Nigerians Saving Nigerians, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for democratic ideals in Nigeria announced on its website on the 29th of September, 2012 a poetry competition in commemoration of its 1 year anniversary. The top 12 poems from the 32 poetry entries received from different states across Nigeria and 1 poem from England are below.
WE STANDFORTH By Timilehin Obisakin, Ogun state, Nigeria
Extinction in pause,
Distinction in course,
We stand for the green country,
We bleed from within,
A dream to stand for,
Like a stream of flowing waters,
“I have a dream” like martin luther king Jr,
Now the dream is nigh.
Greatmen wheels of will stand firm,
Our greatness they dare,
From within we flush it out,
Letting the whole world hear and heard,
A life we stand for,
Is worth fighting for,
Our homeland of vision,
We stand attention!!
Wake the sleeping dog,
Open the closed cage door,
The black man has a contribution,
Better than they taught,
The future is come,
The labour of our hero past,
Must not be in vain,
Unveil the sail of change now.
Why don’t we tell them that,
we have to save the past,
This time we shall have the might,
To say we can even do better than they taught in thoughts,
Even if it hurts to say those words,
No halts we have stage the light aloft,
The best Is what we deserve nothing less,
But Something more in desires.
I KNOW A LAND By Toluwani Eniola, Lagos state, Nigeria
I know a land; scattered and battered
Mushroom of sleeping seeds and shrubs
Finding feet on the league of Western Irokos
Amidst baleful heats and deluge
It is the land of my birth, where the pricks of Hosannas on the crest
Hurt the heavens and brew local alcoholic tears
I know a land mazed in the yore,
of the burly junta and the sweetness of war
Punching hopes to a comma.
I know a land that forgets the beautiful ashes of war
The poultry palace that incubates new dreams,
Dreams nodding to clack and clap.
I know a land hosting the University of Questions
We ask who will wash our linen?
Who will send rain to revive the dying lilies on the plains?
I know a land going green now
Springing up from the refuse of hope
Flexing muscles to the air
I know a new land embracing new breeds of peace and shield
And Heads with no personal gait,
Who will stomp and run
The back of their feet hitting the back of their swinging heads
They must arise from the Savannah and the Sahara
They must shame the blames of the furious past.
I know a land that will take shape with hands.
Hands of war, hands of slavery and hands of anger;
Glossy hands, coarse hands, black hands and moist hands;
Hands of the beggars, hands of farmers, hands of the rich upper class;
Hands working day and night fashioning the futures
Hot exhibits, glistening from the forge.
THE JOURNEY By Isioma Jane Azih, Edo State, Nigeria
From east and west
North and south
We rode
To the rumbling creeks of the niger delta
To the land where the
Rain and sun are in attendant effect.
Slowly but steady,we
Were getting there
With different garments.
In these days,
The sheep’s clothing had
Gone a-missing,just
For ends to be met
Betrayal upon betrayal
Friendship upon friendship
Lines upon lines
Titles upon titles.
Scholar had to be reached
Though with a bent head,
A smile laid within
For the bright horizon.
Onward bound
Weights become lighter
For we had come
Seeing things,
We conquered.
CRUCIBLE OF WON-NESS By Salawu Olajide Michael, Osun State, Nigeria
The rain has many hands
water are its fingers
green are its grain of delta
white are its colour of plateau
the blue tooth of the sky
does not hold the sun disc alone
there are planets of stars.
In the geometry of my palm
lies the heaven of my coming days
and *a-blue-jar of dream
harboured beyond
the cave of Abuja
I say my ‘I’ does not
**lag ‘us’.
My feet are tracking to dance the new tom tom
of our soles,
listen to my land new song.
I have repaired my old dreams
and within the internet of my ears
The old Niger says
a pair of kobo make the greatness of nairaland
and its new children.
*A pun on Abuja
**A pun on Lagos
NIGERIANS SAVING NIGERIANS..
SONG FOR TOMORROW….
……..the land is filled with grief-stricken children… By Rasaq Malik, Department of English, University of Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria
Kinsmen
When blood paints the streets of that city
After being raided by the hunters at the gates-posts
Rinsing our hearts with bloody river
After garnishing the sky with tears
And dotting our bones with scars of war
Shadowing us with their seven- points agendas
Must we still smile to our vague-future
Frail future falling at the feet of failed fathers?
Kinsmen
When we sit watching the rays of colorless moon
And our eyes, mirroring the dangling dreams
Must we still laugh at our future
And mock the harbingers of our tears?
Must we still hope for better morrow
Amidst raging ruins of perpetual pains?
Hanging paradox of bleak morrow
In our sour-tongues
And I say
The future lies in our hands
Not the fingers that distort the wire of our dreams
Morrow hangs on the sky
So do not wait like a stranded stranger
The future lies in you and me
So wake the sleepy dreams
And paddle the canoe of hopes
Render the speech of freedom
And permeate the song of joy
Across the hills of ancestral casualties
So my children your children our children
Won’t witness the demise of distant dreams
And their hearts will once again see the land of their new birth….
WE ARE ON A STEP By Emmanuel Ugokwe, Imo state, Nigeria
How time flies!
We remain unshaken,
In our resolve to be one,
It is love, love for fatherland.
We had withered many storms,
To keep that which holds us all together,
That still keeps us as one,
Our values, our cultures,
. Happy for the child, good for the mother,
the good heart; the true friends.
That love the place of the old.,
We are happy to find a whole new order for ourselves
And our children
And children’s children
A new government ,
A new face of change
A new administration
Built on confidence
And trust ;and will power; and love
We are happy
We are prepared to breathe
The air of liberty again
History starts today for us all
Our children
Many yet unborn
The great and small.
Never to say the least
The new world is here
When people would be judged
By their strength of character and usefulness
An era had ended
Now to begin with a common sense
And we are on a step
To the new order
The new system.
We are……….
Which way?
History is on the move.
NIGERIA, OUR
NIGERIA By Adesitimi Taiwo Damilola, Ondo state, Nigeria
From the rivulet of
words; I fetched you
this poem.
Penned with my
heart and full of
rhyme.
Nigeria, Our Nigeria
You can only be a
better-area
Only If we can cure
your malaria
But its a shame we
seek abroad for
white-doctors
Not knowing that
they’re human-
raptors
Who’ll logically dine
with your intestine
They’ll say “Nigeria
will be fine”
Dear Nigerians,
before us, lies the
remedy
When we glue
ourselves in pure-
harmony
Our togetherness is
her strength
To move her from
anus to the head of
this earth
Nigeria, our Nigeria
Let our collective-
tongues of Wa-Zo-
Bia
-Sing to the ears of
foreigners
That by ourselves
we shall overwhelm
our barriers
Let us shadow our
courage again in
pure-minds
And follow the foot-
print of our past
legends
Who fought by
themselves
To save
themselves
-From the net of
slavery
And they wore
Nigeria the garment
of glory
So lets fight boko to
renounce killing
And haram to ignore
bombing
Who watered our soil
with blood and tears
And madding our
peace to run into
pieces
Nigeria, my Nigeria,
our Nigeria
My people don’t allow
Nigeria
-To die in her
malaria
The Lines Hiding In Our Hearts By Emmanuel Uchenna Ugwu
The child
Lingered on the map,
His eyes
Open
Dreaming
He loved it,
Strangely,
Not like a boy’s toy,
For he felt a belonging
To the map
The lines
Within the map
Plentiful
Cracks on clay
Drawn by harsh Harmattan
Daddy
These little lines
Make fractions
Of her greatness
The man
Smiled to summon
Upwards
To his lips
A pained answer
Like phelgm
(His throat was a glass pipette,
Thirsty like one of our taps)
Son
The lines on the map are not ugly)
It is the lines
Hiding
In the hearts of our people
That need
Erasing.
WATCH MY BACK By James Onyelucheya, Abia state, Nigeria
I heared your cry in the widerness, the cry of hunger, shelter and security. The sun is too scouchy and the ground too rocky. You shouted, who will save me from this dilema and i came to your rescue. Becos of you i have tilled the ground and cultivated. My hands are soily so that your mouth can be oily. In the past they believed in crude oil but now we believe in palm oil. Come my fathers son lets join hands together and put food on our mother’s table. But instead, you see me as a jew, and you as gentile, and becos of that you have taken me as an enemy and i call you a killer. But lets not foget that we are from the same mother, suckled the same breast and bearing the same surname but we fight like two giant walls seperated by tower of Babel. My mother’s son! Watch my back, so i can watch your own back and together we can save each other and restore the glory of our fatherland.
This Nation Will Survive By Chinyere Rosita Ndukwe, Voice of Nigeria, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria
If those who started in manners dishonourable.
With shaken history and background
Children n’ women running berserk
At crimes feel day
A regular feature this is
A recurrent decimal it was
Where turbulence reigned supreme
In those days
If those whose heritages were crooked
Whose ancestors saw no beam of light
Struggling many days for their time of light
Seeing nowhere to call their own
If those who saw countless perils on end
Living every hour at their lives wits- end
With nations no one could call their own
If those who never saw a beautiful serene society
Whose love for rancor motivated
The very many sorrows
Of the world’s troubled spots
If and only if,
Quaked economies could survive
In climes red hot with climate un-tamed
Nations so awash with volcanic eruptions constant tsunamis, tornadoes
Nations with Corrupt-ridden government
Who sold their nations for a pound of flesh
Could wangle their ways into
The rough ways of ‘DEVELOPMENT’
If only others could thread the esteemed part of stardom
To climb the ladder of
Recognition.
If these ones who lacked
what would have been required.
Could but make it
at the end of the day.
Then THIS nation
So loved by the Almighty
Cherished by Him
Bestowed with rich human and
Endowed with Mineral resources
With brains un-equaled
Having comfortable climate
Will make it
YES
There is therefore no limit
To the height which we can attain
As we find our feet in the sands of time
SOJOURN By Alaber Hanafi Monsur, Kwara state, Nigeria
In a blink of eye
I found myself in this metalic-machine
Swaying me like tattered kite
Where it’s heading I don’t know.
Oh sojourn!
So embellished with mysteries
You see birds of same feather
Backbiting each other.
The Doves have turned to vultures
The Cats now lions
The songs of the Crickets
Is no longer melodious!
See those babies dying of hunger
You can count their ribs
Because of their concertina chest
See those amphibians loafing on sea
Stop the Nuclear Weapons!
Stop the War!
Stop the violence!
Stop “Boko-haraming” the COUNTRY
Under the auspices of politics!
Absolute power is deadly!
See the likes of;
Hosni Mubarak of Egypt
Muammar Gadafi of Libya
Ben Ali of Tunisia.
Let the birds spread its wings!
Power is flame
Which our hands cannot contain
Slowly it fades with the air.
Like Michel Jackson said:
“Let us make this world
A better place for you and for me”.
Remember!
When we were born
Our fingers were folded
But when we dies
It is wide open
Symbolic you may say!
Nigerians: Our Clarion Call By Ogbonna Aka
Never relenting as busy ants
In unique coats adorned adorned
Great, mighty as the mustered
Every young, old and proudly black
Right in, building this mystical globe
In gifted hands, strong and truely wide
Are we and ours, who in green, white and green
Nurse this land, our heritage eternal.
Salts forever tasty, let’s
Sound greatness across the pacific
A call, our great clarion call to
Vindicate Nigerians, our own being
In unison our banner shall we raise:
Nigerians Saving Nigerians we herald
Going on a mission to save our
Nation knitted with many colours,
In precious stones crowned; canopied in serene heavens
Garden of unique variety: the spice of our own world
Earthed on strong winds
Rooted in ever Green nutrients for our burial
Inspired in White sparkling peace
Armed with a flag of unity
Nailed to this providence divine
Souls to save; our lot: live and let live
Stretching the cardinals
Far far to embrace
All human race
Transcending the queen’s wisdom
Putting to naught, the discernment of the west
Our beautiful lives will forever shine
Together we stand, they say
Together we shall save ourselves!
State your top 3 poems by leaving a comment in order to help us judge the top 3 winners.
“the ines hididng in our hearts” by Emmanuel ugwu”. Carry go!
WE ARE ON A STEP By Emmanuel Ugokwe is truly a heart story written in single verse. Good
Nice one jane azih
The Journey by Isi is simply the best…
I love the journey by isioma azih jane. Nice one gal!
I love THE JOURNEY, written by Isioma Jane Azih. @ Jane, thumbs up gal.
Beautiful one @Jane Isi. U’ve got it all right.
Hmmmmmm yall cool…the journey by jane isioma azih really rock…those words blew ma mind big time.
..i wish i cud tink write like that..jane isioma azih waz awesome with a pen and a paper………..go gallllllll
The journey by Jane isioma Azih dat’s a gud poem,keep it up.
D journey by lsioma jane azihy. A gud job keep it on bor. d journey 2 uor fatherland god hopl us
“THE Journey” A great poem by jane Azih… Timi did a good job, my prefered fav is THE Journey cos it is a superlative piece.
Timilehin did nicely but I think I like Jane Isioma Azih’s piece, there are very quiet mines underneath Her words…
Nice one there Jane, ur poem is really awesome great work Isi u have all the quality to b at the top
Nice one there Jane, ur poem is really awesome great work Isi u have tall the quality to b at the top
What a poem that make us JOURNEY into the creeks of the Niger Delta! Nice one Jane. Keep it up.
“Scholars had to be reached/ though with a bent back”.
Nice lines frm JANE in her poem, “The Journey”
THE JOURNEY. A powerful poem, nicely and finely written. In little words, the poem has said alot without making too much noise. Jane Isioma Azih, you’re the best! Just consider these clips:
“The sheep’s clothing had
Gone a-missing,just
For ends to be met” and “Scholar had to be reached
Though with a bent head,
A smile laid within
For the bright horizon.” I encourage this lady to keep it up.
Wow…I love the poem delivered by JANE ISI ‘THE JOURNEY’…more grace girl
nice poem jane isioma, i really love your poem. to me you are the best.keep it up
Such a nice work. Keep it up. I love d dream.
I love dis poem, wht a great inspiration. Keep it up.
ur piece THE JOURNEY is da bomb JANE.
what a luvly piece of poetry,nt jst d quantity dt matters here bt d inspiring quality with a humourous standard.well done JANE.
THE JOURNEY BY Isioma Jane is best. Keep it up girl
THE JOURNEY BY Isioma Jane is a nice one.
THE JOURNEY By Isioma Jane is a nice poem.keep it up girl
THE JOURNEY By Isioma Jane Azih. nice 1 girl……enJOY
The Journey by Jane isioma… Its a fine piece dts both inspires n enlightens d mind… Nice 1 Jane keep it up i say.
THE JOURNEY by Jane – Excellent poem– Onward bound
Weights become lighter
For we had come
Seeing things,
We conquered.
THE JOURNEY
THE JOURNEY of Jane Esi TOPS ALL.
Well done Jane Isioma Azhi,so nice a poem. Nice talents u’ve got there keep it up.
weldone isi,u are d best
The winners: http://nigerianssavingnigerians.org/2012/12/17/prize-distributed-nigerians-saving-nigerians-poetry-competition-winners-announced/
Yer impressive but u didn’t add we standforth by timilehin,lines hidden in our heart,and the journey.thanks although the winner has not being listed its takin too long,merry christmas
Yer impressive but u didn’t add we standforth by timilehin,lines hidden in our heart,and the journey.thanks although the winner has not being listed its takin too long
Well done Nigerians. Please, work HARDER,and you shall compose Terrific poems
“WE ARE ON A STEP”, “SOJOURN”, “NIGERIA, OUR” , “The Lines Hiding In Our Hearts ” all somewhat impressive
timilehim obaseki this is beautiful u av done mevelously well. keep up the good work.likewise eniola i love ur poem also just keep it up i pray u two will make it to the end.you two are the best poet i av ever seen.
Cool wonderful poetry by great nigerian youths I hope I’m not wrong about I adore I KNOW A LAND By Toluwani Eniola,”I know a land going green now Springing up from the refuse of hope” and THE JOURNEY By Isioma Jane Azih “Scholar had to be reached Though with a bent head A smile laid within For the bright horizon” and definately the most loved poem we stanforth by timilehin obisakin I awesomely love it”This time we shall have the might, To say we can even do better than they taught in thoughts,Even if it hurts to say those words,No halts we have stage the light aloft,The best Is what we deserve nothing less,But Something more in desires”thanks
Waoh!! This poems re 9c very touching d free verses the rhyme especially in we standforth by timilehin obisakin the creativity CRUCIBLE OF WON-NESS By Salawu Olajide Michael,and the Lines Hiding In Our Hearts By Emmanuel Uchenna Ugwu other too re 9c though but I love this 3 more.thnks
I love the poem I know a land by toluwani eniola,the journey by isioma jane and we standforth by timilehin obisakin
Timilehin Obisakin thumbs up
M not thinking, obi put me straight… M not eating, obi’s poems gives me food! Wђξ∏ not in mood,..it gingers me,.. Wђξ∏ I want to syce my chick obi’s peoms Α̲̅яε̲̣̣̣̥ the best!!!! Thumbs up bro,.. Timilehin Obisakin.. Your head dey there
TIS SO SWEET. BRO, FEAR NOT
Good poem bro. I love dis, keep it up…
Way to go Timilehin Obisakin. U are the best!
Timi u are always on point.
@Timex Obi 1.U always on point.
I love the poem we stand forth,really creative.good work timi,kip it up.
Nice write-up Timi, It illustrates great hope, faith and positive confidence in our country.
WE STANDFORT! What a superb master piece from an excellent poet. Timilehin, your piece is one that reawakens my belief in this country and give me hope and reason to forge ahead. Keep up the good work. Your writeup is no doubt, the BEST.
Nice one timi good of you i love it n like it so much
nice poem..keep it up..
Nice one timilehin obisakin, kudos, keep up the good job, dont relent
Your hardwork will pay off at the end…….cheers
We stand forth by timilehin a lovely poem,I like it.
I love “we stand forth”….the right words @ d right tyme.kip it up babes.
Obisakin timilehin u have got a lovely poem up here……u re a brilliant girl
9ce 1 timilehun u such a genius
Nice one cousin keep it up God bless u. Much luv
Pple abeg Timilehin is just the best poet I knw on dis planet….dis is just d tip of d ice berg…’We standforth iz just Exemplary…..Thumbs up Bro…..
‘WE STANDFORTH’ written by Timilehin Obisakin is the best.I wish you the very best Bro,please keep it up.The sky is your starting point.
I love the poem ‘WE STANDFORTH’ written by Timilehin Obisakin.It is the best.I wish you the very best Bro,please keep it up.The sky is your starting point.
Timilehin. U ve done well. Wish u d best
I love Timilehin poem. It has a very good use of style and imagery. Keep it up Timilehin. It’s awesome.
I love “we standforth ” by timilehin obisakin. It is a really deep and thought provoking poem. Keep it up Timmy, more grease to your elbow. The best poem.
Gr8 work timileyin poem WE STANDFORTH”nice poem
WE STANDFORTH Timilehin Obisakin, I KNOW A LAND,NIGERIANS:OUR CLARION CALL. Make this as ubiquitous as you can next time,so others could participate. Nice job though!
Timmy,dat was da bomb.Indeed we stand forth
Super duper words Timilehin. This is such a great piece! I’m so inspired. Kudos!!! More grace. We shall truly standforth.
Great work timileyin, u are really a poet.
Great work timilehin, you are truly a visionary.
Thanks Obisakin Timilehin, for the enlightment of the poem we stand forth, now I see your the best poem writter of our time. Keep it up the future poet
Nice one timi,I hope the world is blessed by this poem.
It’s Timileyin Obisakin all d way
i love timilehin obisakin’s poem
“stand forth” originanity, creativity……… dis is indeed a peom………
kip d ball rollin
Well done timilehin, you’re a star indeed…….
we stand forth by timilehin obisakin i love it……..
I love Timilehin Obisakin’s poem
obisakin Timilehin’s titled”WE STANDFORTH”is d best……in fact d poem is so nice…he really has the passion to write poems ansd am very sure he’s gonna be a very good poet in future
“We Standforth” by Timilehin Obisakin beams a light of hope on us. “Distinction is on course”,so he writes.
great job timilehin, keep it up.
Timilehin Obisakin,you ve done a good job with ur peom titled’WE STANDFORTH’keep it up,u re d best poet.
Lvly writeup.