Ages ago,
In chains and whips,
They urged us on,
With trepidation we yielded,
Our lips were sealed,
But history testifies for us,
Yet it was not us.
Now, under invisible chains and whims,
They beckon on us to reckon,
For fear of our mirage,
We source and thread our doom.
They wear smiles for us,
With crystal lies,
We embrace slavery in a modern facet,
As we toil in bondage,
We think democracy but we stink of dictators.
Illiterates, are we?
For enlightened minds will die to break these chains,
Nigeria hunts,
Africa yearns,
We crave for elites!
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
In 1975 or thereabouts, my husband and I planned to go to Nigeria to teach in a medical school. But political problems escalated, and when war broke out, we had to cancel our plans. Yes, that is a form of 'slavery, ' for when people cannot live safely, with a chance to decide how their government is to operate, and who shall lead them, they are slaves. But remember-you have a clear mind that will be free inside you no matter what happens on the outside! God bless you, Mr. Haliru! !