African Children Poem by Olalekan Ololade Sobande

Perhaps the best commentary on this poem is a passage from the poet's own childhood reminiscences, using the complex and well know form of sonnet (fourteen mainly iambic pentameter lines with a regular rhyme scheme) , the poet gives a deliberately measured expression to the spirit behind his poetry like ''never beat the child(ren) to hell''. The structure of the poem is a variaton of the fourteen line sonnet which Olalekan occassionally uses.
The structure of the poem is noteworthy. It is written in couplets, with each two lines in each stanza rhyming. This is a moralistic poem snd the religions flavour of the language is compatible with the theme. The first two stanzas are used here to refer to different types of good deeds, very much like the holy book usage.
The six lines of the last stanza however protest against any form of child abuse which includes child traficking and warns us to desist from maltreating, molesting and enslaving the children. The poet uses line 13 ''Lord! I love you, my neighbour, and everything you tell'' to remind us of God's love for the universe and as such we must reciprocate the such undiluted love not only in our neighbours, but our wards/child(ren) as well as God has ordained us.
This is a poem which the speaker affirms and cherishes a precious moment of childhood which if only we all can emulate the children, the world would be the best place to live.