| Africa's Peace Poetry AFRICA, THE FUTURE LAND OF PEACE Africa was Great at Creation At creation, Motherland Africa was great among the nations Like a mother, she was given to nurse all the nations With untainted milk flowing from her dark succulent breasts She nourished kings and queens of all nations: south, north, east and west Like a wife who married young, only to be rejected Africa was deserted and dejected in spirit She was assaulted, but did not assault back, oppressed, but did not oppress back Captured and recaptured, pawned and sold, The sweats of her children built every nation’s wealth Partitioned among nations, foreigners presided over her chests of god-given treasures Sapped, sacked and sagged, she was abandoned for the dead. Africa’s Wounds Are Grievous Africa’s wounds are grievous; wounded by friends and foes alike Her children had destroyed her tents; no-one was left to restore her dignity and pride Every predator dealt her quick blows and disappeared Many came back for the kill, others stayed long for the slaughter Africa was too weak to restrain her assailants, The battles were always too fierce for her to contain. The Oil of the Holy Spirit, diluted and dissipated, flickered out the Light of the Gospel and Africa was Left in Greater Darkness. Four hundred years of slavery, one hundred years of colonization, Sixty years of Ethnoreligious disharmony, cold war, disease and decays Fifty years of repaying odious debts Many had given up Africa’s wounds as incurable Had Africa been a person, she would have been sore from her head to her toes With no place good enough for the look, nor clean enough for the touch. But Africa Is Courageous But Africa is strong, courageous and perseverance She was beaten but did not bend, She was kicked but did not bow Like the Kente, Africa refused to tear She had covenanted with fate to stay alive Until her sons returned to bind her wounds Africa, the Future Land of Peace Let Africa arise now with the rising of the sun Like the parts of a body, let the nations unite and function together To give Africa meaning and purpose For the future of Africa is precious, Let’s together cherish her presence. We love Africa, We seek her future peace Nations and tongues may differ, but we are all the same With Peace and Love Africa will be great We Love Africa, the Future Land of Peace. Rev. Titus K. Oyeyemi (2/19/2005) |