Evening Falls On Lukwangulo

I'm gon' light up the world

Like a thunder ball

This lil' smile of mine

I'm gon' let it shine

Like I don't care about war

Or don't give 'bout the desolation

That racks my private corner

I ain't withering like wet paper

I am not the victim

I am the killer

I'm staying positive

Traversing the bitter

To so much better

I'm gon' shine my smile

And light up the sky

I'm gon' lift my eyes

And soar like a kite

I am not the victim

I wrote the verdict

I am the killer

I am not a squealer

I won't bow to hopelessness

Ama take my somebodyness

And bulldoze a path

To a brand new start.

Akpan

Nyiragongo

Help The Displaced In DRC

Rock me

'Til I plead no mo

Rock me

Like Vulcan's forge

Burning my spot

Razing farms of my Cuz.

Swing low, sweep me up

In your tender arms

Of this time love

Rock me in Goma,

Rock me with gentle hands

With selfless forever words

That give succor

To shriveled hope.

Rock me like Nyiragongo volcano

Triggering a thousand earthquakes

That in its turn wakes

A mighty moving mountain

Composed of healing hearts,

Of tiny twinkling sparks

That circle, like sharks

Around the scent of blood,

To attack my countless lacks

And mediate a swift resolve.

Rock me 'til I moan

With unspeakable joy

Let the soothing tremor

Massage sore joints.

Rock this boat,

Take a pin to this bloat

Of infection down in my soul

Just hold out and console

Donate to renew lost hope

Com'on lend a lil' rope

To a drowning man

Rock me will ya?

And say thank ya.

Akpan

It All Goes On

Courtesy: Twitter

It all goes on.

Life down here is a two-way portal.

It all goes on.

You get in you get out aint no rebuttal.

It all goes on.

You’re born you grow up you buy yo’ ticket.

It all goes on.

Life’s a bitch so get real and quit faking it.

It all goes on.

Folks live folks love folks die deal with it.

It all goes on.

If babies die in time of war who gives a flying frosting?

It all goes on.

Pregnant women? Children? Erase the wasted.

It all goes on.

So what if the survivors grow up uneducated?

It all goes on.

We dream, we laugh, and we kill, all in one breath.

It all goes on.

It’s the life we chose; it’s the life we run to death.

It all goes on.

You are all blood of my blood, flesh of my flesh.

It all goes on.

And if we want we can turn the sun before it sets.

Life does go on.

Akpan

By the Lapels

Popole Misenga
Courtesy: @Refugees

This is the fourth in a poetry series created from lyrics of musical classics.

The piece you are about to read begins with the fourth line of the song

 “Easy” by Lionel Richie.

You see, I begged, stole and I borrowed

I got my priorities and focus zeroed ‘n.

Perched on the lip of a 10,000 foot drop

Every muscle and hair in my follicle’s worked up

I’m worked out but I’m still taking this fight to the limits.

Aint asking many questions just backed up by one reason;

I’m still breathing fire from residuum of cold clinkers.

If I lost everything, I gave it up to pull things back together.

Water breaks on my brow, salt hits my eyes produces tears

But you won’t see me coming cause I’m mo than these years.

Measure of my fears don’t amount to the aim of my goal

You see, I begged, stole and I borrowed.

Akpan

One

Courtesy: UNHCR Kenya

To the memory of the 22 aid workers killed and 100 people injured that day when the UN Headquarters in Baghdad was bombed. And all those who continue to dedicate themselves to helping others.

I never thought the word one could amount to much.

Like what can one man do in this crazy world, after all?

That was all before I looked in a mirror and set my eyes on you;

And I knew one could sometimes translate as beautiful.

I never knew the word one could create such earthy symphony:

Like one people, one song, one dance, one humanity,

One hope, one faith in one love in sync with one heartbeat

Sweeps the mind off its feet yet it’s the definition of you and me.

Akpan