The Convert's Resolutions. Poem by Abednego Oghenechovwiere Omashone

No doubt,
You’ve been the protector
Of my ancestors
In times immemorial
No doubt,
You’ve been known to be
The greatest of the gods of the sea
No doubt,
Your mightiness is known
In the hinterland
And your great works are
Seen in the creeks
No doubt,
Kingdoms and nations
From diverse tributaries
Have come to pay homage
At your feet: in time past,
But here
And here,
Hear!
Listen to my stand
For my standing is made
And it is the final.

You protected
But yours wasn’t strong enough:
You proved a weakling
In the presence of the alien
Who showed us the way
To the Great Protector
You were known to be the
Greatest god of the sea
But the one the wayfarer
Showed us proved to be
The Master of the Universe
Making us look wayfarers!
The God of the foreigner thundered
And you succumbed in salute:
‘T was then we knew you
Knew Him from the beginning
But covered us from Him
With the thickness of your night, your night.

The stranger moved and his God
Was with him.
Coming, though to lute,
You couldn’t stop him,
In the process, showed us
The Loving Father of love and light
Now it shines and you couldn’t
Comprehend it, but hide your face!

The fotok’ri’s God is out to
Claiming all lands and lines
Who would accept His warm embrace
And we, your once devotees
Had follow suit of them
That head for the light.

Alas! And hurray!
We are leaving you!
For being with you is being in part
You were not whole.
The Oyibo-man’s-God-inspired book said
When the whole comes
The parts will give way
And the imperfect shall give way
For the perfect
You were parts
You were imperfect.

We are going!
And going for good!
Try not to rear up your ugly head_
Those types you do
Rear up for your enemies and devotees
Who transgress your laws.

This new way befits me most
In it I’ve found
Life, peace, joy, light…
And above all, is
A love transcending all mortals
Can give, including yours.
Hear the rhythm of the band-wagon
Singing and marching on!

To mount Zion, the whole
Of us are going!
There we shall sing the Hallelujah
Music; for that is the new anthem.
Henceforth
You shall remain in the deepest
Part of the sea
Come not near the creeks anymore!
The orders now reside with me
And no more you.

Try not to stir the anger of
The Almighty. You, can still
To Him, run in repentance
Even you, He can convert.
I go for good!
Goodbye!
Henceforth
We run parallel.