birthday eve

Its my birthday eve
And I could feel little me still wrapped up like a fetus in my mother's womb
Waiting for the eleventh hour when I'll break through
Not knowing what the world holds in for me
Not knowing this world would later corrupt innocent me
My mother still heavy with tiny me as a pregnancy
With her bags and all checking into a maternity
It was June the 23rd 1989
A friday it was and it almost rained that night
But no I wasn't ready yet
That womb was still comfortable for my tiny head
I'm not even aware I'm not the first of my clan
I couldn't tell if my parents for me had made any plans
But in there I know by the morning I'll be ready
To launch into a world and it will be early

JUju, A piece of Art

He held the mask up and smiled
Turning to me "this will fetch me a good price"
He said as I watched in awe
While onye-ocha played with our masquerade
Calling our arusi a fine piece of art
And how he will sell it in the museum and the money he will give me part
I don't want to be part of this deal
Knowing how many people this arusi has killed
It was the gods of our fore-fathers
And it was believed to have protected our land beyond borders
I've watched the eze-muo pour for it libations
And before it he has made incantations
Yet onye-ocha just holds it like a piece of firewood
And this dreaded arusi has not struck him dead like I thought he would
Then I reasoned at heart
That the juju is just a piece of art