Nigerian Month - Poetry

Rukayat Ololade Aliyu is a published poet and spoken word artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Born in Ijesha, Lagos Island, her works deal passionately with the plight of our people and solutions to the problems we face. http://www.aliyu-inc.com/rukayat/
The Cross-Continental Black Nation is a place
I see The Cross-Continental Black Nation as a place
I see The Cross-Continental Black Nation is a place where Black children attend schools
To learn more than just the rules
Of upholding a white supremacist capitalist system
But the truth of their historical identity
From Black teachers
From Black teachers who treat Black children as their own
These Black teachers teach Black truths
For the nation
With books
Written in Giz
We pray over the word written not in ink
But lion’s blood

[With a love for the children
As if she laid on her back
And brought him into the nation
As if she laid on her back and brought him into the nation
Because she laid on her back to bring him into the nation]

The Cross-Continental Black Nation
There is a Cross-Continental Black Nation
I said the Cross-Continental Black Nation
Is a place where Black minds and Black hearts unify
We don’t spite
One another
For whites

In the nation, there is peace
Organization
In the least
What we can do for one another
Is to teach the Black Gods and Goddesses
Of the truth
While we build
Aero planes
To one another
Throughout The Nation

And in the Cross-Continental Black Nation
We are one
Of a kind
We wear wraps made of cotton
From the River Nile
In the Cross-Continental Black Nation
I said the Cross-Continental Black Nation
An organization
Of Black States
Of urgency
Consciousness
Is here to fix this mess
And correct
The best lies ever believed in
Prayed on
In the minds of young Afrikans
In The Nation

And we pay dues to our center
The capital is Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
KUSH
Is the Mecca
We go there to repent
To ancestors
We relent
All the loads
With which we are burdened
As a people
As a person
I am burdened
I need a nation
To support me
I am burdened
With the souls of Black Folk
Who are lost
Who don’t know
They are Golden
Gods and Goddesses hiding under
Expensive clothing
Russell Simmons did a number on white fashion
Makes more off misguided passion
Into video ho-ing, intellect killing
Black destruction
Lack of instruction
Is my problem
Which is why I need the Cross-Continental Black Nation
To destroy him
To make clothes out of Kente
Not bleached out of poison
The cotton fabric
Made in China
In Alabama
Comes out of hatred
Comes out of hatred
For Black People
Who could anoint
We could anoint their lost children
With the melanin touch
Because
We are golden

We feel God speaking to us
In pigmentation
We see God speaking to us
In pigmentation
We hear God speaking to us
In pigmentation
The Black Nation
Is an incubator
Of Gods



And Black children
Will come here
To be saved
And Black parents
Already members
Are Black jewels
Because they shine
With the sun
In unending lamination
Of the world’s secret stories
Of Black destruction
Genocide
Depletion
Of our lives
Striving to be white
With blonde perms
And contact lenses
Fake nails
On our menses
We take pills
Made to quench the white woman
Of her sanity
We inject
Pons to make us bleed more
Killing women
By the menses

So in The Cross-Continental Black Nation
There is healthy
Women wanting
Women joining
Women supporting
Ends the menses
And in The Cross-Continental Black Nation
There is healthy
There is men
Unifying
Boldly fighting
Never fearing
Without fighting

You see The Cross-Continental Black Nation
Is like praising
And then praying
Like with all fists together and heads bowed
Black souls
Communicate
Without making a sound
And through melanin receive
All the power
Of the spirit
All the comfort of the healing
All the stable of the feeling
Knowing God lives within us
We are healing
We are bonding
We are one
We are fearless

Because The Cross-Continental Black Nation is a place
I said The Cross-Continental Black Nation is a place
I said the Cross-Continental Black Nation is a place
Where arms join
Side by side we stand together
Wars we fight
And our union
Is like butter
Organic
Chemical
Is like July 27th Movement
Is like Ashanti resistance
Is like the biggest Black War
That killed imperialism
In history

Like not a single foreign national left in Africa
That fine morning
That fine morning
When Saxes play
The melody
Of victory
And drums were made to speak songs
To my Black body
So when they beat
On that day
Black bodies dance and shake, move and break bones
To the calls
Of the victory drums
That we beat
Across
The Cross-
Continental
Black Nation

And men in Kenya
On the sides of the roads
Selling goats
Will dance in jubilee
And women
Weaving cotton
On the roads
Of Ethiopie
Will stop weaving and sing
And the street hustler
Will stop hustling
And start break dancing
Dying mothers will find relief and relaxation
In the victory of The Black Nation
Construction workers will stop hammering
Coltan miners will stop searching
Diamond miners will stop searching
Oil suppliers will stop pumping
Hair designers will stop twisting

For a moment

To feel the exhale

Of The Cross-Continental Black Nation

African Children and grown people
Will pour into the streets
They will dance, they will sing, they will shout in jubilee

When the last battle’s won
Yes the last battle’s won
Yes the last war is won

And the announcement
And the announcement
And the announcement

WE ARE FREE!

Nigerian Month - National Poetry. ENJOY!

"When we were kids we used to play a game. We would sit down side by side backs against a wall with our legs stretched out. Then one of us would begin chanting/reciting a song/poem, touching every one’s legs sequentialy. Whenever the poem came to an end, the leg being touched had to be folded. This went on and on, the process repeated, until there was only one leg remaining unfolded.The last kid whose leg that was would be the winner. We called this game p’orogun ila (or something like that).I think this poem is in Ijesha, a dialect of Yoruba, and it went something like this:
P’orogun la, p’orogun ‘se (ese, as in foot)
p’orogun ajamu rere aki’tan ‘se.
Adudu kere ese yi na gboro,
Alakoro oje, oje lamu go go.
Lamu lamu pa koko,
lamu lamu pa koko
bi’i ka yi ko,
Abia mo, mini mini ka yi ko
...................
Unfortunately the author couldn't translate, (found the meaning too Gibberish for him), if you remember this poem - enlighten me what it means! just click the link below to hear how it's pronounced with Yoruba accent ! http://myweb.cableone.net/paulbee/webstuff.html And again Big Thanks to Mr."afarikorodo" !!

Nigeria - so bad?!

A Nigerian Journalist Chats With God Original

- Dear God, thank you for inviting me to your golden palace. I love it here already. I wish I could stay forever. Maybe, I can get a contract to build one of the streets of gold for you.
- You are welcome my son. Don't get used to this place. You are only here for a chat. Now, what can I do for you?
- Yes, dear Almighty, I've a burning question on my mind.
- What is it, my dear son?
- Why did you create the Nigerian?
- Oh my son, that is a very good question that I, God Himself, cannot answer. I'm not sure myself. Many people have asked me that question.
- Many people?
- Yes.
- Who are these people?
- Foreigners who have died in Nigeria lured there by 419 scam artists. Most of them have asked why I created the Nigerian because they believe that you people are all corrupt.
- Why do you say that?
- You see, my son. There is a joke going around in heaven.
- A joke?
- Yes, my son, a joke about you people, Nigerians.
- What is the joke?
- Remember the song you used to sing when you were in primary and secondary school?
- What song, my father?
- The song about "All things bright and beautiful..."
- Yes, my God, I remember the song very well. But what I don't understand is that how is that a joke?
- Listen my son, this is the joke and I will sing the song for you.
- Yes, please go ahead, heavenly father.
- Listen carefully;
All things bright and beautiful All creatures great and small. All things wise and wonderful And Nigerians ruined them all.
- Oh, that was funny. You mean we Nigerians ruined your creation?
- Yes, you people are very corrupt to the point that I'm thinking about finishing all your corrupt leaders as I did with Abacha.
- That would be very nice, my God. Our leaders have finished us. I think most common Nigerians would welcome that. These our leaders are all corrupt. Look at what they did to Marshal Harry because of politics.
- Yes, I knew of that even before it happened.
- Who did it, my God?
- I cannot tell you now, on judgement day, I will make them pay for their crimes.
- Ok, my God, another question.
- Yes, go ahead, my son.
- Who killed Dele Giwa?
- Ha, my son, you are very curious.
- Yes God, every good journalist should be curious.
- You know the killer of Giwa.
- Who is that?
- That is all I can say for now. On judgement day, I shall make sure that the murderer of Giwa also pays for his crimes.
- My God, please tell me, is there a special place for the Nigerian in hell?
- Yes, it's called Hell-Gate That is the Nigerian ghetto in hell. There are a lot of you people there already causing trouble for me and the angels. Even Satan is complaining about you people. You already have a bad reputation in hell.
- What kind of trouble?
- You people are sending emails to people on earth from hell telling them that you have millions of brimstones that you want to transfer to earth and asking them to send you money for the transfer. You people took out all the furnace and installed air conditioners everywhere. I also found out that you people installed big speakers and music systems and are having your "owambe" parties in your flowing agbada which I confess has kept the grounds of hell clean.
- Is that so?
- Yes, my son.
- Also, some of your senators here are trying to impeach Satan. They have bribed all the demons to vote against him in a special impeachment session.
- Why will they want to impeach Satan?
- As you know, Satan controls everyone and everything in hell and you Nigerians always want power so you can embezzle.
- But what can they embezzle in hell?
- The firewood and the gasoline that fuels the fire so they can sell it on the black market in hell.
- So hell has a black market?
- Yes, and it is run by you people, Nigerians.
- Oh, that is very funny, my God.
- I'm glad you found it funny.
- But, dear father, Nigeria has improved from being the most corrupt country to be the second most corrupt country behind Pakistan. You have got to give us some credit.
- Well, my son, if I were you, I would not say that loud.
- Why?
- Didn't you Nigerians bribe the Pakistanis to take the first place on the list?
- Father, I've another burning question on my mind.
- What is that?
- Please tell me, will an Igbo man ever be an elected president of Nigeria?
- Yes, my son, but not until after the year 2020.
- Very well. Will an Ijaw man from the Niger Delta ever become an elected president of Nigeria?
- Yes, my son, but not in your lifetime.
- Hmmm. One more question my God.
- Go ahead, ask.
- When will our National Assembly members stop their corrupt ways and pass a meaningful bill that would actually improve the lives of Nigerians?
- My son, that is a very tough question. I must consult with the angels on this one. Please give me a few minutes.
- Please, take all the time, my dear God.
- My son, I've an answer for you.
- What is it, dear Holy one?
- Not ever!

Taken from one of the nigerian web-sites, Author is Nigerian himself, but didn't undersign with his name..

Nigerian Month - National Poetry. ENJOY!

AKUKU BI

Kaka kin bi Egbaa obun,
(Rather than have 200 slobs?)
Ma kuku bi okan soso Oga.
(I’d just have one top kid)
Ma fi yan araiye loju,
(I would parade him before the world)
Ma ri ohun fi gbe ‘ra ga.
(I would have something worth bragging about)

Se Okan soso Araba,
(As a single (Araba = ) Eagle)
Kii se egbe egb’erun osunsun.
(Is more than a match for a thousand Osusun( = a certain numerous tiny bird))
Omo to ja fafa kan soso,
(So One single well mannered (successful?) child)
Kii s’ogba igba irun bi omo.
(I can’t translate this one well at all)

Aku ku bi san se rada rada,
(Never having had a child is preferable ???)
Ka ku l’omode ko yeni.
(Dying in childhood is more fitting)
San ju k’a dagba toro je lo.
(Is better than growing old to beg for sustinance)


just click the link below to hear how it's pronounced on real yoruba language !
http://myweb.cableone.net/paulbee/akukubi.htm

Big Thanks to Mr."afarikorodo" !!