Letter To My Children
I want to write a letter to my government,
But I'm scared nobody will read it.
Or if they do,
I might just read the response on my mother's face-down mashed corpse.
Flung down from the window of democratic fascism.
And I'm not a singer that can go naked on them and blow rebellious trumpet.
I want to write a letter to my government,
But then I look at my children.
How their future might be bullied without a father.
I look at my wife who loathes black and slovenly hair,
And how smelling shoes and mouths odour might gather at our home,
To choke the remaining joy wincing in her.
And I'm not Baluba that can grow grey hair behind iron bars.
I want to write a letter to my government,
But I remember Dele-Giwa and the envelope of tragedy.
I remember Soyinka chasing for breath outside his own father's garden.
I look at myself and see syllables of John Kennedy's words glinting,
And then I write this letter.
This letter to my children.
Dear Children,
Tomorrow when you get to school
And your teacher asks your state of origin,
Don't bite hard your tongue like an unripened mango.
Just say Nigeria.
Say your state of origin is Nigeria,
Only that "wherever" is your state of residence.
When you are divided by tribes,
Don't waggle behind any group like a hunting dog.
But find a lonely corner to hoist your flag.
And if they ask what tribe you represent,
Just say Nigeria.
Say your tribe of origin is Nigeria,
Only that "wherever" is your tribe of birth.
Dear Children,
Dandali isn't just the black boy from brutal North but your distant cousin.
Chidera isn't just the scrawny girl from myopic East but your far away Niece.
And Gbenga that suckled the same breast with you is not any better than them.
Dear Children,
I'm only writing this letter to you now
Because that government will grow old and die.
And you and Dandali and Chidera and
Some other members of this extended family you don't know now will grow to become the government.
Dear children,
This government has failed because our President is from the North.
Our Senate President is from the west.
The Minister of Justice is from the East.
But nobody is from Nigeria.
Even the Inspector General is from the North,
And murder becomes a beautiful morning sun if the gun speaks Kananci...
Dear children
You're not from "wherever"
You're from Nigeria.
©Segun Michael.
I want to write a letter to my government,
But I'm scared nobody will read it.
Or if they do,
I might just read the response on my mother's face-down mashed corpse.
Flung down from the window of democratic fascism.
And I'm not a singer that can go naked on them and blow rebellious trumpet.
I want to write a letter to my government,
But then I look at my children.
How their future might be bullied without a father.
I look at my wife who loathes black and slovenly hair,
And how smelling shoes and mouths odour might gather at our home,
To choke the remaining joy wincing in her.
And I'm not Baluba that can grow grey hair behind iron bars.
I want to write a letter to my government,
But I remember Dele-Giwa and the envelope of tragedy.
I remember Soyinka chasing for breath outside his own father's garden.
I look at myself and see syllables of John Kennedy's words glinting,
And then I write this letter.
This letter to my children.
Dear Children,
Tomorrow when you get to school
And your teacher asks your state of origin,
Don't bite hard your tongue like an unripened mango.
Just say Nigeria.
Say your state of origin is Nigeria,
Only that "wherever" is your state of residence.
When you are divided by tribes,
Don't waggle behind any group like a hunting dog.
But find a lonely corner to hoist your flag.
And if they ask what tribe you represent,
Just say Nigeria.
Say your tribe of origin is Nigeria,
Only that "wherever" is your tribe of birth.
Dear Children,
Dandali isn't just the black boy from brutal North but your distant cousin.
Chidera isn't just the scrawny girl from myopic East but your far away Niece.
And Gbenga that suckled the same breast with you is not any better than them.
Dear Children,
I'm only writing this letter to you now
Because that government will grow old and die.
And you and Dandali and Chidera and
Some other members of this extended family you don't know now will grow to become the government.
Dear children,
This government has failed because our President is from the North.
Our Senate President is from the west.
The Minister of Justice is from the East.
But nobody is from Nigeria.
Even the Inspector General is from the North,
And murder becomes a beautiful morning sun if the gun speaks Kananci...
Dear children
You're not from "wherever"
You're from Nigeria.
©Segun Michael.
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