I know Why An Average Nigerian Man Doesn't Smile

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I know why an average Nigerian man doesn't smile 

His stomach hurts from hunger 

His throat is as dried as the Sahara desert 

His blood pressure skies from a heart full of worries 

He is the best friend of his landlord 

Their hide and seek game is legendary.


I know why an average Nigerian man doesn't smile

He was a victim of injustice 

This makes him hate the law 

The men in black are his mortal enemies

He peeps through the window to see the neighbor in khaki overall

The leader he fought to keep in the rock 

Rewarded him with a higher cost of living.


I know why an average Nigerian man doesn't smile

The hospital is not for his sick body 

Only the beautiful Yoruba girls that hawk Yoruba juice

He is deserted even in his home

His wife sees him as a lesser man 

His children are always crying for their basic needs 

His eldest daughter is enjoying the ASUU break as she graces the mattresses of the lonely men.


I know why an average Nigerian man doesn't smile

He wears a necklace of debts around his neck 

He hasn't had a pay rise since he got the job years back

His responsibilities keep multiplying 

He looks to the hill where help cometh

But the swindler who runs the hill discourages him.


I know why an average Nigerian man doesn't smile

Even when you smile at him

He sees it as a mockery

Love is the thing of the divine

The other one is the thing he sees every day

He is loved for what he provided 

He is despised for lack of it

Nothing is sure for him

Only the six feet that is his natural right.



Alade Idris (modified version)

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 17, 2022 at 2:40 AM

    Beautiful poem. It captures the trials and travails of men.

    ReplyDelete
  2. OlurichyAugust 17, 2022 at 2:57 AM

    No be lie

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousAugust 17, 2022 at 9:29 AM

    Hmmm. This poem speaks volume. God help us.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousAugust 17, 2022 at 12:41 PM

    Idriss Baba Nwokeoma, ur Poem is Amazing. I love it. Chukwudike#

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousAugust 29, 2022 at 12:28 PM

    He looks to the hill where help cometh

    But the swindler who runs the hill discourages him.
    This one loud ooo

    ReplyDelete

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