Money Ritual

Money Ritual

by Seun Lari-Williams

E get one land like dat 

wey dem dey commot person head

like sey na goat, 

on top sey dem believe sey e

fit turn bank note. 

I no dey sugarcoat.

Dis land wey I dey tok, 

dem dey harvest human being 

like sey na yam

on top sey dem wan to bam, 

dem wan kee cow and ram. 

I dey tok as I see am.

Wetin go surprise you be sey 

na still dis land be 

poverty capital of the 

whole world, 

Na their footprint na im 

plenty pass on top Sahara sand, 

na still dem dey swim 

Mediterranean sea pass, 

Na still their pikin dey do 

ashewo pass for Italy 

and Austria. 

Na still dem ordinary mosquito

dey kill pass.

Juju dey work na im 

dem carry dem forefathers dem 

enter boat. 

For four hundred years, 

dem use dog chain 

take hold their papa for throat.

Juju dey work na im ordinary 

mosquito dey kill dem like fly?

Money ritual dey work na im 

we dey suffer, 

dey borrow money up and down, 

money wey pikin wey dem never born 

na im go pay?

Juju wey no fit carry country go front, 

dat one na Juju? 

I no tok again, 

I dey vex.

Seun Lari-Williams was born in 1987. He attended Badagry Grammar School and studied law at the University of Lagos where he served as President of the Law Society. His first anthology Garri for Breakfast was longlisted for the 2017 NLNG Prize for Literature.