A collection of poetry

Contents

WORDS
HOMECOMING
WELCOME TO NAIJA
THE PEOPLE
IS THE GRASS GREENER?
THE WORLD
CITY OF DREAMS
WAIT A MINUTE
BEAUTY'S BEAST
OKADA
FLASHING
THE SPIRIT OF THE DANCE
THE TRUTH
SIXTEEN
THE LITTLE GOLDFISH
THE DAY AFTER YOU WENT AWAY
LOVE IS….
LIFE IS LIKE SHE IS
THERE'S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT YOU
MISSING YOU
BREAK UP TO MAKE UP (I CANT MAKE MY MIND UP)
ANOTHER SAD LOVE SONG
WHY CAN'T I WAKE UP WITH YOU
ONE NIGHT STAND
MY PAIN
TO MY VALENTINE
MEMORIES FROM THE PAST
DESIRE
THANK YOU
GOOD BYE

The People
Raise your glasses to the people
The ones who make everything look simple
They can see the future through the eyes of an eagle
The wise ones who know life’s not a sample
You live once, better find an example
Be the best by any means possible
Never underestimate the power of the people
Their sweat, the catalyst for the growth of a nation
Trying to provide a better future for the next generation
There’s honour in their search for salvation
Put your hands together for the people
Struggling in the face of so much adversity
There’s beauty in the strength of their versatility
There’s hope in the beauty of their creativity
It’s a bittersweet drama set in reality
Stand up for the people
The streets are filled with unsung heroes
Each one of them with thousands of their stories
Young faces with grown minds
Young minds with grown up scars
They grow up too fast
In a youth that doesn’t last
Let’s celebrate the people
The ones who’ll never feel unequal
The ones with the drive to never be second best
They forget the myriad of excuses
They prepare for the tests that life may present
They rise up, above all the problems and reasons why not
This here is us; here to succeed no matter what, we’re the people


Homecoming

I looked out the window, on the little scattered houses, and little cars
The crowded streets and polluted skies
The patches of darkness and light, tin roofs on concrete rooms
Everything seems so quiet from up here
The chaos of the city, just a familiar picture in the distance
The people go on with life as normal with no resistance
With each passing moment the view becomes clearer
I can make out the yellow danfo buses, as the sounds in my imagination get louder
I immerse myself in my thoughts, as I stare blankly into the seat in front of me
The engine shudders, the chairs shake and the frame rattles
The wheels hit the tarmac and the frame screeches to a halt
The applause rings out, the smiles break out
This is it, my homecoming
The warm heat sips into my skin, welcoming me with vigour
The arrivals hall is packed, and we’re all staring at each other
In our minds we all know the land outside is like no other
We'll all be having different experiences, but there'll be a lot of shared thoughts
Large boxes dance along on the one working machine
The sweat beads start to appear, as the people start to disappear
I swear there's a conspiracy, because my little box seems like it would never appear
When it finally does, the hall is almost empty
I walk to the door with the big burly men
Who stare me down like I need to say my amen's
The way they stare would make you act suspicious
But the lady by their side looked to be auspicious
I flash a smile and tell her I'm a student back from my education
To my surprise she waves me past, if only for a donation
The ride home is long; the radio plays a familiar song
I'm still on a journey that began yesterday, for some it’s the start of a brand new day
There are people on the backs of okada's, old men perched on their verandas
The generators have already begun their daily shift, there's workers waiting for a lift
The lady frying akara is working hard with a smile, once there's life there's hope, there's no denial
The baby on her back wont stop crying, not sharing the mothers desire to keep on struggling
The streets are always busy, the people are always noisy
The familiar sound of home, it’s been a while since I've been gone
The street hawkers outside my window are trying to catch my attention
But my minds far away, focused only on the situation
Every image unlocks memories, stories from the past that could fill libraries
My past is in every corner of these streets, how things have changed
Life has moved on, for others it still remains the same
This land stays on my mind, no matter how far away I go
This is where I'm from; I'm back where I belong
This is where I was born, and where I'd always return
This land is full of scars; don’t be deceived by the luxurious cars
But there's hope in the futures eyes, a chance that we have the power to change our lives
This is where my future lies; I have visions of touching the skies
It’s a tough decision to make; the difficulties may be hard to take
But you have to look through the clouds; the struggle comes with good rewards
Mother waits at the front door with a familiar pose and a big smile
Comfort comes with the warm embrace of family
Joy comes from conversations not disturbed by any anomaly
A new phase in my life is just beginning
This is it, my homecoming.