News From Home Poem by John Chizoba Vincent

I write in perfect silent keeping the rain
From touching the ground
Return home brother to fill the vacuum
Left in my hands which am not worthy to fill
The sand thirst to feel your presence
The stream we once swam missed you
They rumbled at me my last visit
I supposed they were asking of you.
desperate men with no fear now walk pass
Our native compound with wagging mouth
And accusation fingers pointing directly at us
They were silent men when papa was alive
Return home, lets feast together the sorrow
Papa left behind for i alone can't behold the raging lions
Papa is died, he fell from the palm tree
at the backyard, when mother heard about that
She collapsed.
the palm trees we both planted at the back
Of the kitchen had been down by the clan
the mound hut we built was brought down
by a mighty wind some days ago
In fact the rain rendered them homeless not hopeless
UChechi died of ebola virus, during her traditional rites
the percel of land that papa showed us years back
Wa now in Uncle Ude's care and mother his property
He claimed it at papa's funeral rites
The moon shine no more in the community
After the chief priest violated the law
He raped Omalicha daughter of OGbazua to Coma
We saw our forefathers in the land, they came angrily
The gods also visited in human form, rolling and
Crawling towards Njaba market in the northern part
thanks to your Chi you escaped the wrath
Of the gods while in prison
I wish i was in your shoes but your shoes
I was afraid of then is better than mine now
Come home brother, for Isioma they claimed you killed
Had resurrected in his father's farmland.
i think he came home smiling after some
months you were convicted
i would be waiting by the door side
mother had cleaned your bedroom and parlor
she wait day and night at the door post
come home brother let us at sound the war drum
together for fight to finish