Poet-Today ~ Solutionist Clementina ~ The Arts-Muse Fair

Pic: Aminu S Muhammad

I STAND

Here I stand in the secret place of my emotions

under the shadow of my thoughts

wondering:

when are we going to enjoy the promises promised by

these promiscuous politicians?

Grey hair, married to the seat of power

Yet, claiming we're leaders of tomorrow, but,

when really is tomorrow

if the labours of our heroes past

seem to carry last these days?

Today is the tomorrow we waited for yesterday

like a watchman waiting for another day;

We've been positioned to write night test with bloody ink

putting us up to sit and think - CHANGE:

truly a constant in life's equation.

But, how do we fight this frustration forming fuming

fuse of hatred and religion?

We get started from the beginning like *Dó ré mí*

scoring spitted words the way it should be;

discarding sounds of silence

buried in voices of audible men

For "we begin to die when we remain silent to things that matter"

Martin Luther.

We break through strongholds of jealousy,

stay true to friendship without envy

Stop being "frenemies" do you hear me?

We become our neighbour’s keeper not only brothers

related by red.

We must let love live in the nucleus of our hearts

breeding unity, faith, peace and progress.

WOULD YOU...

Would you cry me an ocean?

spend days nursing pain offshore?

Would you? I want to be sure

that days with you will leave no sore.

Would you walk with me a thousand miles

to show me the true meaning of smiles?

Would you spit truth with no lies

just by the looks in your eyes?

Would you draw down drops of tears?

would you wipe off every fear

take off burdens I cannot bear

and bless my face with the best make-up to wear?

Would you give me summer when snow shows up

send forth rain and sun-glows?

Would you wrap out bad habits like Lawma packs

fling them off back with no hope for feedbacks?

Would you save me the stress of night watch

stay committed with no botch?

would you be my top notch?

making love time never stops.

TRIALS, NO ERROR

I'm trying to know what friendship is

Or at least what friendship is not.

For enmity is friendship with the negative sign in front

An identical figure equals broken emotion like lost sheep.

Life was interesting

in the very beginning

when his conception of mankind

begat likable mind:

with the blending of dust

and his breath in us

We became souls with life

Living in comfort not strife

feeling fitted in friendship feasting

with feet planting on the path of righteousness

till the seed of greed dropped;

we got lost in lust and flopped

carried away by glints and glamour of fruits forbidden

We were abandoned as one bedridden

confined to the wheels of still growth

we, parade our pregnancy of lies

that broke our eternal ties

breeding difficulty in conceiving THE TRUTH.

The Truth that makes one free

emerged as one of the three

to endure our pains from stripes, shame and mockery

giving us gains of healing, honour and victory.

Yes!

This truth

Our root

died and was buried like a seed for us - sinners

To sprout fruits of righteousness in us

Became a bridge

harmed and hammered

on the cursed cross

He bore for us.

He was harmed and hammered

and his arm was hammered

to cross us to eternal glory

What a perfect love story.

***

Solutionist Clementina is a performance poet and entrepreneur. She has performed her works at different literary events in Nigeria. She lives in Lagos.