Lovesong for my Wasteland, Sequence VII
no water runs where the Niger flows
no fish swims where the Benue berths
my spirit is grieved, my grief is long like the rivers
i will not forgive i will not forget
i will be like God vengeance of truth
i will be thunder in the kidneys of liars
i will remember the tadpole head
of our terrible tales i will remember
the necklace of the albatross
hanging in the hearts of butchers
i will remember the bomb-game goon
i will remember his landmines of lies
i will remember the oasis of blood
no water runs where the Niger flows
no fish swims where the Benue berths
my spirit is grieved, my grief is long like the rivers
how will i forget the pain
when i remember the knife and see the scar?
no water runs where the Niger flows
no fish swims where the Benue berths
my spirit is...
grieved.
i see rodents still
i see reptiles in new skins
i see bats flying above the flood
and i smell the odour in the air
which betrays the anus of the tribe
dressed but naked like prostitutes...
oh, i am grieved beyond forgeting...
Remi Raji
Remi Raji is a Nigerian poet, scholar, literary organiser and cultural activist. Raji’s first collection of poems – A Harvest of Laughters (1997) – has won national and international recognition.
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