I Can'T Be Merry -By Okoemu Barnabas Poem by Okoemu Barnabas

In loneliness sits,
Looking to afar,
With mind burning
Like wide fire
Celebration of new year
Spreading and smoking
In the air,
Yet he in sadness is.
My children slaughter like cow
Used and abused like slaves
By their own brothers,
Their brother, who is the C-in-C
Careless about my household
I tried to merry,
But my heart is too in sad to merry.
To merry when my daughters have for imitation of doom,
Choose to walk naked,
Because of blind civilisation,
Merry! How can I?
When my children hardly have food to eat?
When my little children have no clothes to wear
And the C-in-C has let my labour be in vain
My house has almost fallen
How can I merry!
In stead of improving,
I helplessly watch my family dis-improving,
How can I sing; haPpy new year,
What is new about the new year?
There is need to be merry, but no need really!