For Girls Of Tomorrow Poem by John Chizoba Vincent

I
we've built you bridges that will lead you to tomorrow
the pieces of these skimpy mind of yours has been repaired
down in the sea of knowledge have we made roses for you
love at large and familiar beat of the heart shall follow.
let no tradition deceive you to core inanity and foolishness
marry where you found love and care…
the pound of this land is in between your fingers
we've tasted this daylight of beauty
we've loved this timeless base of favor
retiring this images that stand in our eyes.
our village was made for the protection of your kind
our loins are the pictures that harbors your libation,
your mothers have rendered their tomorrow for you
your fathers have sacrificed their today to keep you
they will bear whatever that comes on your way
in love and tears
in joy and agony
in understanding
not of lost and lawlessness
you'll get there
Africa awaits you on
the other side.




II
Flora Nwapa will not suck these memories away
she made a perfect shy woman among her kind even
when the forest of Abba could not hold down Kainene
she taught all women to wear the thought of their mothers.
Innu Ego would return to mind with glass full of thought
Buchi Emecheta planted her lips on the night wind.
"men are scarce" like they said in absence of their lips
learn to keep your right hand abreast of the moon
Chimamanda Adichie knitted to her father's name
make your names dangle to the song of another man
Like the kite dangling to the wind song of hope.
learn to throw yourself to the world craftily
We have failed yesterday not to protect our husbands
modernity has come to bring those glamour old days robbed us
Use these as big dreams to paint and plant honour
You're the last of the strongest
Birthed in the house of symbols
generation of heroines
How you carve your names on the sand tower
Tells how indeed you were made.








III
darkness we must beat down with torchlight
in this sand of time rotten men wear white linen
to deceive women to their web of cruelty
the skin of the body has generated your names
don't float in the windpipe for men who beat and bark
find comfort in your growing muse till this world ends
switch places and find grains of purity somewhere else
better land than those we entrenched here for you
forgive any step we may have over taken before you came
we were overwhelmed when ancient days emerged in our feet
solitude never thought they could live where we lived
we've built you bridges that will lead you to tomorrow
the pieces of these skimpy mind of yours has been repaired
down in the sea of knowledge have we made roses for you
love at large and familiar beat of the heart shall follow.

Yours Poetically,
© John Chizoba Vincent