Evils Of Civilization Poem by Oluseyi Akinbami

When men were men
They proved their strength in tilling
Providing meat so many
Hoe and cutlass was their tool
To the farm we all must go!

Women never wayward this,
Children to their lord paid the dues
Nothing funny nothing silly
Men bare chested in the sun
Women too with their breasts lumpy
Papa! papa! Children call
All of us to nature true.

When men were men
Mothers make the food for many
And the men with bare hands consume
We ate our yams with epo
Obe orugbo was our balm
Kenke was never cold consumed
Tuwo shinkafa got it’s honour
We were black and wore the bark.

When men were men
All the kings knew their lands
There were no borders,
We knew not boundries,
Not for tax, like these.

There was never Cairo
No Lagos
No Pretoria
No Dakar
No Accra

We were blacks and wore the bark
Of Iroko tree.

The sun was never our enemy
The cold brought us fever.

When men were men
There were no schools
We learnt from homes
There were no money
We traded with cowries
And what you call bata.
Old men when old,
They were really old.
And young men when young
They were really young.

When men were men
There was no racism
Or colour difference
Until they came,
We all were black
And loved it so.

There was no philosophy or ideology
Meant for the markets.
Every man was a lone,
A world of knowledge.
And we grew to have it so.

There were no pastors
We were same with the priest
There was no God
As they made us think.
We knew the gods and yet one God.
Their God was not our God
For why were we slaves?

When men were men
The sun, moon, stars and rain
Knew their times

We live,
Labour
And leave full grown to the grave

Will this evil leave us soon?

That all men become men.