The Palmist's Prediction Poem by Olu'kayode Gbadamosi

Pardon me beloved, for me
Words don’t fall with ease like leaves

Yesterday you were
A cob of maize on its stalk unripened
Waited upon to ripen by the farmer and the birds
By Jove! O my! Brought low by stem borers
Hopes shattered! Bury Yesterday
Utilize the balls in the socket
Onward Christian soldier.

Today you are
Some fresh cotton balls - the weaverbird’s toy
Tortured on the loom to be an ornament
For the dresser and the nude
Take the strain with ease
Launch an offensive against your adversaries
Onward Christian soldier.

Tomorrow you will be
A palm tree adorned with spiky pistil-celled fruits
Palm oil, kernel, wine and gray squirrels
Your long straight trunk would be a bridge to cross turbulent seas
Your fronds, a broom to rid the world of filth
The tallest, most resourceful, a strength unbent by winds
A lighthouse and tower of refuge.

Onward Christian soldier
Draw from your boundless armory
There is an unrepentant believer at your tail.