Silent Voices

Deceit

9 Greed and Everyone sit down To celebrate Someone’s raise And Everyone takes little food But Greed Someone gets promoted To the rank of No-body And Everyone is happy But Greed Greed is This and That and All So nobody can have a place Always nobody’s qualified But Greed Someone knows Greed’s house is filled With all that belongs to Everyone Since nobody must have a thing But Greed So pack-full is the house of Greed That one day the walls all collapsed And nobody has a broken house But Greed Deceit Dry and hard is the earth After the terrible drought Everyone cries of dearth The fields are held in doubt 10 Desert sands fill the brooks Rivers reduced to ponds All around I see but crooks Showing off their great pounds March they with flags held high Singing they bring their grace Warns a voice in deep, deep sigh They bring no change in grades Right you are, dear Mr. Brain Their songs are but deceit Lay they but long pipes to drain And leave the land deceased Weep Not Weep not, O, children of Africa, Tremble not with fear; Think not that like Okonkwo You have nothing to inherit; Blessed are you with rich forests And all sorts of savannas, All bursting with great riches, The envy of great nations. But take care, take care, oh, take care! These are your only shelter, Your only reliable bank. So your duty it is to use your soul And all your strength and all your might ...