IN DEPENDENCE
They came as educationists, colonialists and missionaries,
they gave us that which was supposedly necessary to get our accessories,
they took our wheels, drifted with speed,
till we could not cope with the pace of their fleet.
The Union Jack had replaced the Niger Area,
they had poked eyes in our blistering materials,
all in the name of colonialism,
we lost our face and symbolism.
They introduced Jesus to us,
Told us to walk in his footsteps,
Yet they behaved like his opposite
And then called us black hypocrites.
Our brothers were shipped,
important meals they skipped,
and their lips were sealed,
only to be unsealed on foreign cotton fields.
They were made sources of amusement.
Sarah baartman's booty was too cogent.
The sight was not only enough to satisfy
their absurd libidos, it was also a perfect lullaby.
Our brothers were likened to monkeys,
Their bananas came in form of whips,
Physical and mental scars were added
To the tag that was already alotted.
We were no longer at ease,
our hearts were absent peace,
but who dared lay a hand on the white man's skins,
when our spears can't match their missiles?
We were no longer at ease,
But we were no Einsteins, no DaVincis'
We were just helpless pawns
Against queens, kings and bishops.
They took away the ease with which we lived,
And since then we're yet to feel
Powerful like we used to.
Their way of life on us like tattoos,
For even when we took the country's helm,
did sweetness replace sourness in the end?
Our brothers are forever gone with no return,
to form strong pillars all over the world.
Even when we took the reins,
we still can't boast of our reign,
we still look up to the whites for ideas and new systems,
thus, their chains though invisible, still dance on our necks.
©Aj Maverick
©Akinwole John Akintayo
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