'Mr. Chairman' by Saidu Mark Jatau

It was yesterday,

you said you will come sweeping, cleaning and changing!

Leaving with us a song of hope.

Now that you are here,

Shall we compare thee to yesterday?

Shall we pray for tomorrow to come again?

For yesterday, our stomach were brushes and yet our brush became our sponge.

Now that you are here,

And we all sing the change,

Shall this not be the pain we bear again?

For yesterday we watch as poverty blanketed our sight,

And like blind beggars we cry.

Divided in unity but you came.

Hands on whip and packer to clear.

But these dirts are everywhere, we say.

As we wonder if this too shall pass again.

Today, you are here to stay,

And we watch with our ears to see,

As the sun break forth the day,

Removing that stench of rot in us,

So that that which has bled us before,

Shall pay all the nickels to us.

Saidu Mark Jatau is a poet and he publishes some of his poems at www.poetry.wrr.ng/

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