DEATH OF ME by Vivian Ofre

Day43

#365daypoetryforadvocacyandsocialchangechallenge

I, die when I see her struggle
When she fails to rise up above the shadows of her past
When, men, who were placed to keep her gates
Kept their pockets instead
I, die when I see her fall, fail, failing safe
Never moving beyond the four corners of that
Self-limiting box called mediocrity
I, die when she lives short of expectations

Oh the Death of Me!
I died on a Friday
A day when men who had stolen from my coffers
Burned it all up on slay queens and trips abroad
I. Died on a Thursday
A day when the money bags came in
And the national cake divided amongst themselves
In preparation for Friday
I, died on every week day

Hopefully, I'll rise
Hopefully, like, Jesus I'll rise on a Sunday
Because Mondays to Fridays are for work, school and everything else
Hopefully, I'll rise
Above the cold grip of death as dark as midnight
Above the shackles of shame and above men
Whose gain has become my pain

Hopefully I'll rise
Above the treacherous waters of tribalism and ethnicity
That has held me bound for way too long
And above the looming braces of darkness due to constant power failure
Hopefully, I'll Rise
Above the pledge that never made its way
Beyond the curves of beautifully carved lips
Of lying men

Hopefully, I'll Rise
Above valleys echoing with cries of starving children and agonizing fathers.
Above missing budgets and missing Chibok girls
Above the rot in education and our health care system
Hopefully, I'll Rise
Above a failed judiciary and above the stomach of greedy men
Who paint themselves as flag bearers..

Hopefully, I'll Rise
Above rising fuel prices and falling naira values
Above the bombs in the north, the trends and the times
And above the fights in the government House

Hopefully, I'll Rise
Above corruption and the suffering of the masses
To a glorious future...
And my bleeding green heart will breathe a smile again.

Ofre Vivian is a geophysicist with an incurable obsession for sustainable environment development in Africa. She commits her time to creating awareness about Current Climate realities, leading positive actions to mitigate its effects, and building youth capacity to become environmental stewards.

She is the founder and team lead of Eco-Vibes Afrika, and a fellow of the Barack Obama Emerging leaders Program, West Africa. Vivian believes that Poetry in all its form is a powerful tool for creating positive change in society, and therefore employs Poetry in her promoting sustainable environmental practices. She loves God, she loves people and she loves spoken word Poetry.

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