poem: NIGER DELTA AMNESTY

They streak
From the creeks
Their watery fortress
Young and old
Militants, they are
Of the Niger Delta
Armed to the teeth
Like Delta Force

Hazard they were
To the pipelines,
Terrors to the oil men
Shudders they sent
To the government
Jitters to the world

Hidden scars haunt
Victims, of their kidnap
Agony and sorrow
Hang in homes
Of folks
Whose kiths and kins
Were felled by
Bullets from their barrels

Marginalisation feeds
Their passion
Ransom filled their coffers
Stolen crude oil
Fuelled their greed

Now they throng
To lay weapons, they clutched
With vehemence, and vigour
To escape the creeks
Where some lived as lords,
Most as serfs

To embrace government
They vowed to repulse
Ahoy, they drop their guards
To give peace a chance!


Those who read this, also read:

In the Pipelines

Travails of Truth

An 'ode' to Yar' Adua