No Victor No Vanquish (1)

No victor no vanquish” he says

After battering me for three years

Like the clay prepared for mud house

As if in search of a greedy mouse

My house he turned to rubbles

With bomb shells like bubbles

My water he poisoned too

Eve amid the stomach’s rumbles

The world was watching too

Cumming bruised my wounds

And made them fresh in all bounds

Elbert was Matthew’s busy ant

Fanning the flames that burnt my hut

“Go on!” they said, “Gow-on! Gow-on!”

And ceased the food for the minion

Just because I asked for my right

The human right.

Ignoring the words we ate at Aburi

He came with friends to bury

From different corners they gow-on

So to make me a minion

But I alone I stood

With rusty courage and knife as I could

And I was busy crying

Yet the world was watching

“Odim egwu!” screamed my noble son

My most noble son

Who trampled on the olive truce

And crossed the seas and hills abroad

To appease the god

gods that have stubs in their ears

gods that sprayed fuel and hid in tears

gods that patted with one hand

And the other the embers fanned

Yet the world was watching

No victor no vanquish they said

And made my son drop his sword

Yet he turned Asaba to an abattoir

For bloods in the reservoir

In the Niger washing faces away

For Mr. Geno’s side to sway

Yet the word was watching

“Uwa, zuruike” I have said

Else my spirit would not rest

Because my wounds are still fresh

The world is still watching

And have said nothing

To be continued….