By Adekoya Boladale
We have read scripts and heard folk tales of Angels and beasts We have read Psalms and Epistles of monsters and princesses In the cloud of our innocence Beasts appears as angels Monsters appears as love For at the end of a scary fairytale Lies, they live happily ever after
But today our marrows shaken, Our souls trembles in fear For we have seen beast as demons And monsters as death.
In the step of bata, we shook to the rhythm of the ivory tower In our quest for knowledge, we embraced the beat of Boko Our huts were burning but the flames of shattered roofs deterred us not Mama was shouting but we stick to our guns for knowledge is prime.
Parting the ashes of burnt villages Trolling on the flames of lost hopes We march as legions With screams of death along our path With echoes of agony beneath our feet We head straight North hoping for a future full of bliss.
To the rhythm we danced With hope and assurance that this part is ours to play The words of the King restore hope The flames from his lips gives comfort For he has promised before heaven and earth Sworn before the seven seas and skies A world without tears and bitterness A path laced not with evil eggs but gold. But while we await the master to serve unto us the measure of brilliance While our pens graciously dance, awaiting to solve the puzzle of Algebra The monsters appeared as guards of the Kings In the royal robe of leaves and dust we greeted them with smile Our souls were filled with comfort for the King has made true his words.
Like wounded cats our smiles changed The cheers and affections of our cheeks wrapped with flakes of fire. Oh no, the death that mama warned us about has come The beast that papa feared has found us.
In the rumbling forest of Sambisa we march In the wilderness far away where birds dare not sing The trees and leafs trembles at the sight of the beasts Snakes and scorpions seek shelter beneath the earth I could see the squirrels with eyes soaked in tears The grasshoppers weep in condolence for the fate to befall us.
In the camouflage of scholars we plead for mercy. With the purest of heart we beg for love. But the beasts listen not Its ears blocked by hatred Its hearts engulfed by wolves Its lips taste for blood.
Dragged and bruised on the path long away Blood beneath our knees map the path along Our purity and flowers they pluck with force And those who stood as Amazons They send to great beyond.
In chains and locks Held as slaves for a sin we know nothing about Our strength less body lies beneath the cave Brutalized, marched, defiled.
It’s almost a moon since the beast came for us. Has mother forsaken us? Has father forgotten his little sun shines? Has the world move on without us? Papa promised to be there when evil comes. Mama promised to offer comfort when sorrow knocks. Where is papa now? Where has mama gone too? They said the Kings lies in his palace enjoying the taste of hops. They said the guards tried to save us. They said they rescued us They said it was a speech made in error. Oh mama! Oh papa! This dungeon we are tired of They serve horsewhip as breakfast and slaps as lunch For dinner they take turn to defile what is left of our purity. Tonight we sleep praying Hoping that death find us worthy for eternal journey Tell the King he failed Tell papa his sun shines rekindles no more Tell mama promises are meant to be kept Tell the world we fought and fell like angels.
Adekoya Boladale via [email protected] and Twitter is @adekoyabee
