Groaning in the land

Poems by Clement Odia

THE groaning of paupers shakes the gates of the elite,
Like a volcano,it deafens men of power,who float in an ocean of excess,
While the groaning crowd feeds on the scraps of the rich.

Their groans have become like scourges,
Lashing the backs of the oppressed,
Their eyes,a stream of tears,overflowing with despair.

The cries of the marginalized echo through the streets,
A chorus of suffering,ignored by those who feast.

The weight of their struggles crushes,like a mountain’s might,
Leaving the afflicted to face the dark of the night.

Swing open wide the gates of justice!
Let the voices of the poor be heard !
Dry their tears now and forever!

#######

Insidious Gods

WHEN deaf gods strut about the altar,
The prayers of communicants can never move mountains.
These gods rob the nameless poor,
And feast on the sacrifices of the meek.

Their silence is a heavy chain,
Binding the hopes of the oppressed in vain.
Their indifference,a deadly stain,
Spreading darkness,wrenching hearts.

But still we pray,still we plead,
To gods who turn a deaf ear ,a blind eye,a cold heart in Aso Rock.
Yet,in the shadows,a spark remains,
A glimmer of hope,a light that refuses to wane.

For in the darkness,a new dawn breaks,
A time when the nameless poor will rise and awake.
And the insidious gods,who once held sway in Aso Rock,
Will be cast down,and a new way will be made.

* Dr. Odia teaches English at the University of Benin, Benin City