June12: Victory that Never Graced His Grip

Through the struggles of a dying nation, A hope stretched forth like a branch A drowning fellow could hold on to. But evil blew hard till we lost the grip. We were like kids allowed to make our choices, when they knew we don’t have any. We picked our desires but had them snatched with […]

June12: Victory that Never Graced His Grip

June 12 regularly draws protest across Nigeria (File photo)

Through the struggles of a dying nation,

A hope stretched forth like a branch

A drowning fellow could hold on to.

But evil blew hard till we lost the grip.

We were like kids allowed to make our choices,

when they knew we don’t have any.

We picked our desires but had them snatched

with ease. And then we began to weep,

till we got whipped to silence, bound in chains

till our lives ebbed out.

Gone was he who smelled victory

that never graced his grip. But the terror

who snatched that freedom for all,

now lives struggling through the malady of age and time.

We can’t say if that would have been our salvation,

for we clamoured for one, who now daily breaks our hearts.

Still we deserved our choice.

For it was our cross to bear or salvation to enjoy.

~Poet_Abbati