A nostalgic poem dedicated to all Americans who are voting today

Despair…

A parliament divided, the nation in flight

When death came in hoots, we stepped aside.

A mother laughs when her tears are spent

Blood and smoke creates a perfect collage.

A flame still flickers for the silent screams

The ghosts of her womanhood lost in Chibok.

Before our very eyes, they steal our skies

Feeding us the blackness of night at dawn.

Harbingers of ill-omen, watchers of the night

Witness us, humanity dies and we do not cry.

Let the mourners mourn, We will drink their tears

When the earth has had its fill, we will drown in it.

Hold our eroding souls with migrating principles,

As we watch fragments of our dreams wash away.

Hope…

A bird with a broken wing still heeds the call

To taste the wind and bask in warm sunny rays

A wind of change with more wind than change

A choice buffet of rotten meat and rancid milk.

Pessimism is handed out with outstretched arms

Optimism, now that’s a luxury we cannot afford.

Oh if we could see the world from an owl’s eyes

We are all like little stars twinkling in the dark.

With our virtues leached as the sands in Bauchi

The world watches our feeble attempt at flight

The skies beckon as the evening breeze nudges

The sun blushes as we lift off and break heights.

Efe Ogufere is a banker, poet, blogger and critic. His poems “Babel”, “A Reporter from Zaire”, “Ants in a Beehive” and “Recluse Republic” have featured in the following: The Lion King Magazine, Brittle Paper, Afrikan Mbiu, Atrubic and The Poetry Sanctuary. His works have also featured on Pulse Nigeria. Efe draws his influence from songs of all genres, He blogs at theaventurine@wordpress.com and is on Twitter (@theAventurine)

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