Open letter to my Fatherland

I sit
in a puddle
of my own sadness
oozing from my heart
a cold, dark, depressing feeling
what has brought me here?
how did my steps lead to this state?

I had little choice in the matter
I was born here
so of here I am

but my fatherland
120 million strong
centuries of history long
cares little for its children

it smiles on those of a different tan
as it brushes aside the sons of the soil
those of the native clans

that are not rich enough
not powerful enough
nor dangerous enough

the ones who ride round in Hummer convoys
behind fast moving police escorts
blaring loud for the whole world to hear
“move out of the way
some one that matters is coming through”

we being pushed aside like cattle
do not
so Fatherland tells us

those sleeping on the bridges
do not
those who trade in the gold that doesn’t shrine
do

Well fuck you Fatherland!
keep your fucking petrodollars
they never did your children any good anyway
keep your ill-gotten, mismanaged wealth
choke on it, you fat virulent fuck

your children will live
they will make lives for themselves
without you
in spite of you
despite you

Fuck you!

Tale of two sellers

She sells fish
I sell foreign currency loans
her office is by the roadside
next to a cream building
mine is on the 8th floor
second to last floor of the cream building
her main competitors are the other hawkers next to her
mine are in other buildings spread all over
this concrete jungle called Lagos
I can tell her what determines the price she has to pay
for a ton of fish inventory
I can tell her how her selling price
is limited by cheaper imports from Europe and North Africa
But of what use?
she is in no position to change anything
and despite my knowledge and education
neither am I
she has bliss in her ignorance
I have pain in my knowledge

How to know you're not God

Me: Why are leaves green?
Her: Got something to do with what's insde em. We studied that stuff in school, photosomething...

Me: Yeah, photosynthesis. The leaves have chlorophyll in em, and it's chlorophyll that makes photosynthesis happen. Chlorophyll’s green in colour, at least I think so…
Her: Yeah, that's it...

Me: Why is chlorophyll green?
Her, with a dazed look on her face: I don't know...

Me: You don't?
Her: No I don't

Me: Well now I know you are not God, coz if you were, you would be able to provide an answer to every why question I pose to you

An addendum (a chat with a friend about this piece) -

xto: all that 2 realize that the girl wasn't god
xto: ?
joybringer: yeah
joybringer: coz her hold on my emotions was God-like
xto: Ok
xto: LOL
xto: YOU
xto: are
xto: SUCH
xto: an idiot!

Think she likes me

Ground floor waiting for the elevator
several thoughts on my mind
VW or Toyota, banking or consulting
see her coming my way
she's coming in from outside
So I get a pretty good view :)
Fear
what if I goof
she approaches
she passes, smiles
think she likes me
something about the way she said hi
she walked
I got in the metal beast
she got on 3 floors, 13 seconds later
surprise
"thought you were walking"
"changed my mind"
first real exchange of words
I'll keep them with me for life
can't remember what followed after
mind was a mess, heart was a pump
tried to be cool
wanted to sound smart
sure I didn't come off as either
can't believe this is happening again!
wish I'd recorded what I'd said
for posterity's sake
for when I tell the kids how we met
STOP IT!
Ain't even asked her out yet
LIVE IN THE NOW!
True that
Think she likes me
I smile