Paradox

Land of beauty. Land of the beautiful.
Land of our fathers – valiant men n’ women
Land of dreamers, who dreamt big
for our land, for our people.
Land of dreams that have turned pipe dreams
Land of promise. Land of promise breakers
Land of abundance. Land of scarcity.

Land of few rich n’ many poor.
Land flowing with milk n’ honey
but not for the milked, the dispossessed.
Land of different Justice Scale for different folks
Land of inequalities. Land of contradictions –
rich nation, poor citizens;
“A cruel place for poor flocks.”

Land blessed by God but cursed with bad leaders
A giant reduced to pygmy
by its successive predatory leadership
Land we want to love, yet have many reasons not to
Land we call our native land, but treat like an enemy territory
How can we call a nation – “our own dear native land”
yet despoil her every second in our every thought n’ action?

Land of strange children
who make the Biblical prodigal son a saint
Land blessed with black gold,
but cursed with gamblers and money changers
‘Ill-gotten – ill-spent’ resource managers
Who have gambled away our fortunes
and turned the joy of the black gold to ashes.

Land we call Nigeria. Land we call our country
The Green-White country
Green for fertility – our agricultural prowess
Fertility in all aspects of our lives
A nation living in justice, plenty and peace
Where’s the heartbeat of this nation – justice?
Where are the plenty, where is the peace?

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