Wednesday, January 9, 2008

TO THE GENTLE STATESMAN


Before the pilot’s arrival

Open your chest of treasure

In me deposit with pleasure

These grey of yester years

Tucked away in pairs

For the journey it can not boost


Reflect on the hood of man

That I call a beast of burden

Cud forth on husbandry

Declare his wholesome steering

In temperance of wad resides?


Recall the price of sanctity

In the daily profession

Of labour and dignity

Where corruption is sanity

Release the steady current

That stirred your rugged turbine

And kindle the fire in me


You strolled with many a Khaki

Converged with flowing robes

But kept your hand unsoiled

Won’t you rather vomit

That pill for total man

Before you cross the abyss?

Shall the pill be mine

If I see you taken away?

1 comment:

orantimi said...

The late Olikoye Ransome Kuti was a man i adored. He looked gentle and indeed lived so. He was my hero that i never met. I wish i had the opportunity of hearing some fatherly advice from him before he died.

I wrote this before he died, but he never got to see it. Well, such is life. I like his life style.