Poetry

Allan Leonard photo

By

Okoli Stephen Nonso

Voice Of The People

Government! Government!

You have too many manifestoes

Yet none manifest

Free education, bad roads, poverty elevation scheme

You tantalise the people with false promises

And many watery gifts

Listen to me for something serious

Or should I send you an email?

You have crippled our system

You have smashed many hopes

You make us move very early at dawn

Carrying files at hand

S C R A M B L I N G

SEARCHING…

D

I

G

G

I

N

G

For bags to carry

You cost us more pangs and more pains

My people! My people!

I call you ingrate

School I built

Roads I built

Free education I gave

What more do you want?

Government! Government!

Ingrate I am

Fox in righteousness you are

Will the young go to school

Without bags to carry?

Will skeletons walk down your road?

Too many young people

Too few bags to carry

And we languish in poverty

VOICES

Your manifestoes are good

But we need more bags to carry

This time!

Build us PONDS

So that the young can fish

To avert the ugly twin face

Of unemployment and poverty.

Guilty Or Not Guilty?

Like a thief in the night

He creeps in

Slowly and slowly

Then faster and faster

Zooming in and out

Splashing water on my flowers

Like a timid girl

I was mute

Scared of the unknown terror

Yes!

He did all these

He stole my assets and MANured my flowers

Defendant your case

Guilty or not guilty?

Guilty I plead

But not guilty of stealing

I’m only but a gardener

Zooming my way down

To her flowers in bloom

Watering each petals

Swiftly but gently

I was only doing my job

VERDICT!

The defendant is only but a gardener

I hence acquit the arraignment

Go back to your work.

Okoli Stephen Nonso

Okoli Stephen Nonso was born in Zaria, Kaduna state, Nigeria. He is a writer and a poetpreneur. A number of his works has been published in some reputable blogs.

His poems come from the heart and a desire to share words of joy and happiness. He believes that poetry can be used as a tool to solving societal ills.