Viva, Natasha!

By Clement Odia

I’LL search for you not in dusty museums’ faded light,
Nor in books locked away, gathering silence and night.
Not in libraries’ hallowed halls, where knowledge lies in wait,
Will I seek you, for your spirit cannot be confined or late.

I’ve weathered lyricists’ scorn, their mocking words like piercing pines,
And stood firm against the powerful, who in darkness weave.
Their taunts, like tempests, rage and roar, but I remain unmoved,
For I’ve witnessed your granite courage, Natasha, and my heart is proved.

Your voice, a wildfire, spreads, unbroken and free,
A beacon in the darkness, shining bright and carelessly.
I’ll serenade you now, for your strength inspires my own,
Viva, Natasha! Viva! For standing tall, your spirit unsewn.

For facing bullies, and the patriarchy’s oppressive might,
You stood, unwavering, a warrior, shining with inner light.
When next they try to silence another woman’s voice,
They’ll remember you, Natasha, and retreat, their cowardice rejoice.

I won’t seek your portrait in a museum’s silent hall,
Instead, I’ll etch your story in the hearts of this generation, standing tall.
For in your spine, a fire burns, a flame that flickers bright,
Guiding us forward, through the darkness, into the light.

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