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The animal kingdom has come to us, snatching our currencies for their current stay .
The Animal Kingdom by Tukur Ridwan
°
in the jungle,
for every prey is a predator 
& vice versa... 
.
a country is a jungle within her brain. 
.
this country has become
a wildlife
of rodents & serpents & cattle & humans
(it has been a zoo since twenty eleven)...
.
but
they do not
run after one another anymore... 
.
rather, 
they both race
for the fortunes that intoxicate man
like money & power & land...
.
and leave luxury of lies & lamentations 
on our bloated tongues
.
we have not healed from the infliction of rats, 
like lassa on the walls & cabinets
in our leader's office...
.
we have not healed form the invasion of cattle
on the land upon our flesh & bones 
that blood is the only way we wail. 
.
a snake struck sooner after this sickness...
venomous & villainous...
.
a snake swallowed something strange to seriousness
& scampered away. 
.
we do not need to understand incoherence...
.
a country is a bag of money
in the stomach of a snake
.
when will we heal? 
.
will a country not die like this
& rotten in a snake's stomach?
.
a country has been preyed on too many times...
a country has been played on too many times. 
.
all animals are equal indeed,
but some are less equal than the other. 



°

Tukur Ridwan Olorunloba, a Nigerian Poet and essayist who hails from Lagos State, attained his B.Sc degree in Political Science; University of Ilorin, Nigeria. His love for poetry has landed him a contributive role in the Nigerian literature since 2013 when he began the journey of writing. His works have appeared on online literary platforms such as aceworld and words, rhymes & rhythms. He is currently a freelance writer, with special focus on poetry on any theme or any form. 


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