A Father's Lament Poem by Oluwagbemisola O. Lawal

The sea that took my sons away,
Was once a source of hope and play,
But now it's where my heart doth lay,
With my dear sons who couldn't stay.

Through Niger and through Libya's land,
They sought a life they couldn't stand,
In search of hope, they took a stand,
But ended up in Death's cold hand.

My heart is heavy, my soul is torn,
My sons are gone, forever gone,
Their dreams and hopes, forever shorn,
By a journey that left them forlorn.

Oh youths, my sons' fate beware,
The journey's not for those who dare,
For in the sea, Death doth ensnare,
And leave behind a heart in despair.

Stay in your land, and make it grow,
For there's a future you can sow,
A life of hope, a life of glow,
That death or sea could never overthrow.

Oh sea, oh sea, you took my all,
My sons, my hope, my heart's own call,
But I'll keep hoping, standing tall,
And warn others of your deadly thrall.

For my sons' sake, I'll speak out loud,
And tell the world of your dark shroud,
A journey that's not for the proud,
But one that leaves behind a mourning crowd.