Poetry

Babak Fakhamzadeh photo

By

Idowu Ebenezer Odeyemi

Politrickcians

Politicians, perhaps, truth trickers

Machiavellian philosophy parades their domain

They promised us an elephant,

Later, all we could see was an ant

Metamorphosis starts and stays in their mouth

Bernard and Ruth (both ning-nong)

Have sold their joy to these moguls

Ne’er-do-well they are now

And politrickcians dance

In the shadow of our lights.

Mr Johnson goes to office daily

Even weekends

His years in office is a melting ice

Politrickcians would serve Mr Johnson

His four years would get him a golden mountain.

And I ask: are we credulous?

Our future is a cigarette,

Politrickcians set fire unto it

We smoke it and smile

As if a Hen rejoices with the Hawk,

After it flies away with her chicks.

Politrickcians have promised us light

All we see are candles

Yet we dance to the tune of their melodies.

Our story I say to you,

May become the story of a donkey

Who worked for 60 years

And never become a horse.

Don’t Paint A Black Woman Black

Don’t paint a black woman black

For her heart is pure

Just like Jesus’ hands cure

Don’t paint a black woman black

For black cloths are worn to burial

Forget not, she’s in every area

Don’t paint a black woman black

For she’s not in the witches’ height

For angels which she is do wear white

Don’t paint a black woman black

For black is evil

And she’s civil

Don’t paint a black woman black

For she is not nefarious

She’s precocious

Don’t paint a black woman black

For it’s not her fault holes are dark

And the world is wark

Don’t paint a black woman black

Before you think her head is blank

Ask her anything

But who knows everything?

Idowu Ebenezer Odeyemi

Idowu Ebenezer Odeyemi is a poet, essayist and writer of fiction. His poem – This Agony Mother Feels – was shortlisted for the Nigerian Students Poetry Prize 2018. Last year October, his poem titled “Dèbó” was published in the “World Book Of Poems” in India, making him the only African poet to appear in the 2017 series of the anthology among 22 others from 20 countries.