Agony Untold

Agony Untold

By George Amadi

At the end of an enervating year

In this tropical clime, humid at

Best of times, a dry, dust-laden

Wind, catarrh to big and small

Blows, no clouds in the sky float.

Heavy breeze the ground sweeps,

Uncombed, my hair with sand fills;

Dry lips of mine at will torments

No end. Harmattan in December

Begins, howling silly till February.

But far from inclement weather,

Hidden from probing human eyes,

Agony untold at the heart-strings

Thug, teasing, cajoling, confusing,

Asking where stands now my faith.

As Christmas Day to us draws near,

Minute by minute, every second

Counting, my memory, try as hard

As it may, no punches pulled, yet,

A painful past needs to vamoose.

Lagos, Dec. 24, 2014

   

Village Square

Village Square

By George Amadi

No longer of nocturnal howls

Stands in awe; of masquerade,

Still looking for the right word,

In admiration stands no end.

Gone are those days of trifles

When his bed-wetting smells

Parents and elders overlooked,

With fondness a child petted.

Gone are those days of trifles

When with pebbles, a catapult,

Gangling archer a dozen birds

Felled, away stashed in the kitty.

Gone are those days of trifles

When out of a sherry tree fell

Teen-aged hunter who, all night

Long, after a rub-down, groaned.

All grown, before a village excited,

Stands a man by hard work, virtue

Tempered; able, ready a family to

Raise vows, eliciting joy and praise.

His peers in an age-grade mature

Classed, their manhood in valour

Clothed; they with the elders palm-

Wine at the village square shared.

Lagos, Oct. 19, 2014

Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence

By George Amadi

Little known, a fair-weather woman’s

War-chest, in marriage, by whims and

Caprices, without guilt pains, inundated,

By bullets, fusillade horrendous, no less,

At domestic violence build-up targeted,

Not a few husbands naive, indeed, fools.

Little known also, and to be noted, writ

Large, the manipulative ways of many a

Castle’s governess who no prisoner take;

Their divide-and-rule tactics’ pole upon

Which stands hoisted an invisible flag of

Deception, route to polygamy may lead.

At the feet of any who as bread-winner

Emerges, does each to worship hearken,

Not at all minding if such person happens

To be a dirty, household’s low-esteemed

Servant; so long as her needs are served,

Honour, pride, dignity for nothing stand.

Lagos, Dec. 23, 2014

  

Christmas Shopping

Christmas Shopping

By George Amadi

December pay-day one whole week away,

Adrenalin rush stifling can’t be kept at bay.

Instinctive buying this pushes all the way,

Dresses, shoes, here and there, on display,

Frenzied women lots snatch from a tray.

At a farm, fowl prices haggle, have their say;

To shops in SUVs then, drive without delay,

Smuggled booze pick up along the highway.

‘Shopping till you drop,’ indeed, gone astray,

Christmas my locale makes go gay up all day.

Lagos, Dec. 20, 2014

Enter Mario Gotze

Enter Mario Gotze

By George Amadi

“Oh, Messi, Ah, Messi,” lost chances prompting,

He would carry the day not a few fans wishing,

2014 World Cup final tackles reckless getting,

Each passing moment hue and cry mounting,

South Americans to fate resigned, grieving,

German coach for a glorious day plotting,

Referee a penalty shoot-out envisaging,

Maracana disappearing seconds counting,

Planet Earth on TV a baited breath holding,

Frenzied bookie’s cigar in the mouth hanging,

Enter Mario Gotze, dying minutes bets choking,

His brave volley Argentine goalie sent sprawling.

Lagos, Aug. 24, 2014