Rest In Peace Poem by Idogun Esohe

I can feel your pain right now.
The pain of being lynched.
The pain of not being heard.
You were worried being stripped naked in front of the crowd,
but that shame suddenly turned into fear for a life,
when they put a tire on you.
You thought it was a nightmare,
because you had smiled that night dreaming of dying on your death bed advising your children.
But that bed had suddenly turned into mud,
and those children had suddenly turned into blood tasty crowds.

You were tired, aching and gasping for breath, but it failed.
You couldn’t believe you were about to cross into eternity.
You had thought you would finish your assignment that day.
You had thought you would pay your tuition fee that day.
You had scheduled your time, to visit home.
You had thought you would travel to Canada for the Christmas,
You remembered holding mum's hands,
telling her you would become a musician.
but now you are about to cross to eternity;
where you are not prepared for.
That thought scared you.

There was no mum and dad to defend you.
Your siblings were somewhere in their daily businesses,
while you were dying in Aluu community.
You wanted to ask the blood tasty crowds,
to give you a chance to talk to your family,
but your mouth couldn’t utter a word.
They brought in petrol,
and poured it on your body.
The stench grabbed your remaining breath.
You pinched yourself to wake up from what you thought was a dream,
but you were just wide awake.
Then the fire came in, and it was so unbearable.
You tossed and turned, but the fire wouldn’t just go.
Then there was silence and peace.
You thought they left you, but no, it was eternity.
Finally you found rest from your tormentors.
Rest in peace, Tekena, Chadika, Loyd, and Ugonna.