By Lechi Eke
Reading is one step towards a developed society. So while we wait for our next Literary Period, Victorian Era, let’s lounge with these satirical and polemical poems from the stable of fledgling poetess, Ada George. All three poems are from her new collection: Tearing through the rumbling thunders
Growing Up
Gone were the days
We looked forward to the rains,
The sudden sound of lightening –
The inner recesses of our homes brightening –
Tearing through the rumbling thunder’s –
Abode; throwing little children into blunders;
The sight ‘n’ sound of heavy downpour
Making delirious with joy our poor –
Hearts, that would later fill with feverish pains
Gone were the days
We clutch our mugs of hot chocolate
Tucked into big blanket
Our bodies stretched on our couches,
Gazing rapturously at the TV set and –
Get upset at lost signals –
While the rains assault the pane pouring down.
We have danced in the rains
Picking rain stones and –
Fighting rain fights until –
Shivering we run into assaulted homes.
Those were the days of childhood
When life living rests on
Another, an adult called parent/guardian
Our light chores to enjoy the gains of their wages,
Complaining of slow-to-come benefits,
Laughing at the planning of responsible folks,
Calling astute prudent caretakers –
Misers and frugal.
Even as we lounge the days leap and bound
Time like hourglass sand trickle soundlessly
We without watching wear gradually –
Now, the sight of dark clouds sends us running
Frantically pulling clothes off clothing lines
Shutting windows and lifting things off the floor
In anticipation of flooding.
Now, our hearts sink at
The gathering clouds,
The rumbling thunders,
The tearing lightening.
Fears dilate our eyes.
Now, the TV losing signals is
One of our tiny worries,
Now, no chairs to coil on ‘cause
Chairs are raised up, and
No more luxury of hot chocolate –
School fees have to be paid and,
We watch our wages.
Aba
The Enyimba city,
The Pride of Igbo land,
Where they gathered,
Beginning from ancient times
Even to the present,
People from different lands,
Speaking in different tongues
Diverse idioms,
Here you sell what you brought and
I sell what I bring
And needs are met;
The roads run fast
To Akwa Ibom,
Another to Imo,
The other to Rivers,
Yet another to Umuahia.
Here they built Ariaria Market,
The international market,
Here they have the Afia Ofuru –
The new market that is now old,
The old market that relocated to a new place,
The Cemetery market that has made many rich,
The Mosque area market – where nde awusa worship,
The one thousand and one residential markets.
This is the hub of eastern Nigeria –
Where residents dress smartly, and –
And everyone is street smart.
You cannot outsmart Aba people.
“Obu nwa Aba” is a pride in itself.
“Obu onye Aba” is an identity.
“Aba ma nde Aba,” is a conclusion.
“Aba n’anya is a statement –
Meaning… “They stare too much!”
And of African prints, “It’s cheap.”
“If you ain’t born in Aba, Nwanne, forgerrit –
I bu Mugu!” –
Nke a bu eziokwu!
Abia State
Who cursed Abia?
Who swore that it would never have good governance?
Which demon from hell’s pit selects Abia’s politicians to run?
What qualifies them to run?
Who qualifies them to run?
Where are the wailing women?
Where are the prayer warriors?
Where are the intercessors?
Where are the elders?
Call the town hall meeting –
Call the village square meeting –
Let’s discuss what leaders do.
Why do lands need leaders?
The answer is what leaders come to do.
But, they called me back!
They asked me to enumerate,
They asked me to expatiate…
Lands need peace, security and order,
Lands need schools – elementary, good teachers – well paid
So they be mindful of their work,
Lands need secondary schools, well equipped,
So education can be thorough,
Lands need universities and colleges,
Technologies and polytechnics –
Lands need well equipped hospitals and clinics,
Lands need farmlands and farm tools,
Lands need banks with loan facilities,
Lands need business men and women to access loans
With little interests and conducive ultra modern markets to trade,
Lands need courts of law and well paid ministers of justice,
Lands need well paid law-enforcement agents and quality spirit de corps
Lands need electricity and good roads,
Lands need cheap ultra modern transportation and –
Trained people to man them
Lands need the elderly to live longer and help with –
The wealth of their knowledge and experiences,
Lands need to pay wages in good time and –
Pay pensioners promptly –
Lands need governors who will not receive pension from states –
And be active in houses of Assemblies.
Lands need industries and factories,
Lands need sponsorship for manufacturers, skills to develop skills –
Lands need, lands need –
Whatever else I missed that you remember!