Homeless, Not Hopeless
We are the native of the street
Holed-up under bridges
We are necessary
We are part of your existence
Major fragment of the globe
As the day chameleon to night
You slump in the warmth of your beds
And the heat of loved ones
We also embrace the cozy
Cardboards laid on stinks
As the night inject us with cold breeze
And endurance
We sleep and dream
And have conferences with
The indigenes of the world
When its day, in bundle
We pack our belongings
And move on with our days
Standing, kneeling and bending
To beg for alms just for the day
Necessary part of your society
Translators of your dreams
Carriers of your burdens
Angels, we open gates
Of your blessings
We are the lack
That takes your lack
We are homeless, not hopeless
This makes us rife at hereafter
When death opens the gate
To the second phase
Sola Owonibi
Sola Owonibi, a multiple award-winning Nigerian poet, playwright, culture activist and literary critic, teaches at the Department of English Studies, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Nigeria. With over two decades of teaching literature and language across Nigerian universities, Owonibi has authored numerous academic papers, poetry and drama texts.
Holed-up under bridges
We are necessary
We are part of your existence
Major fragment of the globe
As the day chameleon to night
You slump in the warmth of your beds
And the heat of loved ones
We also embrace the cozy
Cardboards laid on stinks
As the night inject us with cold breeze
And endurance
We sleep and dream
And have conferences with
The indigenes of the world
When its day, in bundle
We pack our belongings
And move on with our days
Standing, kneeling and bending
To beg for alms just for the day
Necessary part of your society
Translators of your dreams
Carriers of your burdens
Angels, we open gates
Of your blessings
We are the lack
That takes your lack
We are homeless, not hopeless
This makes us rife at hereafter
When death opens the gate
To the second phase
Sola Owonibi
Sola Owonibi, a multiple award-winning Nigerian poet, playwright, culture activist and literary critic, teaches at the Department of English Studies, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Nigeria. With over two decades of teaching literature and language across Nigerian universities, Owonibi has authored numerous academic papers, poetry and drama texts.
"He who does not speak does not run the risk of having his pipe out"...Quotable quote from one of your early books @ Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso. Over two decades ago, more grease to your elbow sir. Remain blessed.
ReplyDeletehow can I become literary student pls ?
ReplyDeleteBelieve
ReplyDeleteI am so in love with this poem. I read it in school about 4 years ago, but it still remains one of my favorite poems
ReplyDeleteThanks for the work; more accolade goes to the author of this poem.
I love this poem
ReplyDelete