Tears For Fleeing Families Poem by Jude Ogunade

I slept, singing songs of sadness
And sorrowful sigh for fleeing families.
I woke, with a wailing weep
And tea tears for fleeing families.
I kept, thoughts of terrible things to come
When we neglect fleeing families;
Carefully concealed in my hurting heart!
And I ponder, perhaps poverty
Has wrought me madness.
And I wonder: when will the world heal?


I groan, on seeing toddlers trek till they tire
To where to get shelter.
Away, from voracious vultures.
I moan, at the sight of children running
Away from their brethren
For fear of being feast for voracious vultures.
Children, whose skins stink
For want of water with which to wash the two
Sides of same coin, and food?
Now a forgotten force with which to drive
Hopes alive, and their body done
In skeletal cascade like a savannah in Harmattan.


And I heard the voice:
Let my people go.
Go to where they belong?
Away from voracious vultures!
Land of our birth do we pledge to thee?
Why do we have to flee from thee?
Land of our birth, please we implore thee;
You know why we fled from thee,
Therefore deliver us now, and please keep us
Away from voracious vultures
Who want to make us gracious
For giving us wars as our daily bread,
Under the shadow of selfish wish
While wasting wars with ‘whimful’ means:
On selfish ends.
© JUDE ADEBOSOYE OGUNADE
29/4/97