Skip to content
Words Rhymes & Rhythm

Words Rhymes & Rhythm

Words Rhymes & Rhythm Publishers

Header Advertise
Menu
  • HOME
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CSR
    • CONTACT US
  • cọ́nscìò
  • FEATURES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
    • ESSAYS
    • INTERVIEWS
    • WRITING TIPS
  • POETRY
  • FICTION
  • SUBMIT
  • NEWS
    • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • PUBLISHING
    • PUBLISHING PACKAGES
    • 7 REASONS WHY
  • DOWNLOAD
  • Home
  • POETRY
  • DROUGHT IN AFRICA
POETRY

DROUGHT IN AFRICA

adminOctober 28, 2013July 16, 2017

Share

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Read Time:1 Minute, 40 Second

Drought In Africa
www.facebook.com/WRRPoetry [Drought In Africa]
The smiling sky is afraid to rain upon the earth.
And the sun is too shy to shine it’s teeth upon us.
Our crops are strengthless to walk the water distance
And termites rejoice, pinching our little (plenty) food.

Souls are belittled like skeletons, yearning for flesh,
And our pleas to you Mother Earth have proven futile.
We are battered by drought, hunger, famine;
Dressed like wealthy apostles of generous poverty…

All day we assemble like flies, picking the dust of the earth.
Our small hamlet has become a festival of drought;
The tiny, cruel, creatures creep around, unperturbed;
Our warm fading flesh feasting on its dry bank of blood.

The days weep for us as though our soul would run away.
All hope lost, our spirit sighs within and looks up,
Our heart hiding a million dry tears – soon to pour.
So we mournfully ask Mother, “Is this what you promised us?”

Our children are skeletons that walked without hope;
And our mothers – dry within and without – are afraid to die;
Our fathers’ feverish faces lack smiles and the youths weep
To mother earth – seeking the restoration of lost hope.

Death takes us – not unawares, for we knew he would come
And the tireless Grave conducts funeral masses
In gravel cemetery – calling for our dying people – daily
Enveloping us in agony of pains and sorrow.

The people render blissful curses on you, Mother Earth;
Shower your holy water, we plead, upon our scorched land
And make the stormy rain clap on our roofs again
That we may once again look into the skies and smile!

We wait for you, Mother, for the Grave is a happy man
That, each day, devours and swallows your helpless people!

*First published on September 18, 2012

Written by: Moses Opara
Edited by: Kukogho Iruesiri Samson

Related articles
  • FORGIVENESS (by WRRPoetry Poet of The Week Shakespearean Walter) (wordsrhymesandrhythm.wordpress.com)

About Post Author

admin

I am a member of the WRR editorial team.
info@wrr.ng
https://wrr.ng/about-us/

Related

Tagged africa, Death, drought, Hope, hunger, Life, Man, Nigeria, Poetry, Poverty, Sad, United States Department of Agriculture

Post navigation

Previous

Previous post:

SLAUGHTERED

Next

Next post:

I SAW THE SUN WEEP

Say something about this post Cancel reply

Categories

GET PUBLISHED!
  • Popular
  • Recent
  • Comments
  • May 27, 2014

    CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: FR. ALBERT JUNGERS POETRY PRIZE (#AJPP2014)

  • November 25, 2012

    CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize 2012

  • November 5, 2012

    WOOING REBECCA [for Rebecca Effiong Okon who hates Poetry]

  • May 9, 2013

    I NEED AN AFRICAN WIFE

  • February 7, 2021

    CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BRIGITTE POIRSON POETRY CONTEST [FEB/MAR 2021] — ‘WHAT WOULD YOUR ANCESTORS SAY?’

  • February 6, 2021

    CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ‘REGENERATION’ — CỌ́N-SCÌÒ MAGAZINE ISSUE 1, VOL 2, APR 2021

  • February 2, 2021

    EOPP 2020: AGEMA, AWODIYA, BADMUS & KOLADE TO JUDGE ₦100,00 POETRY PRIZE

  • January 27, 2021

    REVIEW: CHUKWUDI NWOKPOKU HAS A MASTERY OF LANGUAGE WHICH SURFACES IN MOST OF THE POEMS IN ‘HEARTBEATS’

  • Ariyo faith adeshewa

    GOD’S WAY OF STAYING BEAUTIFUL BY ADENIRAN JOSEPH

  • Karlo Sevilla

    LIFE IN BPO (the evils of business process outsourcing)

  • Becky

    REVIEW: “SHOMEFUN TAKES THE GIRL CHILD THROUGH ALL THE CONFLICTS SHE MIGHT FACE AS A WOMAN” IN ‘A LETTER TO MY CHILD’

Close
Menu
  • HOME
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CSR
    • CONTACT US
  • cọ́nscìò
  • FEATURES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
    • ESSAYS
    • INTERVIEWS
    • WRITING TIPS
  • POETRY
  • FICTION
  • SUBMIT
  • NEWS
    • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • PUBLISHING
    • PUBLISHING PACKAGES
    • 7 REASONS WHY
  • DOWNLOAD
Social profiles
  • HOME
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CSR
    • CONTACT US
  • cọ́nscìò
  • FEATURES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
    • ESSAYS
    • INTERVIEWS
    • WRITING TIPS
  • POETRY
  • FICTION
  • SUBMIT
  • NEWS
    • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • PUBLISHING
    • PUBLISHING PACKAGES
    • 7 REASONS WHY
  • DOWNLOAD

Related Post

i can’t wait to see you again (a poem by Kukogho Iruesiri Samson)

26 Jan 2021

more than mere flesh and bone (and 3 other poems by Linda M. Crate)

26 Jan 2021

women don’t owe you anything (a poem by Linda M. Crate)

26 Jan 2021

FESTIVAL OF CLOUDS (a poem by Salam Adejoke)

24 Jan 2021

HELIUM BALLOON (a poem by Franklyn Orode)

20 Jan 2021

‘NIGHTS VOID OF DAWN’ & ‘WILL YOU STAY FOREVER?’ (two poems by Adeyeye James Oluwatobi)

20 Jan 2021

ABOUT US

Words Rhymes & Rhythm Ltd. (RC 1234112), publishing and educational institution that supports and promotes Nigerian writers and writings talents through several initiatives like contests, prizes, and an annual literary festival. Our publishing susbsidiary is AUTHORPEDIA.

CONTRIBUTE

QUICK LINKS

  • CỌ́NSCÌÒ
  • CONTACT US
  • DOWNLOAD E-BOOKS
  • PUBLISHING
  • SUBMIT TO WRR
  • SERVICES
  • HOME
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CSR
    • CONTACT US
  • cọ́nscìò
  • FEATURES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
    • ESSAYS
    • INTERVIEWS
    • WRITING TIPS
  • POETRY
  • FICTION
  • SUBMIT
  • NEWS
    • CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • PUBLISHING
    • PUBLISHING PACKAGES
    • 7 REASONS WHY
  • DOWNLOAD
Copyright 2012-2021, Words Rhymes Rhythm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.