by Aluta Nite
Marina, Marina, Marina
It’s your Golden Jubilee;
This’s great. This’s huge.
You’re not old,
You’re simply growing
For age is but a number.
Face life and the world
As if it’s your Silver Jubilee
And no frowning please.
Menopause isn’t a disease,
It’s just like menses;
Embrace it and make it a partner.
Let it not put you down
For Marina isn’t a coward;
Ride it as if it’s surfing.
And we say, fare thee well;
Live long, and enjoy, Marina;
We wish you the very best.
DEATH HAS NO MERCY
There’s no point weeping, wailing or moaning
For the grave, body and shroud are ready.
Those weeping, wailing or moaning are wasting
Energy, for death is cruelly certain.
Girls and boys came very early,
Men and women came very early,
Friends and neighbors came very early,
And everybody else is here
For death has no mercy
The sun surely beckons us to act;
To face reality and do the job at hand
For tomorrow will be a different day,
But we’ll not forget him.
Girls and boys came very early,
Men and women came very early,
Friends and neighbors came very early,
And everybody else is here
For death has no mercy
He was one of us and he lived by example.
He was a mentor while helping many others
And that’s why it’s so hard to say-
‘Till, we meet again.’
Girls and boys came very early,
Men and women came very early,
Friends and neighbors came very early,
And everybody else is here
For death has no mercy
BELOVED TEACHER
This place was for girls' schooling;
He turned it into an educational center
To cater for the youth and adults,
A variety of disciplines,
And people from all walks of life.
There’s girls’ boarding middle school
And girls’ boarding high school;
Coed day middle school
And coed day elementary school.
All the time he was here,
He was our beloved teacher
And we’ll forever remember him,
The son of enlightenment,
For what he did for us.
There’s day care center
And kindergarten;
Teacher training college
And adult education wing;
Women development program and
Shopping center, market and gas station.
All sorts of languages are spoken here
For he opened the gates
To all, from far and near.
All the time he was here,
He was our beloved teacher
And we’ll forever remember him,
The son of enlightenment,
For what he did for us.
FAREWELL
Joey, bye, bye
Garry, bye, bye
Carey, bye, bye
Mickey, bye, bye.
Tomorrow morning
Tomorrow morning
Tomorrow morning
We shall bid you farewell.
Larry, bye, bye
Kenny, bye, bye
Harry, bye, bye
Nicky, bye, bye.
Tomorrow morning
Tomorrow morning
Tomorrow morning
We shall bid you farewell.
Farewells are easier in the morning
To set us free to face the day
For night ones are harder to handle.
Tomorrow morning
Tomorrow morning
Tomorrow morning
We shall bid you farewell.
EMPTINESS AND GLOOM
Rosy is no longer here,
Jeanette is no longer here,
Corry is no longer here,
Penny is no longer here.
Wedlock has taken them all.
Our commune is empty
Our village is gloomy
Our locale is empty
Our surround is gloomy
Our environ is empty
Our area is gloomy.
Marie is no longer here,
Terry is no longer here,
Zara is no longer here,
Donna is no longer here.
Wedlock has taken them all.
Our commune is empty
Our village is gloomy
Our locale is empty
Our surround is gloomy
Our environ is empty
Our area is gloomy.
They can’t be replaced for
The young ones are still too young
And their growth can’t be enhanced.
Some life has to stand still or slow down
For incoming ones aren’t promised.
Our commune is empty
Our village is gloomy
Our locale is empty
Our surround is gloomy
Our environ is empty
Our area is gloomy.
THE TAILING CLASS
Freshmen are coming,
Freshmen are coming,
Oh yea, freshmen are;
Freshmen are coming,
Freshmen are coming,
Oh yea, freshmen are.
Everybody’s happy that freshmen are coming,
Everybody’s happy that freshmen are coming.
The tailing class,
The tailing class,
Oh yea, tailing class;
The tailing class,
The tailing class,
Oh yea, tailing class.
Everybody’s happy that freshmen are coming,
Everybody’s happy that freshmen are coming.
Smelling monkeys,
Smelling monkeys,
Oh yea, smelling apes;
Smelling monkeys,
Smelling monkeys,
Oh yea, smelling apes.
Everybody’s happy that freshmen are coming,
Everybody’s happy that freshmen are coming.
Green monocotyledons,
Green monocotyledons,
Oh yea, green monocots;
Green monocotyledons,
Green monocotyledons,
Oh yea, green monocots.
Everybody’s happy that freshmen are coming,
Everybody’s happy that freshmen are coming.
BITTER END
Having put himself in harm’s way
And acquired the dreaded ailment
He became devastated, depressed and bitter.
Its source was luxury of relaxation,
After businesses hours, in the pub next door
In his small town, way back-country.
Several friends from the city joined him,
Every weekend, to sample the new finds
And whoever tasted first updated the rest.
It didn’t take long before they were culprits
To the Adam and Eve saga
As they all became victims.
Dick became recluse and refused to eat
Cursing every time like a disowned man
And when food was served, he gave it a kick
While looking the other way
For he didn’t want eyes to meet
While his body wasted miserably to the end.
He had no goodbyes to anyone,
Not even to his innocent children and wife
Who were disappointed, but loved him anyway.
He was laid to rest and soon after,
His friends were down one after the other
And before long, t
hey all went to cold statistics.
THUMPING
You shove him to the ground
Like he's bitumen to be used.
You butt him with the gun
Like he's a criminal of the worst kind.
You pound on him with heavy boots
Like he's a culprit of mob justice.
You spit on him ferociously
Like he stinks like skunk.
Secret cameras are watching you
And recording your deeds.
The international court awaits you
For this is abuse to innocent demonstrator
Who totally bears no arms
And just wants justice meted out to all equally
And his other cries heard and fulfilled.
When he bleeds, don’t you feel aghast?
When he writhes in pain, don’t you feel empathy?
When he dies, don’t you feel remorseful?
He’s one of you except he’s powerless,
But he has reasons to change your ilk.
Ignoring him isn't such a good idea
For his noise will not give you peace.
INSATIABLE TASTE BUDS
My tummy tells me I’ve had enough
My mouth tells me to eat some more
My eyes tell me to take a little more
My mind tells me I can go on.
Insatiable taste buds;
There has to be willpower
To curb this craving
Or else, there’s no end
To this mania.
My hands tell me to reach for some more
My feet tell me they will take me there
My body tells me there’s no harm
My greed tells me it’s all right.
Insatiable taste buds;
There has to be willpower
To curb this craving
Or else, there’s no end
To this mania.
When will I say stop!
When will I say no more?
When will I say that’s enough!
When will I say I can’t take any more?
Insatiable taste buds;
There has to be willpower
To curb this craving
Or else, there’s no end
To this mania.
DISASTERS
Fire likes wind, dryness, combustibles and carelessness.
Fire fears water, soil, foam and extinguishers.
Fire can be speedy and bold.
Fire empties surrounds.
Fire is controllable.
Fire has limits.
Water can be resistant and adamant.
Water is overwhelming and tames.
Water is a force to reckon with.
Water can stay put and endless.
Water can be vast and mighty.
Water roars, rushes and runs.
Water overpowers barriers.
Water engulfs and sweeps.
Water fills environs.
Water has no limits.
SENIOR MOMENTS
Noses run,
Eyes cheat,
Ears ignore,
Weakness surrounds,
Forgetfulness abounds,
And ill health is like a second skin.
Like it or not
It’s here with us
Time is the factor
In senior moments.
Heads gray,
Mouths sag,
Soles crack,
Veins show,
The skin dries.
And teeth weaken.
Like it or not
It’s here with us
Time is the factor
In senior moments.
Walk slows,
Dosing everywhere,
And helplessness showers.
Like it or not
It’s here with us
Time is the factor
In senior moments.
FRIGHTENED
I passed by a building in campus,
not knowing what it entailed.
Outside, was a couple, male and female,
roughing each other and arguing endlessly.
They were young and assertive
going by their looks and moves.
They looked early twenty something
with all the verve and vivaciousness possible.
I got concerned for the female
for she was shouting and crying
like she was in pain.
The male acted with words and motion
without a trace of pain except
portrayal of anger and vigor.
She showed signs of hurt and vulnerability
as he punched her continuously
and she tried to return his shoving.
Feeling sorry for her,
I anticipated racing to her aid;
Fearing she would get wounded
like a weak dog in a fight.
As I took the first steps to her aid,
behind, suddenly and quickly,
came a lady, who knew better and
calmed me down with her words-
“They’re only acting.
They’re theater arts students
doing assignment outside.
I saw you concerned
and rushed to stop you
from spoiling it for them
and whoever was recording them.
You may therefore relax,
for no harm is imminent.”
A CHILD’S DILEMMA
At a market, far away,
where things were unfamiliar,
a child faced a real ordeal.
It was all joy, with Mum,
leaving her siblings behind.
She jogged all the way, behind Mum,
to keep pace, a distance of two hours walk.
At destination, there was a sea of people,
all unrecognizable faces to her.
Mum bought her all and sundry to eat.
She never said nay
and gulped to her heart’s content.
It was bananas, peanuts, yoghurt, name it.
Finally, her tummy was like a taut drum
with breathing impossible
and her mouth wouldn’t close.
Lethargy set in and drowsiness followed.
And her colon started pressing
for poop was pushing forward.
Fainting was emerging with eyes rolling white
and dizziness overwhelming.
Mum turned to find her lying on the ground
breathless, but due to shame, she wouldn’t
say what was amiss.
Mum being an adult, deduced the reason
and rushed her to the nearby bushes
where she emptied tons of stuff
after which her life resumed like nothing happened;
she was up and about and ready to consume some more.
CRUELTY
When I was six, you hurt my siblings
On route with pails of water on their heads.
It’s difficult to forget; they were eight and ten
While you were fourteen, big and robust.
They arrived wet, in pain and achieved nothing
Due to your cruelty, as your hippo skin whip
Had lashed their heads, backs, arms and legs.
Oh! They were swollen and bruised all over.
What were you thinking by acting so cruel?
They were merely doing their duty,
As their school and Mama required.
You had no reason for you were just a bully.
Mama believed not her eyes;
Seeing them crying with no water
And their pails were not with them
For they ran and left the pails behind.
Why be so cruel to such young girls?
They’re my siblings and your act pains me.
I looked up to them and I loathe you for it.
They were my protectors and mentors.
They were merely doing their duty,
As their school and Mama required.
You had no reason for you were just a bully.
You never asked for forgiveness
Despite meeting every day,
But revenge is never admirable.
What were you thinking by acting so cruel?
They were merely doing their duty,
As their school and Mama required.
You had no reason for you were just a bully.
THOSE OLDER GIRLS!
In middle school, food was a huge thing.
Eating lemons in darkness was no shudder.
They tasted like oranges or tangerines
For my stomach was empty and growling.
I cried streams, but it never helped.
It only made my eyes red by the day
And my tired eyes slept better by the night.
To suppress hunger in me, I coiled like a worm.
Food, clothing, shoes and money I had
Were for those older girls
For I was like in a penitentiary.
I had no voice to shout out no to them
For they could deal with me accordingly
Them bullies, of the worst kind.
End of my first high school year,