Extinguished Poem by Warri Stanley

"EXTINGUISHED"

That night was not getting younger,
Only few eyes were still opened,
It was an Africa night,
So dark like the charcoal,
And my eyes refuse to welcome sleep.

I could smell Ewa Agoyin,
Burning.
I saw Tope and Ayo fetching water with basket,
In my dream.

Twirintwirin noise of those blood sucking agents,
The chirp of the deep night insects,
The squeaking of the mice,
And those hawks that dust their feathers on the thatch,
Often prevent my eyes from enjoying thedream

My body was welcoming breeze of the night,
And my eyes were getting tired.
Sudden I saw a huge flare,
Burning and gushing out fire everywhere,
Like Sodom and Gomorrah.
It seems the only Aso among the huts is on fire,
My eyes became clearer like Dstv,
And sleep has disappear to the land of remembrance,
But the present was like a dream.

The pandemonium erupt of the desiccated bamboo,
And the anhydrous thatches was flaring higher.
Soon there came a soronous voice from the west,
A voice like that of a sororal or fraternal,
They all left their sleep in the bed,
Running here and there "mo don oku, mo don ku o"

Now I could remember my dream.

It was the Aso burning,
But it must be extinguished.

-WARRI STANLEY