Excerpts from the Book by Azubuike Erinugha
http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/the-inkpot/wisdom-of-our-madness.html
"Wisdom of our Madness."
"Bootlicking sycophants
Invading Aso Rock
Of pastors and touts
And doctors of witchcraft"..........
Wind has blown
Romp of the chicken is shown
Pants of the high priest
Glitter today
In revving revelations
In ravaging reels of tales
In raging references
…..
Bootlicking sycophants
Invading Aso Rock
Of pastors and touts
And doctors of witchcraft
Wind has blown!
Romp of the chicken
Is shown!
Recreating new charms
In ancients of chants
And wielding amulets
Of human body parts
Contractors and cohorts
Gangsters and gang leaders
Godfathers and king makers
Party chiefs and coup plotters
Of ancient rulers and modern ruin-ers
Of sign seekers and sycophants
Of ageless men and aging women
Of prayer warriors and preying warlords!
Wind has blown!
Romp of the chicken
Is shown
……….
Who will dance with me
When the drums come calling?
Who would dance with me
When the gong goes calling?
Once every year
The drum must call
Twice in life time
The gong shall call
…..
Where then are they that will clap for me?
Where are they that must paste my forehead?
With currencies of abandoned contracts
And throw at me coins as Naira notes?
Where then are they that will clap for me?
Where are they that must paste my forehead?
With looted funds stashed abroad
Yet throw me coins as Naira notes?
Where then are they that will applaud me?
And slid garlands of shame on my neck?
For building new roads without drainage
And filling old roads with deep potholes!
Where are they that will cry with me?
Where are they that have killed my dreams?
Where are they that have caused my plight?
Where are they that have cursed my breath?
Madness is a game
Every player with his skill!
….
Towards the parliament directions
Crying kids are still pointing
If their mothers are not there
Their fathers must be there!
If their parents are not there
Where more vultures have just gathered
Ghana-Must-Go bags must be sitting there!
Ready to be shared as children cry!
Madness is a game
Every player with his skill!
XVII
Surrounding Ghana-must-go
Are nozzles of fuel pumps
And barrels and dollars
And empty jelly-cans...
Surrounding Ghana-must-go
Are lunatics and specialists
Meeting every midnight
Under a fool moonlight!
Madness is a game
Every player with his skill!
Many still struggle
To import slice swords
To wage imminent wars
To win future votes!
Madness is a trigger
Every finger with his pull!
………………
Some sing in tongues
So strange to us
Some sing in turns
So weird to us
Like conductors
And danfo drivers
And passengers
In Lagos hold-up!
Like okada riders
In government helmets
And okada catchers
With legalized tickets!
Like area boys
Creating new bus stops!
Like area kings
And their new local councils!
Madness is a game…
III
And here we are reading thinking we are looking
At screaming headlines of another Million-March!
And here we are giggling thinking we are sneering
Begging death to take toll and crucify our hearts!
IV
40 thousand pounds and six point five million
For one’s uncle’s treatment in one London clinic!
Two point one million and seven point seven million
To hook three wobbling websites into the Internet!
Seventy nine thousand four hundred and ten pounds
And eight point one million for one trip to Tripoli!
Fifty two million for screening one minister
And two million each as one sallah bonus!
Madness is a game
Every player with his skill!
V
Sometimes we are sad thinking we are mad
Most times we are mad thinking we are sad
Madness is a game
Every player with his skill!
VI
Four hundred million for legislators’ cars!
Three point five million for house furnishing!
Madness is a game
Every player with his skill!
Eighteen million bucks to purchase a few flags!
Several countless billions to host mere meetings!
Madness is a game
Every player with his skill!
VII
More wise people are buying razor blades
And swords and knives to behead the state!
How many heads have you severed till date?
How many of us have you slaughtered?
………………
III
We eat Agege Bread!
Sandwiched with Agoin beans!
Robbers and our leaders
Are fatter than us!
We mix water and salt
To drink our garri ijebu !
Robbers and our leaders
Are fatter than us!
Now we are very sick!
From drinking pure water
Our leaders and their children
Are healthier than us!
We are still naked
And horribly thin!
Daughters of our leaders
Are laughing at us!
………..
Broad Daylight
Gangs of jaguda
Invade Aguda
Cajole Ikeja
Surround Surulere
They control Ikotun
Terrorize Anthony
Surveying Satellite
To fence Festac
They parade Iyana Ipaja
And blaze over Alaba
Corroding Ikorodu
To master mind Mile 2!
They have shattered Oshodi
And confused Okota
Rampaged Ilupeju
And smoldered Isolo!
They are butchering from Abuja
All the way to Kafanchan
Lurking every night in the Niger
To launch into Lokoja
Madness is a game
Every player with his skill!
…………..
For death once arrived
To kill one leader
Smart leader treats him
To sweet fresh Palmwine
And death gets drunk
And falls asleep
His snores as loud
As government sirens!
Smart leader searches
Sleeping death’s pocket
Revealing a paper:
Death-wish top list!
Smart leader’s name
Is top on list!
His name he wipes
And puts as last!
Now death is awake
And is ready to go
He thanks his host
For wine and rest!
“I came in here
To take your life
But you were nice
And shacked me up!
Right now, my friend
You top my list
My job I must start
From bottom of list!”
Smart leader screams
And holds his heart
“Ah! Ah! I don die o!
Ah! Ah! I don die o!”
Smart leader falls
And dies like that!
Smart leader is gone
Without his gun!
Madness is a game
Every player with his skill!