I’m 51 in a land, whose soul has departed

I’m 51 in a land, who orphans her precious children

I’m 51 in a land, who afflicts her posterity with the devastating malady of ignorance

I’m 51 in a land, who pays the destiny of her children as ransom to so-called bandits

I’m 51 in a land, who holds her future to ransom

I’m 51 in a land, who rob her precious children of childhood and present them naked and empty to adulthood

I’m 51in a land, who steals from her defenseless children freedom, innocence, curiosity, fearlessness, joy and peace

I’m 51 in a land, who has ceded to foreign donor agencies the welfare and security of her precious children

I’m 51 in a land, who weans her youngs of life before they live it, pouring thier blood as libation to the dirty deity of Nigerian politics

I’m 51 in a land, which calls herself a NATION but denies the basic attributes thereof

I’m 51 in a land with the lowest resolution of denizens and no citizens

I’m 51 and I do really hope against hope that this NATION will be born in my lifetime

Wish me no Happy Birthday, except you also wish me the BIRTH of an egalitarian NATION out this blighted and bleeding land by whatever name we, the midwives choose to call her, Nigeria or another.

Wish me deeper understanding in my creed of existence:

MORE IMPORTANT than life is  HOW and  FOR WHOM it is lived…

MORE IMPORTANT than riches is HOW, WHY and  FOR WHOM it is acquired…

MORE IMPORTANT than POSITION is HOW, WHY and FOR WHOM it is attained

When a land is no longer at ease, I must soberly devote my special day to a desire to birth a NATION out of it.

Shalom!

I Taiwo AKINLAMI
I’M 51 and SOBER