poems of peace

This Book is distributed Free. Its messageis to promote peace and encourage

people to stand up and speak out againstviolence.

POEMS OF PEACECopyright © Shehu Sani, 2012

ISBN 978-978-922-924-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without written permission of the copyright owner.

All correspondence about this book should be directed to:the Author on or [email protected]

Printed by: LABARI COMMUNICATIONS NJ 18 Gwari Road, Kaduna,Tel: +234 8033146027 Email:[email protected]

Photo appreciation to willing contributors.

mailto:[email protected]

Introduction IDedication ViiMy City Boils 1Pictures Tells Lies 2What I Share 4Midnight In Maiduguri 6The Blood Of The Innocent 8You Can't Hide 9This Is My God 10For The Child That Need Peace 12Heaven 13Tell 14Living By The Gun 16Seeds Of Hatred 17The Mind That Hates 18Peace Of The Mind 19A Day Of Peace 20The Land Of Bombs 21Magreb 22This Is My Land 23I Dreamt Of A World Of Peace 24War 25Gunmen 26A City Under Curfew 27

TABLE OF CONTENT

A Tree Makes A Forest 29I Need Not A Land Of Gold 30The Animal In Us 31Zonkwa 33The Weapons Of Peace 35Human Mind 36I Have Seen War In My Time 37Woe Betides My Land 39How Peaceful Can You Live 40You Walk By The Dead 42I Am A Conqueror 43I Am A Human Being 44The Peace We Lost 45Speak The Truth 46Today Is Good Friday 47When Will The Rain Fall 48Lake Chad 50Dying Pure 51He Is The Shield Of Peace 52My Tomorrow 53What Is The Worth Of Life 55Beauty In Difference 56Eternal Peace 58A Journey 59I Walk In The Ruins 61Be A Man 62The King Lies Dead 64The Faith In Ethiopia 66

Kill My Body 67When The Poor Arises 69I Am Dead 70Somalia 72Let 73The Church 74The Politician 75Kuru Janta 76Dogo Na Hauwa 77The Leaves Fall 78Sound Of War 79Take Your Peace 80Before You Kill 82The Cleric 84A City In Peace 85Gold 87An Unbeliever 89Sell 90River Kaduna 91He Is Not 92Oh Belfast 93The Gangster In Jail 94This Land 96My City 98I Speak 99Where Is The Love 100I Am A Bird 101Peace 103

I Sit On The Moon 104My Dream 106We Differ 108Riyom Rock 109A Crusader's Day 110Breivik 111The Police 112You Call Me A Terrorist 113When The Swords Are Out 115Where Were You 116Season Of Bloodshed 118Tree Of Freedom 119When I Ran 120Vengeance 122Testing Times 123The Mosque 124Give Me 126Call Me 127Oh Mother Earth 128Last Flight 129Lessons Of Life 131The Search 132Die With Honour 133Blood Trails My Vote 134My Infant 135Newspaper Reviews 136-150

These anthology is written for the sole purpose of promoting peace, encouraging peace efforts and inspiring peace advocacy and renunciation of violence and terror perpetuated in the guise of ethnicity or religion or politics. Specifically, these poems are intended to motivate, give hope and courage to people living in societies wracked by deadly, atrocious sectarian, ethnic or communal violence and terror.

These collection of Poems are not conventional sonnets that conform to the strict rules and stereotype of literature or academics. Rather, they are literary intervention to inspire the minds and reinforce the spirits of victims of violence, residents of flashpoints and ordinary people passionate about peace.

Some of these poems unambiguously addresses the proponents of violence and terror. The poems appeals to their minds, souls and conscience: the message here is to project the futility of their sordid acts, its bestiality and the natural and predictable consequences of it. The poems are not just out to condemn violence but to neutralize the justifications for it and win the hearts of all warriors to the side of peace. It should be noted that

i

INTRODUCTION

these pacifist poems does in no way advocate or encourage placid surrender or submission to totalitarianism, oppression or any form of subjective injustice and evil in the name of peace. Readers will clearly decipher some of the poems as respectful of the dictum of injustice begatten violence and the rights and obligation of oppressed people to free themselves.

These poems are prescriptions for peace particularly for people of Northern Nigeria for whom over three decades have been experiencing sectarian and ethnic violence between Muslims and Christians and now facing an atrocious insurgency. These violence has consumed thousands of innocent lives and a couple of the perpetrators. Muslims and Christians, women and children, the young and the old, professionals informants and artisans, academics and students, police, peacemakers and warmongers, church goers and Islamic preachers, insurgents and counter insurgents, nationals and foreigners have been wasted by this monstrous evil of sectarianism and intercommunal and ethnic violence.

These poems may also be useful to the people of Northern Ireland, Kashmir, Bosnia Herzegovina and some communities in Myanmar, Thailand, Pakistan, Egypt, Middle East, Phillippines.

ii

Some of the poems directly challenges intolerance and demystify fear and berates the proposition and ideology of hate disguised in faiths and beliefs. Some of the poems are narratives about the outcomes of violence; the acts, the carnage and the soullessness associated with it.

There are also poems that points to the root source of violence as it concerns social stratification of depressed in iniquitous societies and political and economic dynamics that undermines peace and thereby incites or ignites or sustains violence or terror. A couple of the poems are messages to political leaders whose doings or undoing provokes a social or political reactions. Community and religious leaders will find some of the poems quite unsettling and unconformable as they unequivocally mirror their role in fanning the embers of discord, and in some shots respectfully admonishes them to redirect their minds or their followers to the path of tolerance and peace.

These poems are literary mirrors in which intolerant societies can see their bloodletting present and chequred future. They are also crystal balls to see the promise and value of peace.

The psychological and emotional state of people living in societies gripped by terror and violence is demanding

iii

iv

of inspiration and motivation that will lift their spirit to stand up and speak out against violence and for peace. These poems may not achieve their goals but their mission is unambiguous.

Poem cannot end violence and terror. Poems do not lead to peace.

What poems do is to appeal to the minds, the soul, the spirit or the heart because there lies the source of the thoughts of violence and the resolve for peace.

This poems are written between 2011 and 2012 at home and in journeys within Northern Nigeria and other travels to countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Ethiopia and Ghana.

The real lasting victories are

those of peace, and not of

war....

Ralph Waldo Emerson

v

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten

that we belong to each other....

Mother Theresa

vi

To all those who lost their lives in the ongoing violence in Northern

Nigeria

vii

DEDICATION

1

My city is boilingI can see the evaporation of peace

My city is boilingI can see the steam of violence

My city is boilingI can see the bubbles of anger

My city is boilingI can feel the heat of intolerance

My city is boilingI can see the vapour of vendetta.

My city is boilingI can see the flames of death

My city is boilingI can see the stokes of hatred

MY CITY BOILS

2

From your faceI cannot see your heart

From your smilesI cannot see your intention

From your courtesyI cannot see your plots

From your calmnessI cannot see your anger

From your handshakeI cannot see your fist

From your friendshipI cannot see your perfidy

From your godlinessI cannot see your evil

From your wordsI cannot see your actions

PICTURES TELLS LIES

3

From your confidenceI cannot see your fears

From your beliefsI cannot see your peace

From your religionI cannot see your holiness

From your wealthI cannot see your cleanliness

From your bodyI cannot see your spirit.

4

I share your faithBut excuse me your interpretations

I share your beliefsBut excuse me your extremism

I share your visionBut excuse me your ambition

I share your dreamsBut excuse me your desperation.

I share your missionBut excuse me your violence

I share our passionBut excuse me your interest

I share your adviceBut excuse me your lifestyle

I share your loveBut excuse me your lust

WHAT I SHARE

5

I share your raceBut excuse me your hate

I share your patienceBut excuse me your limitations

I share your hopeBut excuse me your despair

I share your commendationBut excuse me your sycophancy

I share your explorationBut excuse me your exploitation

I share your respectBut excuse me your fear

I share your obedienceBut excuse me your cowardise.

6

This is a night in the SahelWhere the sand drenched in bloodAnd the wind blew the spirit of the deadNo night life,As all lives are on the edge

This is a night in the SahelWhere the sun set earliestAnd all take refuge for fearAnd for survival

Through the wall of my roomI can hear the explosive soundAnd the roar of terrorShaking the immovables

I can hear the sirenAnd the matching bootsOf the angry soldiers,Searching for the murderous lot

MIDNIGHT IN MAIDUGURI

7

From the window of my closetI can, despite the darkness,See the bellows of smokeOf a murderous mission.

A city under siegeOf stalking annihilatorsAnd marauding knights

A city in chainsThat lost;Its freedomIts beautyAnd its peace

A city in perpetual midnight

8

FOR PROF. JEROME AYODELE, PROF. ANDREW LEO AND 16 OTHERS24/4/12

The blood of the innocentIs holy and pure

The blood of the innocentCannot be drawn without a price

The blood of the innocentHunts and hacks the felon

The blood of the innocentNever dries up with the wind

The blood of the innocentNever burns up with the heat

The blood of the innocentNever sinks in the sands of time

The blood of the innocentTorments its drawer

The blood of the innocentFlows stronger than a sea current.

THE BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT

9

You can't hideWhen you kill my friend

You can't hideWhen you burn my house

You can't hide When you maim my neighbor

You can't hideWhen you molest my sister

You can't hideWhen you ruin my life

You can't hideWhen you deny my truth

You can't hideWhen you steal my freedom

You can't hide When you wreck my peace.

YOU CAN'T HIDE

10

My God is of peaceI don't know of yours

My God is of freedomI don't know of yours

My God is of unityI don't know of yours

My God is of progressI don't know of yours

My God is of moralsI don't know of yours

My God is of loveI don't know of yours

My God is of compassionI don't know of yours

My God is of harmonyI don't know of yours

THIS IS MY GOD

11

My God is of togethernessI don't know of yours

My God is of knowledgeI don't know of yours

My God is of respectI don't know of yours

My God is of disciplineI don't know of yours

My God is of dignityI don't know of yours.

12

For the child that needs peaceWe gave him war

To the child who needs foodWe gave him hunger

For the child who needs unityWe gave him discord

For the child who needs freedomWe gave him bondage

For the child who needs happinessWe gave him sorrow

For the child who needs smilesWe gave him tears

For the child who needs knowledgeWe gave him ignorance

For the child who needs the futureWe gave him the past

FOR THE CHILD THAT NEED PEACE

13

There is no HeavenFor the killer of my child

There is no HeavenFor the wrecker of my peace

There is no HeavenFor the ruiner of my life

There is no HeavenFor the extinguisher of my hope

There is no HeavenFor the shatterer of my dreams

There is no HeavenFor the crusher of my future

There is no HeavenFor the breaker of my heart.

HEAVEN

14

To the man of evilTell him of good

To the man of warTell him of peace

To the man of slaveryTell him of freedom

To the man of shameTell him of honour

To the man of terrorTell him of resolve

To the man of despairTell him of hope

To the man of DarknessTell him of light

To the man of fearTell him of courage

TELL

15

To the man of submissionTell him of resistance

To the man of chaosTell him of order

To the man of greedTell him of mortality

16

You live by the gunAnd never will you live in peace.

You live by the gunAnd never will you live in freedom.

You live by the gunAnd never will you live in family

You live by the gunAnd never will you live in heaven

You live by the gunAnd never will you live in honour

You live by the gunAnd never will you live in the open

You live by the gunAnd never will you live in life

You live by the gunAnd never will you live like human.

LIVING BY THE GUN

17

The seeds of hatredIs in the words we utter

The seeds of hatredIs in the treatment of others

The seeds of hatredIs in the signs we show

The seeds of hatredIs in the things we do

The seed of hatredIs in the gospel we preach

The seed of hatredIs in the life we live

The seed of hatredIs in the lessons we teach.

The seed of hatredIs in the legacy we leave

The seed of hatredIs in the habit we hold

The seed of hatredIs in the thoughts in our mind

SEEDS OF HATRED

18

The mind that hatesDwells in pain

The mind that hatesWill always be in sorrow

The mind that hatesWill always be in anger

The mind that hatesWill always be in vengeance

The mind that hatesWill have a heart full of evil

The mind that hatesIs a mind in hell

The mind that hatesLives in the shadow of demons

The mind that hatesTears everything apart

THE MIND THAT HATES

19

Peace of the mindFrees your heart from hate

Peace of the mindFrees your heart from fear

Peace of the mindFrees your heart from pain

Peace of the mindFrees your heart of burden

Peace of the mindLifts your spirit above

Peace of the mindHelps your body grow

Peace of the mindBeams in light of hope

Peace of the mindInspires you to achieve.

PEACE OF THE MIND

20

Is there a day of peaceWhen there will be no war.

Is there a day of peaceWhen there will be no violence

Is there a day of peaceWhen there will be no injustice

Is there a day of peaceWhen there will be no disharmony

Is there a day of peaceWhen there will be no disunity

Is there a day of peaceWhen there will be no one to murder

Is there a day of peaceWhen there will be no one in bondage

Is there a day of peaceWhen there will be no fear

Is there a day of peaceWhen the night will be as bright as the day

Is there a day of peaceWhen no one will be hindered.

A DAY OF PEACE

21

Will my son ever be backIn the land of Bombs

Will my son ever learnIn the land of Bombs

Will my son ever growIn the land of Bombs

Will my son ever liveIn the land of Bombs

Will my son ever worshipIn the land of Bombs

Will my son ever be freeIn the land of bombs

Will my son ever loveIn the land of Bombs

Will my son ever be compassionateIn the land of Bombs

Will my son ever walkIn the land of Bombs

Will my son ever succeedIn the land of Bombs

THE LAND OF BOMBS

22

Let the magrebBe of peace not of war

Let the magrebBe of green not of famine

Let the magrebBe of harmony not of disquiet

Let the magrebBe of justice not of cruelty

Let the magrebBe of plough not of gun

Let the magrebBe of freedom not of hostage

Let the magrebBe of light not of darkness

Let the magrebBe of the future not of the past

MAGREB

23

This is my landI will always defend

This is my freedomI will not let go

This is my homeI will not leave

This is my prideI will never sell

This is my conscienceI will not betray

This is my heartI will not break

This is my resolveYou can never take away

This is my futureYou can never hold hostage.

THIS IS MY LAND

24

I dreamt of a world of peaceI woke up in a land of violence

I dreamt of a world of loveI woke up in a land of hate

I dreamt of a world of unityI work up in a land of disharmony

I dreamt of a world of hopeI woke up in a land of despair

I dreamt of a world of freedomI woke up in a land of bondage

I dreamt of a world of justiceI woke up in a land of inequity

I dreamt of a world of sharingI woke up in a land of self.

I DREAMT OF A WORLD OF PEACE

VICTIMS OF UNITED NATIONS HOUSE BOMBING, ABUJA.26TH AUGUST, 2011

25

War build empiresWar ruins empires

War makes kingsWar ruins kings

War build boundariesWar ruins boundaries

War makes nationsWar ruins nations

War create prideWar ruins pride

War frees peopleWar enslaves people

War brings peaceWar ruins peace

War brings equalityWar ruins equality

War brings justiceWar ruins justice

War brings hopeWar brings despair

WAR

26

You bring sorrow to homesAnd think you are invincible

You bring bereavement to homesAnd think you are invincible

You bring widows to the streetsAnd think you are invincible

You bring orphans to the wildAnd think you are invincible

You bring mourners to the familyAnd think your are invincible

You bring bodies to the morgueAnd think you are invincible

You bring tears to the eyesAnd think you are invincible

You bring tension to the townAnd think you are invincible

You bring horror to the villageAnd think you are invincible

You bring darkness to the climeAnd think you are invincible.

GUNMEN

27

I walk alone in a city under curfewThe busy street is empty.

I walk alone in a city under curfewThe shops are closed

I walk alone in a city under curfewThe market is deserted.

I walk alone in a city under curfewThe schools are shut

I walk alone in a city under curfewThe offices are abandoned

I walk alone in a city under curfewThe theatre is unattended

I walk alone in the city under curfewThe mosque is shut.

I walk alone in the city under curfewThe church is closed.

A CITY UNDER CURFEW

28

I walk alone in a city under curfewThe vendor is absent

I walk alone in a city under curfewI can see armed troops on vigil

I walk alone in a city under curfewI can see vultures on carcass

I walk alone in a city under curfewI can see the burnt tyres of anger

I walk alone in a city under curfewI can see the starving lots through their windows

I walk alone in a city under curfewI can see the triumph of evil

I walk alone in a city under curfewI can see the dearth of peace.

29

A tree makes a forestIf the tree stands for peace

A tree makes a forestIf the tree stands for love

A tree makes a forestIf the tree stands for justice

A tree makes a forestIf the tree stands for truth.

A tree makes a forestIf the tree stands for freedom

A tree makes a forestIf the tree stands for unity

A tree makes a forestIf the tree stands for light

A tree makes a forestIf the tree stands for knowledge.

A TREE MAKES A FOREST

BABAKURA FUGU18th SEPTEMBER, 2011

30

I need not a land of Gold, But of peace that I can live

I need not a land of riches, But of peace that I can sleep

I need not a land of wealthBut of peace that I can walk.

I need not a land of opulence,But of peace that my children can grow.

I need not a land of pride,But of peace that I can be free

I need not a land of milk and honeyBut of peace to eat my fruits.

I need not a land of bounty,But of peace that I can speak.

I need not a land of plenty,But of peace, of modesty and dignity.

I need not muchBut of little that I can love.

I NEED NOT A LAND OF GOLD

31

There is a beast in everyman

That pushes him to war.

There is a dove in EverymanThat pulls him to peace

There is a giraffe in everymanThat lifts him to reach heights

There is a bird in everymanThat thrusts him to fly

There is a cheetah in everymanThat makes him to run

There is a lion in everymanThat gives him strength

There is a dog in everymanThat makes him loyal

There is a fox in everymanThat makes him clever

THE ANIMAL IN US

32

There is an elephant in everymanThat makes him feel big

There is a bear in everymanThat makes him endure cold

There is a tiger in everymanThat makes him wild

There is a camel in everyman

33

A sleepy townThat became a hatchery

Where men became beastsDevouring the weak and the meek

Men became monstersSnuffing out life in a manner most cruel

A sleepy townPeopled by the downtroddenEking out a living in a depressed clime

The cannibals visited on a dayOf hellEncircling,Hacking,And roastingThe old, the young and the infant

A family wastedFor nothing but their faith

ZONKWA

18TH APRIL, 2011

34

The demons soakedIn the blood of the innocentPillaged and razed

They ruined homesAnd lives forever

A sleepy town once aliveNow a Ghost

Left so by unholy vandalsOn the command of The Lucifer

35

Use your diggers to build a temple of peace

Use your swords to slay ignorance

Use your machetes to cut down intolerance

Use your spears to tear the drums of war

Use your guns to shoot the Lucifer of intolerance

Use your louvers to slaughter the beasts of strife

Use your sickle to chop down the bushes of violence

Use your mind to tear down the walls of hate

Use your pen to write the script of forgiveness

Use your tongue to preach the word of life

Use your time to understand your neighbor

Use your energy to build a pyramid of love.

THE WEAPONS OF PEACE

36

Human mindA difficult ocean to navigate

Human mindA territory yet to be conquered

Human mindA mystery difficult to decipher

Human mindA source of peace and of war

Human mindA flexible fibre prone to danger

Human mindA treasure of good and infamy

Human mindA place of giving and taking

Human mindA fountain of hope and tragedy.

HUMAN MIND

I have seen war in my timeLet your time be of peace

I have seen prison in my timeLet your time be of freedom

I have seen poverty in my timeLet your time be of prosperity

I have seen despair in my timeLet your time be of hope

I have seen evil in my timeLet your time be of good

I have seen tension in my timeLet your time be of calmness and quiet

I have seen deception in my timeLet your time be of truth

I have seen hate in my timeLet your time be of love.

I HAVE SEEN WAR IN MY TIME

37

I have seen might in my timeLet your time be of right

I have seen tears of sorrow in my timeLet your time be that of joy

I have seen drought in my timeLet your time be of bounty

I have seen terror in my timeLet yours be that of reason

I have seen disunity in my timeLet yours be that of harmony.

38

Woe betides my land;The innocent at the mercy of the weld.

Woe betides my land;The children haunted by predators

Woe betides my land;The hostages' life is on ransom

Woe betides my land;The debauched rule the pauper

Woe betides my land;The famished amidst plenty

Woe betides my land;The widow cries unheard.

Woe betides my land;A new day is always the same day.

WOE BETIDES MY LAND

39

How peaceful can you liveIn a land bewildered in violence

How comfortable can you liveIn a land of paupers

How much merry can you makeIn a land of sorrow

How rich can you beIn the land of the poor

How cheerful can you beIn the land of anger

How sleepy can you beIn the land of insomniacs

How protected can you beIn the land of intolerance

How joyous can you beIn a land of tension

HOW PEACEFUL CAN YOU LIVE

40

How free can you beIn a land of fear

How secure can you beIn a land of victims

How safe can you beIn a land of the vulnerable

How much can you keepIn a land of want

How healed can you beIn the land of the sick

41

You walk by the dead

And think you are immortal

You walk by the victimsAnd think you are invincible

You walk by the poorAnd think you can never be

You walk by the needyAnd think you are insulated

You walk by the sickAnd think you are healthy

You walk by the hungryAnd think you acquired enough.

YOU WALK BY THE DEAD

42

I am a conquerorBlind to the heights of the mountain on the road

I am a conquerorDeaf to the noise of mischief around me

I am a conquerorBlind to the impediments of success on my way

I am a conquerorDeaf to the sounds of impossibility in my surrounding

I am a conquerorBlind to the distance of my journey

I am a conquerorDeaf to the roar of the beasts on my path

I am a conquerorBlind to the vastness and the turbulence of the ocean on my route.

I am a conquerorBlind to the stormy weather above me

I am a conquerorToo deaf to hear the thunder of despair.

I AM A CONQUEROR

43

44

I am a human beingSo I must reason.

I am a human beingSo I must love

I am a human beingSo I must share

I am a human beingSo I must tolerate

I am a human beingSo I must be compassionate

I am a human beingSo I must let live

I am a human beingSo I must be humane

I am a human beingSo I must keep the peace

I AM A HUMAN BEING

The peace we lostLittered our streets with corpses.

The peace we lostSent us out of our homes

The peace we lostBrought sorrow to our peaceful homes

The peace we lostKept us distance apart

The peace we lostSpread the fear in us

The peace we lostEnded the unity we had

The peace we lostCrushed the hope we had

The peace we lostExtinguished the light that beared

THE PEACE WE LOST

45

46

Speak the truth to terrorThat you may have peace.

Speak the truth to powerThat you may have justice

Speak the truth to hateThat you may have love

Speak the truth to fearThat you may have dignity.

Speak the truth to bondageThat you may have freedom.

Speak the truth to vicesThat you may have morales

Speak the truth to deceitThat you may have the truth

Speak the truth to evilThat you may have good.

SPEAK THE TRUTH

Today is Good Friday

Melt the swords to hoes

Melt the guns to ploughs

Melt the arrows to spades

Melt the spears to sickle

Melt the matchets hammer

Melt the bullets to pots

Melt the knives to diggers

Melt the axes to hoofs

Melt the cutlasses to nails

Melt the riffles to umbrellas

Melt the fences to bridges

Melt the tanks to doors

TODAY IS GOOD FRIDAY

47

When will the rain fallTo end the famine of reason

When will the rain fallTo end the draught of peace

When will the rain fallTo end the hunger for harmony

When will the rain fallTo end the baking of truth

When will the rain fallTo end the heat of violence

When will the rain fallTo cool the heart of the victims

When will the rain fallTo send the lightning to the killer

When will the rain fallTo flood the dens of plotters

WHEN WILL THE RAIN FALL

48

When will the rain fallTo grow the seed of peace

When will the rain fallTo wash the stains of blood

When will the rain fallTo replenish all that was lost.

When will the rain fallTo end the overheat

49

This is a motherThat feed us all

This is a sailThat sustains our life

This is a reliefFrom the fury of the desert

This is a shadeFrom the scotching Saharan sun

This is freedomFrom the bondage of the sand

This is breezeFrom the suffocating veil

This is lifeFrom the death in the grid

LAKE CHAD

50

Your innocence is your purity

Your purity is your holiness

Your holiness is your freedom

Your freedom is your immortality

Your immortality is your eternity

Your eternity is your exception

Your exception is your memory

Your memory is your triumph

Your triumph is your respect

Your respect is your pride

Your pride is your dignity

Your dignity is your repute

Your repute is your peace

Your peace is your courage

Your courage is your epitaph

DYING PURE

FOR MADALLA

51

He is the shield of peace

Who walks with courageAnd confidence to save our souls

He is the shield of peaceWho dares the dreaded

He is the shield of peaceWho wrestles the lion that others may go

He is the shield of peace Who blocks the flood that sweeps away.

He is the shield of peaceWho breaks the chain that others be free

He is the shield of peaceWho died that others may live.

HE IS THE SHIELD OF PEACE

52

SUNDAY BADANG15TH FEBRUARY, 2012

53

My tomorrow Should be free from hate

My tomorrow Should be free from vendetta

My tomorrow Should be free from deaths unwanted

My tomorrow Should be free from rancour

My tomorrow Should be free from want

My tomorrow Should be free from discontent

My tomorrow Should be free from complex

My tomorrow Should be free from debt

MY TOMORROW

54

My tomorrow Should be free from greed?

My tomorrow Should be free from bigotry

My tomorrow Should be free from mindset

My tomorrow Should be free from xenophobia.

55

What is the worth of lifeWhen it shall end

What is the worth of wealthWhen its vanity

What is the worth of warWhen peace must reign

What is the worth of hateWhen love conquers

What is the worth of crueltyWhen good triumphs

What is the worth of a stormWhen calm is what all wants

What is the worth of liesWhen the truth will eventually win

WHAT IS THE WORTH OF LIFE

56

Flowers are differentYet all are flowers

Birds are differentYet all are birds

Trees are differentYet all are trees

Fragrances are differentYet all are fragrances

Pens are differentYet all are pens

Days are differentYet all are days

Colours are differentYet all are colours

Rocks are differentYet all are rocks

BEAUTY IN DIFFERENCE

57

Foods are differentYet all are foods

Lights are differentYet all are lights

Sounds are differentYet all are sounds

Stars are differentYet all are stars

Animals are differentYet all are animals

People are differentYet all are people.

58

Rest in peaceAnd rise among the innocent

Rest in peaceAnd rise among the free

Rest in peaceAnd rise among the young

Rest in peaceAnd rise among the unblemished

Rest in peaceAnd rise among the dignified

Rest in peaceAnd rise among those with honor

Rest in peaceAnd rise among the righteous

Rest in peaceAnd rise among the heroes

ETERNAL PEACE

FOR LAWRENCE ADENIYI

A University of Maiduguri student killed by stray bullet (16/4/12)

59

A journeyFrees a mind

A journeyCasts a light

A journeyLifts the spirit

A journeyBuilds the dream

A journeyKeeps the promise

A journeyBonds the tie

A journeyBeats the time

A journeyKills the boredom

A JOURNEY

60

A journeyEnds the doubts

A journeyHeals the wound

A journeyMakes it work

A journeyNips the bud

A journeyPropels the man

A journeyCracks the nut

A journeyPulls the mat

A journeySeals the deal

61

I walk in the ruinsAnd saw the ashes of my tools

I walk in the ruinsAnd saw the wedding ring of my neighbor

I walk in the ruinsAnd saw the medals of my friend

I walk in the ruinsAnd saw the shattered windscreen of my school bus

I walk in the ruinsAnd found the charred remains of my poppy

I walk in the ruinsAnd found the damaged certificate of my friends' father.

I walk in the ruinsAnd found the pieces of once priceless treasure.

I walk in the ruinsAnd found the childhood photos of my granny.

I walk in the ruinsAnd found the madness in us.

I WALK IN THE RUINS

62

Be a man of PeaceLike Alfred Nobel

Be a man of HarmonyLike William Penn

Be a man of DreamLike Martin Luther King

Be a man of ToleranceLike Mahatma Gandhi

Be a man of SpiritLike Desmond Tutu

Be a man of ResolveLike Gaman Abdul Nassir

Be a man of VisionLike Kwame Nkrumah

Be a man of HopeLike Yitzak Rabin

BE A MAN

63

Be a man of DignityLike Yessar Arafat

Be a man of InspirationLike Che Guavera

Be a man of MissionLike J.F. Kennedy

Be a man of ChangeLike Deng Tso Ping.

The king lies dead

And the crown is yonder

The king lies deadAnd the throne is lonely

The king lies deadAnd the knights are helpless

The king lies deadAnd the palace is silent

The king lies deadAnd the drums are quiet

The king lies deadAnd the regalia is hung

The king lies deadAnd the body decomposes

The king lies deadAnd the princes are humbled

THE KING LIES DEAD

64

The king lies deadAnd the Queen is without gold

The king lies deadAnd the maggots are waiting

The king lies deadAnd the king must leave the palace.

65

66

There is a land in the EastOf flowers of peaceAnd coffee of unity.

There is a land in the EastOf faiths in diversityAnd diversity in harmony

There is a land in the EastWhere faith is loveAnd faith is peace

There is a land in the EastWhere God is truly one

There is a land in the EastFor others to learn;How to live And let live.

THE FAITH IN ETHIOPIA

67

Kill my bodyBut you can't rule my life

Kill my bodyBut you can't kill my soul

Kill my bodyBut you can't halt my triumph

Kill my bodyBut you can't cage my heart

Kill my bodyBut you can't dictate my conscience

Kill my bodyBut you can't control my thoughts

Kill my bodyBut you can't determine my beliefs

KILL MY BODY

*CHRIS McMANUS, FRANCO LAMOLINARA AND EDGAR FRITZ

*The British, Italian and German hostages killed in Sokoto and Kano.

68

Kill my bodyBut you can't lead my spirit

Kill my bodyBut you can't end my truth

Kill my bodyBut you can't stain my innocence

Kill my bodyBut you can't own my words

Kill my bodyBut you can't wipe my memory

Kill my bodyBut you can't make me you.

When the poor arisesThey chases the demon of infamy

When the poor arisesThey melt the shackles of evil

When the poor arises They wake the spirit of truth

When the poor arisesThey end the drought of reason

When the poor arisesThey crushes the wall of bandage

When the poor arisesThey unleashes the torrents of freedom

When the poor arisesThey plant the seed of hope

When the poor arisesThey build the temple of justice

When the poor arisesThey kill the monster of fear

When the poor arisesThey alight the hole of darkness.

WHEN THE POOR ARISES

69

70

I am deadNow living far away from you.

I know where you areYou know not where I am

I can hear youYou can hear me not

I can see youYou can see me not

I know what you seeYou know not what I see

I know that mysteryThat puzzles you

I know the truthThat you may be in doubt

I know the endThat you always dread

I saw the small thingsIn your big things

I AM DEAD

71

I saw the big thingsIn your small things

I saw the peopleThat I know

I saw the peopleThat I only read

A once beautiful landNow wrecked by war

A once beautiful landNow possessed by evil

A once beautiful landNow shattered by horror

A once beautiful landNow gripped by infamy

A once beautiful landNow infested by pests

A once beautiful landNow ruined by terror

A once beautiful landNow occupied by rodents

A once beautiful landNow spreading its vice

A once beautiful landNow needing peace

A once beautiful landNow needing unity.

SOMALIA

72

73

Let your love be the sun That shines on all

Let your smile be the moonThat can light the dark

Let your tongue be the rainThat brings succor to all

Let your heart be the earthThat's a home for all

Let your home be the fresh airThat all can breath

Let your face be the rosesThat all love to inhale

Let your life be the lyricsThat bring harmony.

LET

74

Don't ruin the ChurchFor it is a place of peace

Don't wreck the ChurchIt is a temple of God

Don't blast the ChurchIt is a place of healing

Don't Break the ChurchIt is a temple of prayer

Don't ruin the ChurchIt is the house of God

Don't crush the ChurchIt is the home of unity

Don't annihilate the ChurchIt is the spot of blessing

Don't rift the ChurchIt is the platform of glory

Don't uproot the ChurchIt is the light of knowledge

Don't kill the ChurchIt is the soul of life

THE CHURCH

The politicianSpill the blood of others

The politicianWaste the lives of others

The politicianNeed the sacrifice of others

The politicianWant the praise of others

The politicianSavour the sweat of others

The politicianReap the labour of others

The politician Keep the belonging of others

The politicianLove the praise from others

THE POLITICIAN

75

Where is JantaA place once raided

Where is JantaA place once razed

Where is JantaA place once ruined

Where is JantaA people once annihilated

Where is JantaA life once wasted

Where is JantaAn outslart visited by demons

Where is JantaA mother once killed

Where is JantaA child once killed

Where is JantaA generation once wiped out

Where is JantaA future once muzzled.

KURU JANTA

76

2ND FEBRUARY, 2010

Na Hauwa's fateful nightWas a night of evil

Na Hauwa's fateful maul Was a night of the machetes

Na Hauwa's night Was a night at terror

Na Hauwa's nightWas a night of murder

Na Hauwa's nightWas a night of horror

Na Hauwa's nightWas a night of screaming

Na Hauwa's nightWas a night of the heat

Na Hauwa's nightWas a night of monsters

Na Hauwa's nightWas a night of inhumanity

Na Hauwa's nightWas a night of fright

DOGO NA HAUWA

77

7TH MARCH, 2010

78

The leaves fall

To herald the spring

The sun risesTo herald a new day

The moon risesTo light the night.

THE LEAVES FALL

Drums of war

Beats my heart

Blasts of warShatters my windows

Sirens of warRaised my blood

Gun shortsRaised my fears

Screaming of victimsRaised my feelings

Brking of soldiersRaises my concern

SOUND OF WAR

79

Take your peace

Without my freedom

Take your peaceWithout my hope

Take your peaceWithout dignity

Take your peaceWithout my pride

Take your peaceWithout my rights

Take your peaceWithout my future

Take your peaceWithout my faith

Take your peaceWithout my independence

TAKE YOUR PEACE

80

Take your peaceWithout my family

Take your peaceWithout my conscience

81

82

Before you kill

Think of the sorrow you will bring

Before you killThink of the pain you will inflict

Before you killThink of the orphans you will make

Before you killThink of the widows you will make

Before you killThink of the lives you will shatter

Before you killThink of the ones you will leave behind

Before you killThink of the hell you will be

Before you killThink of the enemies you will make

BEFORE YOU KILL

83

Before you killThink of the horror you will create

Before you killThink of the dream of your father

Before you killThink of the prayer of your mother

Before you killThink of the face of your children

Before you killThink of the futility of violence

Before you killThink of the inevitable triumph of justice

Before you killThink of the glory of peace.

Let your sermon be of peace

Let your Gospel be of tolerance

Let your prayer be of harmony

Let your preachings be of hope

Let your deliverance be of good

Let your blessing be of love

Let your words be of unity

Let your scripture be of relief

Let your assembly be of compassion

Let your faith be of humanity

THE CLERIC

84

One child is fed

Five are hungryIs this city in peace?

One child has hopeFive in despairIs this city in peace?

One child in schoolFive in the streetIs this city in peace?

One child has homeFive are urchinsIs this city in peace?

One child has justiceFive do notIs this city in pace?

One child have a dreamFive cannot sleepIs this city in peace?

A CITY IN PEACE

85

One child is protectedFive are neglectedIs this city in peace?

One child is healthyFive are sickIs this city in peace?

One child is councelledFive are notIs this city in peace?

One child is happyFive are angryIs this city in peace?

86

To the hungryFood is Gold

To the sickHealth is Gold

To the blindSight is Gold

To the deafHearing is Gold

To the lonelyCompany is Gold

To the illiterateKnowledge is Gold

To those in the darkLight is Gold

To the victimsJustice is Gold

GOLD

87

To the oppressedFreedom is Gold

To the despairedHope is Gold

To the vagrantHome is Gold

To the youngFuture is Gold

To the war wearyPeace is Gold

88

I am an unbelieverIn the path of violence

I am an unbelieverIn the cause of evil

I am an unbelieverIn the route of injustice

I am an unbelieverIn the triumph of terror

I am an unbelieverIn submission to fear

I am an unbelieverIn silence for fear

I am an unbelieverIn the might is right

AN UNBELIEVER

89

Sell your freedomAnd be a slave

Sell your conscienceAnd be a maid

Sell your rightsAnd be in bondage

Sell your prideAnd loose your honor

Sell your futureAnd be without hope

Sell your bodyAnd loose your morals

Sell your peaceAnd be at war

Sell your faithAnd ruin your spirit.

SELL

90

It dissects and nourishes a cityOn the savannah

In it swims crocodile ofNo harm

In the harmattan it recedeBut not extinctIn the rains it boost inTally with the angles ofThe clouds.

It moves in grace and in nature

On its banks are warringReligionists with a perennialRitual of mass murder

They colour its flows with the Blood of the innocent and the belligerents

They float it with carcassOf those they raidHack, and disemember

River KadunaNature’s glory and giftNature’s relief in aridityIs now a fence of faiths

RIVER KADUNA

91

He is not blind who cannot seeHe is blind who cannot reason

He is not deaf who cannot hearHe is deaf who cannot listen

He is not lame who cannot walkHe is lame who cannot love

He is not leprous who has no fingerHe is leprous who nurture hate

He is not dead who does not liveHe is dead who have no conscience.

He is not poor who does not haveHe is poor who have no morals.

He is not human because he is a manHe is human who has compassion.

He is not strong because he is muscularHe is strong who can dare.

He is not rich because he haveHe is rich because he can share.

HE IS NOT

92

Oh BelfastI am thy visitor in spirit

Oh BelfastI can see the drizzling rain of your intolerance.

Oh BelfastI feel the heat of your contending faiths.

Oh BelfastI can feel the coldness of your handshakes.

Oh BelfastI can see the storm of your anger.

Oh BelfastI can see the lightning of your hate.

Oh BelfastI can see the flood of your fury.

Oh BelfastI can see the embarkments of your divisions.

Oh BelfastI can feel the breeze of your ceasefire.

Oh BelfastI can feel the air of your peace.

OH BELFAST

93

The Gangster is in jailThe master is on leisure.

The Gangster is in jailThe master is on picnic.

The Gangster is in jailThe master is in theatre.

The Gangster is in jailThe master is on horse riding.

The Gangster is in jailThe master is in the beach.

The Gangster is in jailThe master is with family.

The Gangster is in jailThe master is in the casino.

The Gangster is in jailThe master is in the concert.

THE GANGSTER IN JAIL

94

The Gangster is in jailThe master is gone yachting.

The Gangster is in jailThe master is gone shopping.

The Gangster is in jailThe master is in the art gallery.

The Gangster is in jailThe master is smoking a pipe.

95

Ruin this land

And here you will be buried.

Raze this landAnd here you will be buried

Wreck this landAnd here you will be buried.

Be cruel to this landAnd here you will be buried.

Be unjust to this landAnd here you will be buried.

Be rude to this landAnd here you will be buried.

Squeeze this landAnd here you will be buried.

Unsettle this landAnd here you will be buried.

THIS LAND

96

97

Burn this landAnd here you will be buried.

Annihilate this landAnd here you will be buried

Bake this landAnd here you will be buried.

98

My cityWas a paradiseWhere peace reigned

My cityWas a shadeThat gave solace

My cityWas a homeFor all to live

My cityWas a destinationFor all on a journey

My cityWas a prideFor all who knew

My cityWas a reliefFor all in pain

My cityWas a breezeFor all in sweat

MY CITY

I speak of freedomI was called a rebel

I speak of rightsI was called an activist

I speak of justiceI was called a dissident

I speak of progressI was called a leftist

I speak of truthI was called a critic

I speak of changeI was called a revolter

I speak of peaceI was called a pacifist

I SPEAK

99

100

Where is the love you preachWhen you can injure

Where is the love you preachWhen you can kill

Where is the love you preachWhen you can burn

Where is the love you preachWhen you can hate

Where is the love you preachWhen you can fight

Where is the love you preachWhen you can incite

Where is the love you preachWhen you practice not what you preach.

WHERE IS THE LOVE

101

I am a birdI have no border

I am a fishI can swim against currents

I am a catI have nine lives

I am a vultureI can be patient.

I am a tortoiseI live longer

I am a tigerI fear no foe

I am a cheetahI can chase my goals

I am a horseFull of strength

I AM A BIRD

102

I am a lionFeeling like the king

I am a lambI hurt no one

I am a bullIn the defence of my right

103

Peace,Is the serenity of the wilderness

Peace,The calmness of the ocean

Peace,Letting others be

Peace,Letting others live

Peace,Letting others speak

Peace,The cage of rancor

Peace,The roof of harmony

Peace,The clarity of the sky

PeaceThe greenery of life

PEACE

104

I sit on the moonGazing down belowFree from the hindrances I knowAnd the ones I know not

I sit on the moonAnd have a panoramic view of allOf those withheld far and near

I sit on the moonAnd see large thingsBig things made small

I sit on the moonAnd see the beginning and the endOf a long road

I sit on the moonAnd see the treachery of friendsAnd the plots of foes

I sit on the moonAnd see the length of riversWorth of oceans

I SIT ON THE MOON

105

And height of mountains

I sit on the moonAnd see the rusty roofs of the poorAnd the glittering roof of the richAll at the mercy of heavens.

I sit on the moonAnd see the woes of those in warAnd see the serenity of those in peaceAnd know better

I sit on the moonAnd see the innocence of the childrenAnd the tragedy of the old

I sit on the moonAnd see the limitationAnd vulnerability of man.

106

I dream of a world without warWhere can I find it?

I dream of a world without hateWhere can I find it?

I dream of a world without hungerWhere can I find it?

I dream of a world without injusticeWhere can I find it?

I dream of a world without painWhere can I find it?

I dream of a world without povertyWhere can I find it?

I dream of a world without tragedyWhere can I find it?

I dream of a world without floodWhere can I find it?

MY DREAM

107

I dream of a world without repressionWhere can I find it?

I dream of a world without liesWhere can I find it?

I dream of a world without terrorWhere can I find it?

I dream of a world without evilWhere can I find it?

I dream of a world without hungerWhere can I find it?

I dream of a world without viceWhere can I find it?

I dream of a world without bordersWhere can I find it?

108

We differ in racesBut we are all humans

We differ in looksBut we are all humans

We differ in languagesBut we are all humans

We differ in faithBut we are all humans

We differ in statusBut we are all humans

We differ in tribesBut we are all humans

We differ in genderBut we are all humans

We differ in nationsBut we are all humans

WE DIFFER

109

On the Riyom rock I stoodTo view the beauty of my cityI saw it in flames

To view the scenery of my countryI saw it in flames

To locate the roof of my houseI saw it in flames

To sight the circus I loveI saw it in flames

To catch a glimpse of my schoolI saw it in flames

To view the market I shopI saw it in flames

To locate the office of my fatherI saw it in flames

To sight the shop of my motherI saw it in flames

To find my people's sense of reasoningI saw it in flames.

RIYOM ROCK

110

This is a day of rage,When reasons take a flightThe demons of death decend,Walking on the streets,Stalking the innocent in their abodeTheir Agora and their temple of faithThey abode, their temple of faithThey swag matchetes and swordsThey tuttle gunsDeranged by bigotry andFaith of murderIn their delusion of divinity and deathThey extinguish a sacred life that should only beTaken by the heavens.

This is a day of rage,A day of raidA day predators of women and childrenBeatify their dastardly actsThey liter homes and routes withBodies of the people of the other faithThey in their volution choose to killAnd call it a divine commandThey in their volition killAnd call it a defence.

A CRUSADER'S DAY

111

Oh lucifer We know of your evil since yore,But why should you send your flames to the infant,To the young

Oh LuciferYou came in the robe of McveighAnd of ladenAnd now of Anders

Oh LuciferHell is thy nameAnd thy place

Oh LuciferYou kill the hope,The dream,The promise which tomorrow holds

Oh LuciferYou kill the fleshAwait the reckoningOf the spirit of the innocent.

BREIVIK

112

Your calling is to protectBut under you we become vulnerable

Your calling is to serveBut before you is disservice

Your calling is to listenBut with you we meet deafness

A human in your custody shouldBe a treasured life on transit to justice

A being in your custody is stripped:Of humanity,Of honour,Of integrity as he is of freedom

In your dungeon is hell,Of men and women whose guilt is yet ascertain;On the sight of bigger guns by muggers and terrors,You take to abscond in freight and debility.

THE POLICE

113

You seized my land

You call me a terrorist

You rape my aunt


You kill my son


You demolish my house


You ruin my life


You chained my hand


You wrecked my future


You humiliate my people


You burn my crops

YOU CALL ME A TERRORIST

MAIDUGURI MASSACRE28 JULY 2009

114


You appropriate my cattle


You shot my leg


You jail my brother


You crush my hope


You deny me peace


115

When the swords are outThe devil is unleashed

When the swords are outReason takes a flight

When the swords are outThe gate of hell is open

When the swords are outAnger is an the match

When the swords are outThe rain of blood falls

When the matchets are outThe voice of restrain is inaudible

When the matchets are outThe rose of love are burnt.

WHEN THE SWORDS ARE OUT

116

Where do you standWhen our peace was unsettled

Where do you standWhen our freedom was attacked

Where do you standWhen our dignity was violated

Where do you standWhen our hope was dashed

Where do you standWhen our future was strangled

Where do you standWhen our homes were burnt

Where do you standWhen our resolve was tested

Where do you standWhen our right was trampled

WHERE WERE YOU

Where do you standWhen we were hunted

Where do you standWhen we were humiliated.

117

118

Dark cloud of fear hungs over the sky.Vampires prowl the land,Swerving the swords of faithAnd the garb of tribes.

Decapitating the helpless,Annihilating the weak.

Lives are gruesomely auctioned at ease

The season of mourning and grief is hereA season of uncertain day and scary night

Mist of blood stains the walls,No one is sure, no one is safe.

The flood of lunacy sweeps the fotress of reasonOverflooded stream of blood flows with corpses.

The mosques are on check,And the churches are unsafe

Fear of deathSilence of fearLimits the words and guts of men.

SEASON OF BLOODSHED

119

The tree of freedom,Withstands the wind of terror.

The tree of freedom,Defies the matchets of violence.

The tree of freedom,Overcomes the cloud of fear

The trees of freedom,Survives the axe of torture.

The tree of freedom,Defies the quake of intolerance.

The tree of freedom,Withstand the flood of Hatred.

The tree of freedom,Overcomes the drought of infamy.

TREE OF FREEDOM

120

I ran to my Home,The killer hunted me.

I ran to the Street,The killer hunted me.

I ran to the Farm,The killer hunted me.

I ran to the Market,The killer hunted me.

I ran to the School,The killer hunted me.

I ran to the king,The killer hunted me.

I ran to the Police,The killer hunted me.

I ran to the Church,The killer hunted me.

WHEN I RAN

121

I ran to the Mosque,The killer hunted me.

I ran the Park,The killer hunted me.

I ran to my resolveThe killer left me.

In VengeanceYou equal your foe,In Forgiveness,You are above your foe.

In hateYour heart is in shacklesIn loveYour soul is free.

In compassion,You match forwardIn evil,You await recourse

In justice,You get peaceIn peace,You get justice.

In sword,You get bloodIn dialogue,You understand

In violence,You get deathsIn affection,You get life.

VENGEANCE

122

Crises Times Tests;

The Courage of men,The Patience of womenThe Wisdom of leadersThe Resilience of a people.

Violent Times Tests;The Limits of pacifists,The Hopes of optimists,The Strength of a nation.

Bad Times Tests;The Love of friends,The Faith of believers,The Endurance of family,The Worthiness of neighbours.

Peace Times Tests;The Prudence of the artisan,The Harmony of the village,The Justice of the commune.

TESTING TIMES

123

Demonize not my mosqueIts my source of peace

Demonize not my mosque,Its my fountain of freedom.

Demonize not my mosque,Its my temple of faith.

Demonize not my mosque,Its my arena of felicity.

Demonize not my mosque,Its my forum of brotherhood.

Demonize not my mosque,Its my fence of security.

Demonize not my mosque,Its my buffer against vices.

Demonize not my mosque,Its my tower of justice.

THE MOSQUE

124

Demonize not my mosque,Its my oak of hope.

Demonize not my mosque,Its my fortress against anger.

Demonize not my mosque,It's the harbinger of my restrain.

Demonize not my mosque,Its my rock of truth.

125

Give me peace

And not your treasures of war

Give me freedomAnd not your diamonds of bondage

Give me loveAnd not your jewels of hate

Give me respectAnd not your Gold of indignity

Give me justiceAnd not your laurels of power

Give me truthAnd not your litany of lies

Give me hopeAnd not your package of promises

126

GIVE ME

Call me a coward,I will not kill

Call me a traitor,I will not hate

Call me a weakling,I will not fight

Call me an outcast,I will not abuse

Call me a dumb,I will not lie

Call me a leper,I will not slaughter

Call me a hypocrite,I will not stab

Call me a black sheepI will not avenge.

127

CALL ME

Oh mother earthThou hath swallowed the king and the subjectOh mother earthThou hath swallowed the mighty and the lowly.

Oh mother earthThou hath sapped up the saint and the sinner.Oh mother earthThou hath squeezed up the hero and the villain

Oh mother earthThou hath sandwiched the crude and the wicked.

Oh mother earthFeed the innocent with thy honey.Oh mother earthFeed the victims with thy milk.

Oh mother earthFeed the good with thy air.Oh mother earthTreat the humble with thy courtesy and generosity

128

OH MOTHER EARTH

They departed with hopesFor a mission to be accomplished

They left with smilesThat we gave them in our homes

They took our heartsAnd our message of love.

They ascend to the cloudsAway from the earth of our trouble

They torch the face of heavenWith the robes of their innocence.

They roast in the flamesOf our failures and waste

They cleansed their soulsIn a manner so cruel

129

LAST FLIGHT

FOR DANA AIR CRASH VICTIMSMAY 2012

They descend in painBut to rise in glory

They left us in griefThat we shall meet in smile

They are all that we missFor a heaven that loves them most.

130

In the time of Crisis,Learn the art of Survival

In the time of Peace,Learn the art of Self Preservation

In the time of Abundance,Learn the art of Prudence

In the time of Austerity,Learn the art of Hibernation

In the time of Chaos,Learn the art of Discretion

In the time of Love,Learn the art of Respect

In the time of Uncertainty,Learn the art of Vigilance

In the time of Prosperity,Learn the art of Gratitude

In the time of Freedom,Learn the art of Guardianship

131

LESSONS OF LIFE

The shooting is on sightThe killing is at sightThe search is for the terrorist

The rights are muzzledThe freedom are curtailedThe privacy is violatedThe search is for the terrorist

The woman is molestedThe man is humiliatedThe movement is restrictedThe search is for the terrorist

The mother is disemboweledThe child is chainedThe father is detainedThe search is for the terrorist

The day is gloomyThe night is raidThe search is for the terrorist

The innocent are squeezedThe innocent are repressedThe innocent are torturedThe search is for the terrorist

132

THE SEARCH

133

DIE WITH HONOUR

THIS POEM IS DEDICATED TO MISS FRANCISCA NGOZI, 23, WHO WAS KILLED BYROBBERS FOR RESISTING RAPE ON 29TH JULY, 2012

Torrent of bloodDrenched my vote

Balls of fire Incinerated my vote

Bullets of the knightsShot my vote

Billows of smokeChocked my vote

Machetes of the furious Chopped my vote

Pen of the fraudInvalidated my vote

Thuggery of the thugRuined my vote

Heist of the dreamerDenied my vote

Corpses of the innocentCriminalized my vote

Perpetuation of the tyrantsDisempower my vote

134

BLOOD TRAILS MY VOTE

FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE 2011 POST ELECTION VIOLENCE

My little infant,I welcome you with my guilt

For ushering you to the land of turmoilAnd in the times of tumult.

In the raging flame of chaosShall your heart be casted

In the gusting wind of bewilderment Shall your pillar of focus stand

In the looming darkness of the timesShall your glowing light shines

In the hanging clouds of fearShall your kite of courage fly

In the ashes of despairShall your hope arises

In the cold winter of hateShall your heart warm for love

In the stagnant pool of boredom Shall your Boat of change assail

In the thick forest of BondageShall you trace and thread the path of freedom

135

MY INFANT

FOR FATIMA, MY DAUGHTER

Violence is like a double-edged sword. When it loses its control, it kills and maims regardless of which ever direction it faces. Many women have become widows overnight. Orphans litter the streets; widowers languishing over the irreparable loss of violence. Investors are scared away for fear of bombshell. Schools, hospitals and marketplaces are closed down for the fear of death, an apparent recurring decimal, and its agony. Despite the pains and recorded loses, it appears it lingers on and on. Who does this profit to see human blood flow on the streets like waste waters from the drains of breweries? When will this end either?

I think it was after he recovered from this soliloquy that the renowned Civil Rights Activist, author, poet and playwright, Shehu Sani, retired into his library to pour out on papers out of his rare depot of esteemed knowledge, about 92 poems that makes this peculiar anthology. This according to him is to promote peace and encourage people to stand up and speak out against violence especially in northern Nigeria.

The book, which he decides to distribute freely to every Nigerian, is also written to inspire peace advocacy and renunciation of violence and terror perpetuated in the guise of ethnicity or religion or politics.

In a soft language, Sani says in the introductory page that his poems are prescriptions for peace for people of northern Nigeria, whom, according to him, for over three decades have been experiencing sectarian and ethnic violence between Muslims and Christians and now facing atrocious insurgency. The violence which has consumed thousands of innocent lives, appear uncontrollable judging by daily records of the

136

THE POEMS OF PEACE IN THE SEASONOF BLOODSHED

Author: Shehu SaniReviewer: Yemi Adebisi

Publisher: Labari Communications KadunaNo of pages:138

Newspaper ReviewTH30 September, 2012

brutality.

Though his focus is on northern Nigerians, he also declare that some of the poems take care of the interest of other warring regions such as northern Ireland, Kashmir, Bosnia Herzegovina, Thailand, Pakistan, Egypt and Philippines.

While some of the poems challenge directly act of intolerance and demystify fear and berates the proposition and ideology of hate disguised in faiths and beliefs, others are narratives about the outcomes of violence, its acts, carnage and soullessness associated with it.

A number of poems in Sani's anthology of peace address the source of violence. Others however pass messages to political leaders whose doing or undoing provokes social or political reactions.

The roles played by both community and religious leaders, which embarrassingly worsen the situation of the deplorable condition of war in the midst of peace, was also given a rare attention in the book.

Through the pinhole of most of the poems, one can see clearly the picture of intolerant societies.

Sani must have used the poems to appeal to the minds, souls and spirits of the aggrieved innocent citizens to achieve a resolution for peace and tranquility.

The first poem, My City Boils, carefully paints the picture of the beginning of violence in the North when peace has evaporated and the vacuum was filled with steam of violence, flames of death, vapour of vendetta and bubbles of anger. In Pictures Tells Lies, and What I Share, the poet expresses the agony of betrayal as a consequence of violence. For Midnight in Maiduguri, it was a report of how the 'demons mourn the devil'. The death toll boomeranged. There was no whisker of hope in the biblical valley of dry bone as souls lay lifeless waiting for mass burial after counter attacks from suckers of blood. It says: This is a night in the Sahel/Where the sand drenched in blood/And the wind blew the spirit of the dead/No night life/As all lives are on the edge…A city in chains/That lost/Its freedom/Its beauty/And its peace/A city in perpetual midnight.

The Blood of the Innocent and You Can't Hide appear to have reminded the killers of the imminent repercussion ahead of time as it preaches how

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it hunts and hacks the felon.

In an attempt to show his rejection of the terms of war songs on the lips of the 'murderers', the poet explains in For the Child that Need Peace how painful it is to face derision at the hour of expectation. It reads: “For the child who needs freedom/We gave him bondage./For the child who needs happiness/We gave him sorrow…”

The poet could not help but to rain heap of curses on the killers in Living By The Gun. The poem flows with the tears in the anger of the worried poet. It partly reads: “…you live by the gun/and never will you live in peace…you live by the gun/and never will you live in honour…” (16)

The poet suddenly becomes a preacher in Peace of the Mind (19) as he counsels the ignorant killers about the subject of peace. He reminds them that it is the peaceful state of mind that would free their heart from hatred, fear, burden and pain.

In A Day of Peace, the poet dreams about the end of the war when there would be no more murder, disharmony, injustice and violence.

Sound of bombshell rocking the cities of the North have sacked and scared away the peace of the land. Therefore in The Land of Bombs, the poet ruminates on the anxiety in the cities known for peace initially. He carefully imagines the safety of innocent children in the midst of bomb blasts. “Will my son ever grow/In the land of Bombs. Will my son ever be free/In the land of the bombs.” etc. (21) The poem is an attempt to leave a substance of guilt in the heart of the bombers for possible reconciliation.

On August 26, 2011, the bombers did their worst when the United Nations House was bombed at Abuja. Sani remembers the sad day in a poem he entitled I Dreamt of a World of Peace. He expresses in the poem, the shock, disappointment and possible consequences that the action left after a year.

Though gold may be a precious luster, but the poet says in I Need not a Land of Gold (30) that peaceful coexistence is more precious than gold.

Advocating for peace at all cost, Sani blows his poetic trumpet in The Weapons of Peace, condemning war, proffering alternatives. “Use you diggers to build a temple of peace/Use your swords to slay ignorance/Use your matchets to cut down intolerance…” (35).

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In what sounds like a letter to the unborn children, the poet must have recommended in I Have Seen War in my Time (37) that incessant killing must end with this generation.

Sani aptly remembers the world Generals of peace in Be a Man (62), describing them according to their respective worth to immortalise the need for peace in the land. His endless list includes Alfred Nobel, William Penn, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Yessar Arafat among others.

Before You Kill in page 82 warns killers of its consequences. It reminds them of the sorrow it will bring, the pain it will inflict, the lives it will shatter and the widows it will make.

Die with Honour, a poem dedicated to23-year-old Miss Francisca Ngozi, who was killed by robbers for resisting rape on July 29, finds a good space in the book. Other poems like Season of Bloodshed, Oh Mother Earth and Lessons of Life appear to be romantically deadly as it paints the stings and sorrows of death. Last Flight in page 129, dedicated to Dana Air Crash victims of May 2012 is a great piece of avoidable waste of lives in Nigeria.

No fewer than 12 coloured photographs of victims of Boko Haram insurgency were used to conclude the book.

Sani's quest for peace and freedom from bondages and carnage as reflected in the book is commendable. His efforts have gone into the book of memories as a soldier who has fought in his time to safe the afflicted.

That this book is free just like The Children of Jos, which he published recently on virtually the same issue, shows how committed to freedom the brave writer is.

The book is recommended to every lover of peace in the world.

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With the whole idea of poetry being inspired by human experiences, it is not surprising to find negative episodes spurring positive poems to soothe these painful realities of human existence. Such is the thrust of Shehu Sani's Poems for Peace, an anthology that is intended to motivate, encourage and heal those hit by the numerous feuds that have wracked the polity. Also tagging it a literary intervention meant to inspire minds and reinforce the spirits of victims of sectarian feuds, the aims seem very lofty given its effects on the poet who is moved to ink 127 pacifist poems of varying complexities.

These numerous concerns with various issues also creep up between the lines that sustain his themes. A notable mark of Sani is the adherence to sonnets. These are not just the conventional 14-line versions. There are deviations and some free verses that narrate his travels to Argentina, Brazil, Ethiopia and Ghana.

A descriptive sonnet like “My City Boils” is a tearful introduction into the evaporation of peace in Northern Nigeria. Sani's choice of adjectives give the message of a community turned on its head, while its people take up arms against one another-an apt peek into the current scenario that has left wanton destruction and anomie in its wake. Such chaos has doused the flames of comradeship, eroded trust and the camaraderie existing amongst different religions. This negative trend continues in “Pictures Tell Lies”. The 26-line poem is not just about friends who are actually enemies but it burrows into the notions of appearance and reality. Such t a l k o n o p p o s i t e s r e a c h e s t h e a p o g e e i n “ Te l l ” .

With the poet criticises the numerous actions that have led to unnecessary waste, the whole idea of karma comes up in “Heaven.” This

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Newspaper Review

PRESCRIPTION FOR HARMONYBy Adewole Ajao

The Poems for Peace by Shehu SaniLabari Communications, Kaduna, 2012

TH30 September, 2012

regular sonnet is an argument against the religious fallacies adopted by those who rock the boat of the polity by stoking feuds and other sour episodes in the name of the Almighty.

Peace is advocated by Sani who urges this in “A Day of Peace”. This light departure however seems like a mirage given the ratio of dire straits in the anthology. Real situations like the UN building bombing in Abuja, city curfews and Woe Betides My Land, portray a land that has stopped revolving. There are also poems on the Dana Air crash, Madalla, Sunday Badang, late University of Maiduguri student Lawrence Adeniyi and a tribute to the foreigners killed in Sokoto and Kano. It is hard to be immune to such an outpouring, including his seeming distaste for politicians. He tags them lazy, overfed and swayed by praise.

His pen also documents remedies for the dark issues at stake. Religion and a need for co-existence are harped on with calls for religious leaders, in “The Cleric” to exude harmony, love, tolerance and belief. Such virtues also come with a need for tools of war to become building blocks of peace. Such symbolism is extended to the weather, with the rain becoming an ambivalent entity. Apart from being a source of respite, it is also a tool of vengeance when the poet calls it to “send lightening to the killer”.

It is not surprising to find these traces of the modern era coming with some psychological trauma, and it all looks bleak. Fortunately the poet displays that optimism that light will always overcome darkness.

This comes with a non violence ideology professing prudence, respect, discretion, vigilance and others in “Lessons of Life”. Amidst some discernible publishing errors, Sani's compilation is a stirring narrative that transcends Nigeria and drives home his call for change. Despite the stark simplicity of many of the poems, they are extremely profound given his use of language and style of fluctuating moods. These are capped by the book's publication features and some pictures within the crisp pages.

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A FEATURE that immediately draws the attention of a first-time visitor to Shehu Sani's Poems of Peace is the anthology's timeliness. Typical of a poet whose nerve endings are rudely stimulated by contradictions of social reality, Sani responds in 94 interpretations of the theme of man's inhumanity to man.

Hitting the stands the year Nigeria marks a 52nd independence anniversary shadowed by bombings, assassinations, kidnappings and dare-devil robberies, there could not have been a better reflection of a country's descent into chaos; and appeal for sanity.

With My City Boils, the reader is greeted to an appetiser that promises many a mind-watering cuisine. In 14 lines of vers libre, the poet weaves a sequence of consistent imageries around the metaphor of the boiling city. He accordingly sees: 'the evaporation of peace', 'the steam of violence', 'the bubbles of anger', 'feel(s) the heat of intolerance', 'see(s) the vapour of vendetta', 'the flames of death' and 'the stokes of hatred'.

While the poet drives, full-throttle, his 'boiling' concern, he, however, displays the awareness of a writer who appears to have mastered the essence of auditory appeal. In simple diction and lineation, Sani, throughout the poem, deploys a pattern of melodious repetitions with 'My city is boiling/ I can see…'

The terseness of the poem is highly suggestive of the anguish of an observer watching helplessly as a beloved city– 'My City'– undergoes nightmarish transformation from 'peace' to 'hatred'.

At another plain, Sani's introductory lines, like most of his output, assume larger significance beyond reference to any particular subject. This, importantly, underscores the poet's ability to spin verses of universal value. It is not only 'My City', therefore, that boils: from the blasts of suicide bombers in far away Iraq or Afghanistan to the

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SOOTHING VERSES FOR A TROUBLED WORLD

Newspaper Review

By Femi Alabi Onikeku

Saturday, 06 October 2012

psychopathic killer on a spree in some American city, the world, in Sani's pen, might have been one huge red-hot kettle.

Sani, in When I Ran, appears to be saying that only the awakening of resolve by victims of persecution or violence, rather than passivity, would halt the wheels of killings. He makes subtle replay of the drama between the hunter and the hunted: a typical portrayal of violent situations around the world. Running ahead is the hapless victim, referred to as 'I', who is pursued by the assailant– 'The killer'. The hunted seeks solace in several places pregnant with symbolism: 'my home', 'the street', 'the farm', 'the market', 'the school', 'the king', 'the police', 'the church', 'the mosque' and 'the park'.

Ironically, the hunter appears unmoved by whatever these supposed places of refuge denote or connote: When I ran to my Home/ The killer hunted me/ When I ran to the Street/ The killer hunted me/ When I ran to the Police/ The killer hunted me… And just as the reader begins to wonder when the cycle of pursuit would cease, the poet shuts the lines with refuge of an entirely different sort: I ran to my resolve/ The killer left me!

In a defiant economic clime, Sani exemplifies laudable resolution of the conflict between profiteering and civil rights activism. Else, how might the poet's public explain a 129-page collection that opens with the intro: “This book is free! Its goal is to promote peace and encourage people to stand up and speak out against violence.”

Lovers of poetry, served in easy-to-digest lines with a refreshing drink of reader-friendly aesthetics and contiguous themes, would find in Sani a master chef, who knows not just his 'onions', but also how to tickle readers' lobes into pleasant flights of imagination.

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Many people desire to live in a peaceful world but will not lift a finger to do the things that will bring peace. This is not the case with the renowned civil rights activist, author, poet and playwright, Shehu Sani, who just released a collection titled: The Poems of Peace

The first page in the collection of poetry, The Poems of Peace: In the Season of Bloodshed by Shehu Sani states: “This book is free. Its goal is to promote peace and encourage people to stand up and speak out against violence”. Another striking page is the dedication; “To all those who lost their lives in the ongoing violence in Northern Nigeria”.

More fitting words could not have come from a man who has been involved in a life-long war for peace; not only in the north where he hails but all across the country. Indeed, the poems speak to one and all; after all, if one person among the over 160 million Nigerians is involved, then, every one of us is affected.

The poems, most of which read like chants and can be recited like a mantra, are a tangible reminder that we are one people in the pursuit of the same things. Midnight in Maiduguri presents a city 'soaked in blood' resulting in the death of a nightlife. The lament is not only for the lost night life, it is also for the chains that have shackled the city resulting in the loss of freedom, beauty and peace. This leads to its new status as A city in perpetual midnight. If that appears shocking, it is only a window into desolation that is prevalent in most of the poems. But the poet's desire is not to shock, it is rather to awaken the docile by painting the picture as it truly is.

This is no doubt why some of the poems are dedicated to individuals lost in the violence; The Blood of the Innocent for Profs. Jerome Ayodele,

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CRITICS POETRY..... AN ACTIVIST WARFOR PEACE


By Terh Agbedeh

Andrew Leo and 16 others; I Dreamt of a World of Peace for victims of the UN House bombing, Abuja on August 26, 2011 and He is the Shield of Peace for Sergeant Sunday Badang, the police officer killed in Kaduna. Lawrence Adeniyi, a University of Maiduguri student killed by stray bullets on April 16 and the British, Italian and German hostages killed in Sokoto and Kano, also have poems dedicated to them.

For the former Eternal Peace and the latter Kill my Body. But the poems are not just about the lack of peace and the pain left in its place, written in everyday language anyone can relate to, they also chart a way out of the quagmire the country is submerged in. Peace of Mind for instance, ends with the words, “inspires you to achieve”.

Everybody knows that those who have achieved would like to have peace so as not to lose what they have. Peace talks of peace in the serenity of the wilderness, calmness of the ocean, letting others be and other things that gladden the heart. The last poem in the collection, The Mosque is like the one on page 74 titled The Church. It is fitting to have these two poems since the two religions represented by the places of worship, carry the can for spreading violence either by word or deed.

If the worshipers imbibe the message in these two poems, the country may well have the peace the poet dreams about. This is one book of poetry every Nigerian should posses and read. Government and civil minded individuals with the wherewithal must make it a point of duty to make this book available to all. The collection closes with four pages of gory pictures that represent what intolerance and violence have done to not just its people but also its image on the international scene. This is a Bible of peace from someone who has been dogged in the campaign against violence and for the institution of peace.

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Radical human rights activist, Shehu Sani, condemns the violence ravaging the country, especially Northern Nigeria in his latest offering, a collection of poems entitled The Poems of Peace in the Season of Bloodshed

CIVIL rights activist, Shehu Sani, is also a pacifist who has never relented in condemning violence. He is continuously pleading for peace and has done so with previous works including 'The Killing Fields', 'Scorpions Under Pillow' and 'Political Assassinations in Nigeria' amongst others.

The writer, who was jailed for life by the Sanni Abacha military junta before he was released in 1999, is continuing his sermon of peace in his latest work, a collection of poems titled 'The Poems of Peace'. As is obvious from the title, harmony is what most of the 94 poems in the 129-page-book preach and the theme is one that cannot be overstressed given the prevailing violence and insecurity in the country. Long before the Boko Haram insurgency snowballed into an open war against the state, Sani had declaimed the violence that was sweeping across the land, calling for restraint and highlighting what should be done to control the needless bloodletting.

Though it appears his message is not being heeded, this has not discouraged the rights activist who treads a familiar path in 'The Poems of Peace' which are not exactly great but functional poems. They are simple poems which the poet himself admits should not be assessed for their stylistic accomplishments but just for their message(s).

“These collections of poems are not conventional sonnets that conform to the strict rules and stereotype of literature or academics. They are literary intervention to inspire the minds and reinforce the spirits of victims of violence, residents of flashpoints and ordinary people passionate about peace.”

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SONGS OF PEACE FOR A TROUBLED LANDWritten by Akintayo Abodunrin

The poems, he continues, “are prescriptions for peace, particularly for people of Northern Nigeria for whom over three decades have been experiencing sectarian and ethnic violence between Muslims and Christians and now facing an atrocious insurgency.”

He further likens the poems to “literary mirrors in which intolerant societies can see their bloodletting present and chequered future. They are also crystal balls to see the promise and value of peace.”

But our poet is not an idealistic pacifist; he is a realist who knows too well that poetry in itself cannot end violence. “Poems cannot end violence and terror. Poems do not lead to peace. What poems do is to appeal to the minds, the soul, the spirit or the heart because there lays the source of the thoughts of violence and the resolve for peace.”

This is what he then proceeds to do with the 94 poems, painting a grim picture of what Northern Nigeria is, compared to what it used to be when things were calm. He laments thus in the first poem, 'My City Boils': “My city is boiling/ I can see the evaporation of peace/ My city is boiling/ I can see the steam of violence/ My city is boiling/I can feel the heat of intolerance/ My city is boiling/I can see the flames of death.” He does the same in another titled 'My city'

Sani tells perpetrators of the violence that they can run, but cannot hide in 'You can't hide' while condemning hatred in 'Seeds of hatred' and 'The mind that hates.”. The poet cries out for the much elusive peace in 'Magreb', 'This is my land', 'The weapons of peace', 'The peace we lost', 'Let' and 'I dreamt of a world of peace.' He says in 'Magreb': “Let the magreb/ Be of peace not of war/...Let the magreb/Be of justice not of cruelty/...Let the magreb/Be of light not of darkness/ Let the magreb/Be of the future not of the past.”

The president of Civil Rights Congress urges restraint in 'Before you kill' and tells religious leaders not to fan the embers of discord in poems including 'The church', 'The cleric' and 'The Mosque'. Though a pacifist, some of the poems do not advocate passive surrender to oppression and injustice, stressing that injustice leads to violence and recognising the rights of oppressed people to free themselves.

Though a commendable effort that can bring changes if readers take its message to heart, the collection could have benefitted from a table of contents and grouping of poems addressing similar issues together.

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Pro-democracy activist, Sheu Sani, dialogues with the forces rocking the North with violence in his new collection of poems, The Poems of Peace in the Season of Bloodshed, writes AKEEM LASISI

As the expectation of a dialogue between the Federal Government and the dreaded Boko Haram continues to be enmeshed in intrigues, human rights activist, Sheu Sani, has taken his case to the muse. He is a principal figure among those whose names were suggested to mediate in the crisis, with speculations that the sect had nominated him for such a discussion.

He has also been very vocal in his call for dialogue. But perhaps because the one envisaged by him and many other Nigerians is not forthcoming – FG says it is already involved in a systematic dialogue – Sani has engaged poetry to bare his mind. His new collection of verses, The Poems of Peace in the Season of Bloodshed, is a poetic reflection on the challenges that insurgency and other related violent crises now constitute to the polity, especially the North.

Sani, who is also the author of Prison Anthology: A Collection of Poems is not a poet in the mould of specialists like Niyi Osundare, Tanure Ojaide or dry-meat-that-fills-the-mouth Wole Soyinka. So, you do not expect from him poems that glide through the ears and souls in intensely metaphoric wings. Even if he is capable of engaging in such stylistic spree, he seems not to have the time to do so. Like the proverbial man that bears an ember on his palms, who cannot thus afford to pause to settle a street fight, he is very much in a hurry to bear his mind on the havoc that religious and tribal conflicts have wreaked on the country.

This is not too much of a sin when functionality is the issue. Perhaps all one can query him for are a few grammatical slips especially in the Introduction segment of Poems of Peace.

Besides, Sani does not pretend at all as he concedes that the pieces are not

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INSURGENCY: SANI SEEKS REFUGE IN POETRYBy Akeem Lasisi

conventional sonnets that conform to the strict rules and 'stereotype of literature and academics'. He says they are poems of necessity eagerly in search of peace.

Sani notes, “Some of these poems unambiguously address the proponents of violence and terror. The poems appeal to their minds, souls and conscience. The message here is to project the futility of their sordid acts, its bestiality and the natural and predictable consequences of it. The poems are not just to condemn violence but also neutralise the justifications for it and win the hearts of all warriors to the side of peace.”

He claims that some of them directly challenge intolerance and demystify fear and berates the proposition and ideology of hate disguised in faiths and beliefs. Some of the poems are narratives about the outcomes of violence; the acts, the carnage and the soullessness associated with it.

“There are also poems to the root source of violence as it concerns social stratification of depressed in iniquitous societies and political and economic dynamics that undermine peace and thereby incite or sustain violence or terror. What poems do is appeal to the minds, the soul, the spirit or heart because there lies the source of the thoughts of violence and the resolve for peace,” Sani stresses.

In this wise, his poem about Maiduguri, titled Midnight in Maiduguri, creates a very pathetic picture of what the Borno State capital has suffered in the hands of insurgents. He laments, “This is a night in Sahel/ Where the sand is soaked in blood/ And the wind blew the spirit of the dead/ No night life/ As all lives are on the edge.”

He further compares the night to the one in Sahel, since the sun sets too fast while all take refuge for fear of fear.

“Through the wall of my room/ I can hear the explosive sound/ And the roar of terror/ Shaking the immovable.”

In My City is Boiling, Sani also cries about the plight of a community where peace has evaporated. He does not need to mention any city or town, but anyone familiar with the Boko Haram story will have the likes of Maiduguri, Kano, Damaturu and Jos coming to mind as he or she reads it.

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He writes, “My city is boiling/ I can see the evaporation of peace/My city is boiling/ I can see the steam of violence/ My city is boiling/ I can see the flames of death.”

Another situation that the activist poet captures right is that of suspicion that has overturned the sense of friendship and natural love, especially in the affected areas. Shocked that mutual distrust is the order of the day, he writes in Pictures Tell lies, “From your face/ I cannot see your heart/ From your smiles/ I cannot see your intention/ From your words I cannot see your actions.

The poet in Sani is even more critical in some areas. He, in What I Share, dissociates himself from extreme tendencies, saying, “I share your faith/ But excuse me your interpretations/ I share your beliefs/ But exercise me your extremism/ I share your advice/ But excuse me your lifsestyle/ I share your race/ But excuse me your hate.”

But he goes very philosophical in some poems, a way of trying to get answers to the puzzles that surround the abnormalities he sees in society. He does this in The Man that Hates, What is the Worth of Life and Trees of Freedom.

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