Held sway under the hypnosis of zealotry.
The chant of the faithful is a wail of blasphemy;
The altar of promise, a slaughter slab of demise;
The howl at dawn, a summons for the Fraternity;
Anointed assassins for the just cause.
The land is a cesspit for my brother,
Born to churn the Book and nothing more.
Duplicity yields meaning for its contents,
To whet the cravings of the Alpha.
Pledge your essence to my Head –
Pledge it to this Imperial Wisdom.
Fresh lilies await you, to be plucked,
Sweet nectar of drunken relish.
Men of flowing garments misconstrue
The persuasiveness of ‘It is written’
Men of girded loins misconstrue
The lust of shekels for Sanctified Call
Each tree craves independent growth
But bananas possess suckers for a reason.
You are called – yes:
Into contempt of Sovereignty.
I weep from my abode,
At this misguided venture.
The meuzzin is faulted; the Meal is profaned,
Reason is lathered, frothing crimson;
Proselytizing is the bane of this venture
Serpents crawl on the platter of ambition –
The gnarled finger of politics prods,
Tastes the cream of your innocence.
Children grope blinded,
Seeking to drink of a manifestation;
The Bull offers fronds of fulfillment
With a wide heart and
A sleight of intention.
Pliant hearts are molded and glazed;
Mechanical response, an impulse of ignorance.
There is a fly in the ointment.
The scent of rose is sweet, intoxicating;
As its thorns prick and pierce.
We are pierced with the forked tongue of the
Worm:
Our actions reek of folly –
Poison-tipped probes rape the mind,
Snuggling deep in its gullible confines.
All this will come and many more,
But the End is not in sight.
‘Tis the bane of existence, this venture –
Oh, this misguided venture.
*This poem was shortlisted in the Eriata Oribabor Poetry Prize.
Written by: Ogundiran Ajibola ‘toby
Edited by: Kukogho Iruesiri Samson
‘Bananas do have suckers, for a reason.’ Indeed. This is, a naked lunch. Very powerful expression. I am proud to read it here.
And we are proud to have you here. Thanks.
Reblogged this on Poetivists & Poeticians.