Abigail-Tydale Bassey: Two Poems

Revolution

My old President sits
While his people die
My old President sits
While his people die
There’s no mercy in his heart:
I am going to send him home.

I am going to shut down his office
Chain his door with my people’s intestines
I am going to shut down his office
Chain his door with my people’s intestines
Whether I’ll crawl or roll to Aso Rock:
He does not deserve to lead us more.

Chanting with tears in my eyes
Today must not meet me keeping mute
Chanting with tears in my eyes
Today must not meet me keeping mute
Bad governance has to end:
Then, everyone can smile again.

*

Born in the 1980s and ’90s

dark clouds gather
thundering
raining
fire/ sores and tears
the feet of the carefree boy
treading fearfully
all around

where he would stop
to greet
they would force him to buckle up
and run
a place he would sit out
laugh
they would force him to jump
rolling on the floor

somewhere he would fly the elevator
get to work
they would force him to wear rags
sell groundnuts on the streets
where he would count his pay
build a duplex for mama
they would embezzle his Kobo
make him rich only in dreams
He and his brothers,
their sisters and their friends,
born in the 1980s and 90s_
disappointment linger in the air they breathe and their unhappiness
will no longer hide behind failed patriotism

where they would plan
                     chaos
he will bring
             peace
where they would dig up the intestines
                                     of youths
he will seal up iron in their
                         stomachs
where they would set a home
                             ablaze
he will empty the
               ocean
where they would embezzle his Kobo
                              make him rich only in dreams
he will count his pay
                 build a duplex for mama

and live
with great faith in Nigeria

stand
with great faith in Nigeria

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