AP photo
By
Stephen Emmanuel Ogboh
green is green
green is green
be it lush as the grazings of Nigeria
dark as the envy
in the bladders of our ‘leaders’
cool as the essence of grape
plummy as fresh green apples
or unripe as the inedible fruits
our blind, naive followership bears
green is green
on postcards or placards, or voters’ cards
on flags and banners and posters
on charts and television or news headlines
on rigged result sheets or jigged growth rates
but white is white, too
free of stain and grime and dust
free of speck or grease and rust
be it the flowing gowns of politicians’ wives
or the conscience they lack
or garments of African leaders in AU summits
who siphon their people’s wealth
and their green destinies to ‘the whites’
white is white
the colour of parliament buildings that does nothing
about the dozen colours in white UN refugee camps;
white faces, red sores, black hunger, brown leaves
or the white chalkboards in dilapidated classrooms
or the blank spaces on greased farmers’ check
Stephen Emmanuel Ogboh
I am Emmanuel Stephen Ogboh (Stephen Emmanuel Ogboh on Facebook), the first of four boys in a poor Nigerian family.I am in my mid twenties and started writing poetry a few years ago (probably 2012) after being inspired by Lisa Smallwood, a Facebook friend.
I write about my thoughts, feelings and experiences and plan to publish a poetry book whenever I have the resources to.
So lovely Stephen my man more grace,God is ur strength
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So lovely Stephen more grace
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Thank you for reading @Keturah and @Dontina
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Proud of you
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Thank you @medos.
I wish we could do something!!!
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Great one Stephen, more grace
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Good work man
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Yes @GreatGrant, we will hope and pray for better things and better leadership.
it starts with us, our awareness of our rights as citizens and defending those rights. . . and voting those ‘bad Leaders’
thank you for reading and for this kind comment.
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thank you very much for reading@BuchiKen,
let’s all hope and pray it’ll get better.
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Yes! Yes! I love the truths in this and I’m optiMystique it can only get better.
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Thank you @50, @Sarah, @I.B, @Simeon thanks for reading.
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thank you @NnaNna. thanks for reading.
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More grace to you
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Sir mystique, more grease to your elbow, keep it up
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Good good
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congrats stevo
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Nicely written.
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This is a very moving write. Congratulations.
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