CHILDREN OF MUD: Poem By Taofik Waliu

Our simple but emotional voice,
Expose our scary hearts
We still stand for what is ours
Never trigger our anger,
You never can tell what happens.
Firm grip on our little weapons,
Weapons our hearts can't carry,
We stand to defend our pride.

Our hands embraced with dirt,
For little do we expect from our struggle
Endless efforts to survive,
Its outcome we hope to get.

Our lighted lanterns,
We take with us through the night.
Sitting under trees,
Welcoming whatever nature has to offer.
Its cool breeze,
The littles whistles and taps from bushes,
Ignoring the bites of blood suckers.

We till the soil in search of meals,
Sit at home and stay hungry
Soil your hands and stay healthy
Mama's mortar sound, graces the night
We wait our call.

Stories manufactured from dreams and fear,
Beliefs destroyed by faith.
We live unshakable
In wait for what the future holds.

Walking through bush paths,
We have a goal,
We live by what we see,
We live for what we were told.

The joy from hunting fruits.
The blissful happiness from chasing bush rats,
We grace mama's pot,
capturing every blessing that escapes her mouth.

We never seize to be humble,
But aggressive when offended.
Don't speak about my parents like that,
How dare you talk about my siblings in such manner?
Don't cross my boundaries,
My family is my pride.

With pitiful souls,
We unknowingly harness the power of love,
We hate to see our loved ones in pain,
We fight even when they are at fault.

I am a child of mud
From where I believe I was created.
From where I am nurtured.
My seeds of success are planted and watered by efforts.
Watch the universe pluck its flourishing fruits.
Our belief stands.
We are the Children of Mud.

Taofik Waliu Opeyemi