Poet of the Week: Florence Oketona

What Does The Bandit Know? What has he conceived in his heart? What goes on in his little/large mind? Pray tell, what does the bandit know? What has been told him? What has been whispered in his ears? What promise made to him? Pray tell, what does he know? Has he been bequeathed our portion? […]

What Does The Bandit Know?

What has he conceived in his heart?
What goes on in his little/large mind?
Pray tell, what does the bandit know?

What has been told him?
What has been whispered in his ears?
What promise made to him?
Pray tell, what does he know?

Has he been bequeathed our portion?
Has our lot been promised?
Has our inheritance to him been given?
Pray tell, what has been whispered him?

 

What informs his brashness?
What informs his boldness?
The wanton killings and destruction
Pray tell, what has been whispered him?

He comes stealthily and loudly,
Conquering to occupy,
Displacing, never abating,
Leaving behind a bloodbath.

A ripped stomach, spilling grime.
Pairs of eyes, staring from severed heads,
A wailing boy staring at his lifeless mother,
Pray tell, why is he so brutal?

 

Rubbles of walls, fallen after a fire, Putrid smells, from charred bodies,
Happy worms, sliding off bust bodies
Pray tell, what tickles his fancy?

What does he know, unknown to us?
What was whispered him that we know not?
What has informed his action?
Pray tell, why does he go unabated?

Florence Oketona is a media consultant, a girl-child advocate and author of ‘Ashes in the Times’, a novel. She holds both her first and second degrees from the University of Jos, Nigeria.