to govern Nights

Why’s darkness a king

in the Day

and blackness

the Night’s prince?

Where I was born,

where my heroes cried to light

As though Night’s strange

Where their day has become Night-

Death is friend-the death of my friends for dearth of our strength.

Will there ever be Sun in the day

And Moon in the Night?

For the Book taught me

thus do God purpose.

Why do you hide the Sun

In the day my cloth awaits its heat?

And the moon

In the Night that dreams are to be seen?

Oh, why do you hide the Sun?

For the marketers and the market awaits,

the former delays

Latter’s scanty

So is our strength!

AJAYI, Kolade.

Nigeria.