Onwubiko (I Beseech You Death) Poem by Uche Nwanze

The cry to make us laugh we all longed for
Nights on vigil we prayed the gods heed our call
Our fears grow to tears
Pregnant in hope of the harvests to come
If the sky will smile on us
Adaora in pangs of pain
Who will console her
Endless wait for a sign
All her unborn children will not be eaten up again
Like a barren soil, no crops for the harvest
An evening gossip, Asake has become
Alas! The heavens were kind to her
If the world will just hear the joyful scream