Independence Poem by John Collins Areyayefa

Independence is a time to tell of our maturity
Time to appreciate our heroes past
What we‘ve learnt
From the whips and claims
From the colorless skin
Our right
They say is not truly ours
Until independence
My father’s gray hair
Shall benefit my struggles
I am 51 by the potter’s hand
But the sailors of my ship
And the pilot of my plane
May have taken the wrong paths
And delayed my destiny
They’ve forgotten the chains and whips
From the white skin
Upon my forefathers lonely back
Who paid the prize of my freedom
I shall birth a new generation of sailors in my ship
And pilots in my plane
To my son I say
Look to the future with hope
For the little boy who is waiting to become a man
And complete the conquest of our heroes past.
This generation I call youths
Sails today.
John Collins Areyayefa.