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OBIORA UDECHUKWU
The Land
IX
IF THE RAIN catches you in Ikate
If the rain catches you in Aguda
I say
If the rain catches you in Lagos
Roll up your trousers
Get ready to swim
We were once poor but wealthy
We are now rich but poor
If thirst catches you in Uwani
If thirst catches you in Ogui
I say
If thirst catches you in Enugu
There are many gutters for free
Police will not arrest you
We were once poor but rich
We are now rich but poor
If hunger arrests you in GRA
If hunger arrests you in Ugwu ndi Ocha
I say
If hunger grips you in Unibasity
Dustbins overflow like the Niger
And Sanitary will not arrest you
We were once poor but wealthy
We are now rich but poor
They offered me crumbs
Thinking I would sing their praises
If they shut their doors on me
I say
If they shut their doors on me
Have they also shut my eyes?
Better to be mad and free
Than to be rich and blind
They stole the people's money
Lent it back to them
At 1000% interest
And they talk of philanthropy
and chieftaincy
and statues
they talk of tradition
of age and youth
If you shackle my feet
Have you manacled my ears?
If you pinion my arms
Have you manacled my tongue?
We were once poor but happy
We are now rich but hungry
Stealing gave them the eagle feather
Robbery gave them the ankle-string
Killing gave them the bronze staff
Tax-eating gave them their carved stools
We were once naked but alive
We are now clothed but a corpse
"Aftermath" "Affirmations" and "The Land" are taken from What the Madman Said (Bayreuth: Boomerang, 1990)
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