The Rolling Cloud: Poem by Niyi Aborisade
Blue was the sky up,
A bright morning day;
Gathering was the cloud up far away;
And remember I, a song my teacher taught me one day;
And I was suddenly transported back to my primary six school day,
and I was in the classroom again.
On the blackboard up, though in decay
I read the song like essay;
“We are marching away,
We are marching away;
Like a rolling cloud on the summer day. ”
Joining the chorus were my mates without bargaining,
It was a beautiful day and may be it will rain;
Where were those good friends of old again?
As I jolted back into reality from far away;
Gathered was the cloud in array;
Though the sky appeared to be blue inlay;
Threatening was the weather;
It was thundering and threatening;
Though to thunder is not to rain;
But will this cloud roll away?
Will my country survive the gathering cloud;
I can hear the drum beat of war afar clear and loud;
Oh, who will keep these people together and fears allay;
But will this cloud roll away?
Tears gathered in my eyes as I looked up;
Gathering are the vultures there up;
Friendship has been wounded;
Trust has been betrayed;
There was a drumbeat of war;
Many were the drummers of war,
Experienced and inexperienced Lords of war
But will this cloud roll away?
Contributing to the drumbeat was hunger;
But can hungry people fight war in anger;
No other matter when hunger set in the belly;
A hungry man is an angry man;
Few were filled up in their belly;
But the majority are hungry;
Will this hunger go away?
Everywhere were weapons of war
From AK47 to pump action, so imminent was the war;
So powerful were the voices of the majority;
The drumbeat is becoming louder on daily;
Will these rumours go away?
Formed in my mind were many questions;
Why should we be hungry or eat in rations;
In the land of abundance, even the wise are hungry
But will these clouds pass away?
Love for the country may roll this cloud away.
Niyi Aborisade is a lawyer, a Human Rights Activist and a Historian
