Silent Voices

Pa Masango

52 Our strong appetite for Hollywood By proliferating Nollywood As proof of your determination To ensure more seed germination You have, like other greats, Trained and launched spies-in-orbit To gather rare intelligence You deserve an applause Deafening enough To make the deaf hear And a gift Dazzling enough To make the blind see We hail thee Big Brother, Naijar Pa Masango Your face is one ugly piece of mask Your heart an emblem of cruelty You are callous, capricious, wicked, dreadful, jealous You spat bitter, corrosive acid On the crop of my being In attempt to destroy the seed of my life Truly, without an iota of doubt Your species of jealousy 53 Is worse than leprosy The mask you wear has made you blind Your stony, rumbling stomach has killed the hunger in you Your constantly cunning mind has rendered your brain lame Without a second thought You broke all looking glasses for those who care for nice looks And crushed all cooking pots for those who desire food You schooled and drilled and readied yourself For the most dreaded and myopic launch of Wanton destruction Of all that had no value to you And now your blindness is gone Your hunger’s returned in leaps and bounds Now nothing’s left Nothing Not even for you Sangara You are Colourful like the rainbow Bright like the morning star White like the cattle egret Though con-eaten You are Cunning like the tortoise Brave like the lion Certain as hunger ...