Portrait of a country
What is your country in a definition?
When the first ship anchored on the shore of the Atlantic.
My country became an experiment of – forced marriage.
As with guns, plough and religious wars,
they wedded three adults without their consent.
For the interests of the king; queen and her cabinets
– Marriage was initiated by the crown over the subjects.
In another version of my country, we were never ready,
To govern ourselves but the sceptre was thrown out;
Those who are qualified thought it was a trap and
They withdraw from going for the thrown out power
– And those who are not fit grabbed it in tyranny.
In my country, we know the truth but we are baptised
with lies and we better be born again to know the truth.
We are sugar coaters; coating our bad leaders with praises;
For the evil that they do each day, we loved them because,
We have been submerged into the deep seas of suffering.
– Looking back is considered cowardice instead of bravery.
Like slaves, we loved our golden chains for their glitters.
John Chinaka Onyeche “Rememberajc” (he/his) is an author of three poetry collections “Echoes Across The Atlantic”, a husband, father and poet from Nigeria. He writes from the city of Port Harcourt Rivers State, Nigeria. He is currently a student of History and Diplomatic Studies at Ignatius Ajuru University Of Education Port Harcourt Rivers State.