History To Be Rewritten... (20-10-20)

Never, have I, ever, seen a nation
Waste her youths like
Rubber-dummies for target-practice.
Never, have i, ever, seen a nation
Neglect the "Law" to enforce "Assault"

Tell me, Are you okay?
Coz, I'm not... My heart bleeds,
My thoughts drift into a state of melancholy
Whenever anyone says "Toll gate"

It was like watching a horror movie...
Actors and actresses "live" on the scene...
Blood everywhere,
It appeared as if the flag also bled...

DAMN!! What a time to be alive...
A time, when being patriotic
Has become a crime...
And if you speak your mind?
Them go spray you bullets, you fit die!!
But if you keep shut, you could probably,
Live a while...

Haba Yi hankali fa...
E be like say time don reach
Wey everybody go "Wiz" like "Khalifa"
But if all of us jakpa?
Then how far can we go??
If the heart of the land,
Is built inside the heart of the people.

Long before the pandemic
Our land experienced change.
Quote "Change"
A change of famine,
Recession and sadly...
One degenerating phase after the other.

We've been named "giants of Africa"
This is a title we ought to maintain
But, then again? What a disgrace...!!
That the least of our worries, is our image.
That there's nowhere safe enough
(I mean, safe at all...)
For a Nigerian indigene
(I mean, Citizen...)
That the common Nigerian man
Earns N30K per minimum wage,
A bag of rice costs N35K per bag,
And fuel costs N151.56 per litre,
The people have absolutely no rights
To express their feelings,
That law enforcement are reinforced thugs,
And if the people say enough is enough
The government declares war...
That we're under dictatorship
Misconcepted for democracy.

I mean, This could have been resolved
With one dialogue and a solution (or resolution)
To the problems... (But, No...)
The fight they didn't take to "insurgents"
They brought to "civilians"
Who got fed up of feeling
Uncomfortable in their own home...
"Home is where the heart lives..."
Even in diaspora...
I don't think the hearts of the youths
Ever left their land...
As a matter of fact?
I always wondered...

What politicians meant
Whenever they made reference
To our heritage as "National Cake"
I wonder why they feel entitled
To everything that is "Ours"
"The labours of our heroes, past
Shall never be in vein..."
Nigeria gained her independence in 1960,
Nigerians gained their independence in 2020
I think the time has come to update
The names in history...

A moment of silence for every youth
We lost in this blood bath...
Toast to all our countless miseries...
My eyes are pallid from the tears
And I can hardly write,
I keep tearing pages...
Our beloved home is sinking in Rage,
Disdain, Pain, Rampage of pandemonium
Conflicts, Governmental deceit and
I'm still missing a lot on the list....
"Revolution" is cliché,
This is History to be Rewritten...

Ajiboye Temitopelodobaba
(C) All Rights Reserved. Poem Submitted on 10/21/2020

Poet's note: In a state of agony, tragedy and melancholy, This poem is dedicated to my country Nigeria, Youths and the #EndSarz protesters. A tribute to the youths who died trying to appeal to the corrupt government in peaceful protest to end sars, police brutality and corrupt practices. This poem is a reminder of the date: 20 October 2020, When the government gave their citizens a blood-bath.
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