spilledwoords
“Poetry burns in our hearts with the passionate heat of a lover’s embrace.”
Election Day
If Election day is tomorrow
Ms. Radio Announcer, Mr. Electoral Umpire
do me the favour of tellin’ him
to come another day.
I’ve not delivered on my many promises
nor ‘ve I paid my vows to eradicate Bribery & Boko Haram
nor answer’d that overdue letter from my constituency
why their roads, hospitals & schools are shitholes.
I’ve been busy makin’ money, makin’ rich family & friends
who help’d me win or should I rightly say help’d rig me in
while the rest that stood in the sun to vote
cling to my manifesto like a plank at a shipwreck.
Tell him I haven’t prepar’d a hand-over note yet
nor do I intend relinquishin’ power, such’s for the Jonathans
I no longer believe the ballot box; State-power is god
– ballots don’t make the outcome, the counters do.
If Election Day is tomorrow, please tell him
I don’t understand this tick-trick of the clock
4 years was just yesterday
I’ve barely begun my tenure.
Copyright © 2009 by Ugo Nkwoala. All rights reserved
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