Tendencies Poem by omoloja yusuf

So in one of these days when I look at the scar
I cannot but think of the days of human cargoes
And the captain of the cargo ship would look
At the banded black man and shoot him for being
Too black, that`s a deficit anyway.

You can clear the scene of war, bury all fallen heroes
In a mass grave fumigated to send the foul smell packing
Build a memorial tomb and write "great men are awake here"
Who are you deceiving?

But can you clear the scars of the shells, can you replace lost brothers
And fathers, can you replace lost girls, stolen virginities, can you heal the
Breast of broken souls, can you mould like a termite the shambles of broken
Homes?

So when they came to Africa, they were brothers so they claim, but in the delta
They were busy exploiting palm oil, exporting cargoes

If you say I've joined them, I agree, I have long joined the warriors of the mind
The best war is the war of the mind
The best weapon is the pen

So if forgiving is what you hook me with, I agree I will forgive

But what about the tendencies, do we sit and look again
Until the eagle comes in a surprising flight to snatch our
Chickens again

That is the war left and is better fought with the mind.