I
Nigeria,
soil so grazing,
sun so blazing,
though batter, butter,
so in greed, need,
ruin the clan,
of our clime.
II
Nigeria,
hides so full,
dyes so bull,
though hooks, crooks,
so in number, lumber,
roam the band,
of our land.
III
Nigeria,
road as daze,
boat as grave,
though rush, crush,
so in pest, test,
flaunt the zool,
of our tool.
IV
Nigeria,
oil as rivers,
toil as fevers,
though coast, toast,
so in reason, season,
stride the strife,
of our rife.
V
Nigeria,
brains as drains,
grains as rains,
though yaw, raw,
so in haste, waste,
poke the stings,
of our strings.
VI
Nigeria,
ruse as gross,
rut as dross,
though slay, fray,
so disgust, distrust,
tread the rope,
of our hope.
VII
Nigeria,
wigs of figments,
gigs of fragments,
though fawn, pawn,
so in tide, ride,
stray the pace,
of our race.
Ben Ezeohagwu won the Onigraffiks Prize for literature (2017). He is Professor of Graphonomy and Chancellor, African American University, Porto-Novo, Republic of Benin and can be reached at Email: benezeohagwu@yahoo.com, www.africanamericanuniversity.
