Then Loud Thotz organisers said we should dedicate our June poetry reading to them, and I was like 'how will I do this?' Myne also came up with her remembrance project on Naija stories, I really wanted to write something, but that lazy part of me was just making me slack. The thing is I just like to write how I feel like writing. I don't like writing because of a particular project, competition, etc, which is why I don't take part in all these thongs. This is because I feel I write better when it is just spontaneous like that. I guess it's just the lazy rebel inside of me speaking. So after the lazy rebel inside of me succeeded in convincing me not to write, I just gave up and decided to do an old poem at Loud Thotz, as usual.
Come Tuesday 12 June 2012, I was getting ready to fly to and fro Port Harcourt that same day and the idea and topic for the poem just popped in my head. I was so happy cos I wasn't pressuring myself. I got to the airport and while waiting for my flight, this was the result. Enjoy Christmas Goat. Its my special dedication to the crash victims and their families.
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The Christmas goat stands at the corner
Scorched by the harsh heat of the sun
He steps on snail shells and cracked
bottles
Bleats loudly and wails bitterly
No one listens, no one cares
He would be used as fried meat and Asun
come Tuesday
The Christmas goat stands at death altar
Waiting to be slaughtered by the cruel
dagger of the butcher
Sweating through pores disguised by his hide
He cries, he belts...
@ilola, I am cracking up, nice one. Thank you for reminding of Asun but today is Monday!
ReplyDeleteSorry ooo, I have no Asun for you, lol.
DeleteGood writing, I like it.
DeleteHI GUYS.......
YOU NEED MONEY OR NOT.
CHECK THIS OUT AND YOU’LL REGRETED....!!!
HERE
Only God will save us... may we not remain Christmas goats to our heartless so-called leaders.
ReplyDelete- LDP
Amen. Amen to your prayers for us.
DeleteUmm ..this is serious o,the blood letting just seems endless and these are precious souls ..oga o!
ReplyDeleteIt is not even funny at all. Not a laughing matter
DeleteMay we never be Christmas goats oh..this is a really good poem
ReplyDeleteAmen oo. Thanks
Deletehmmnnnn............come 2015 we will fight them with everything. we are really tired of being Christmas goats
ReplyDeleteGosh, I like this mentality. We need to rise up and fight for what is really our, not necessarily by carrying arms, but by challenging the status quo to their faces o, not just in our bedrooms.
DeleteI like the fact that the poem is double edged.Nice one @atilola.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was trying to create an analogy
DeleteHmmm! Satirical poem. Nice one. I just wish we'd indeed see the desired change.
ReplyDeleteAmen. Tired of the norm.
Deletehmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, just wondered who are the christmas goats?
ReplyDeleteWell, definitely not I AND MY FAMILY!
The blood of JESUS has bought US out of the slaughter house.
It is the 'PEOPLE' that are pushed by greed / money that will replace I AND MY FAMILY as the christmas goats! In the mighty name of JESUS!
p.s PRAYER IS THE ONLY WEAPON I HAVE @ilola, AND THAT IS WHAT I WILL CONTINUE TO USE AS PROTECTION IN THIS COUNTRY OF OURS!
Ahhhh madam. Please, try not to take offence.
DeleteTake this poetry at the surface level. It is a mere analogy of what is happening in Nigeria. It is bitter, but the truth.
A Christmas goat always has no choice because he is tied up. Right now, many Nigerians are acting like they have no choice. Many of us do not understand the power we possess against the government, even if we just look at the fact that we have power in our numbers.
When I mentioned Christmas goat, it has nothing to do with slaughtering, but has mostly to do with choices. And yes, your family is covered by the blood of Jesus.
P.S: Prayer might be the only weapon YOU have. Some people can talk, some people can write, some people have the money to do the right things, some people have boldness and courage.
If will put all these our tools together. Prayer + Talk + Writing + Media + Money + Boldness + Courage + So many things I cannot think of right now, I believe we will achieve a lot in making out country better.
In the mean time, please, keep on praying cos Prayer is the MASTER KEY. In fact, if we strategise without praying, I believe we are just wasting our time.
You're right about combining other things with prayer, even though prayer IS the master key. We should always start, continue and end with prayer, but prayer is a two-way street, i.e. God speaks back to us. What do we do with the ideas, solutions, etc that He gives us? The Israelites did not possess the promised land by prayer alone - they had to get up and still fight. We need to do the same.
DeleteLovely poem by the way. It got dark towards the end, but it's the truth.
Prayer IS the master key, but like you all said, other actions MUST be taken for the prayer to be effective. We get up in the morning and brush our own teeth, God will not do that for us. He instead, provides an enabling platform for it. The action is for us to take. However, I stand on the position that building is a far greater weapon than fighting - of any kind. Sometimes we go to war against "the system", win, and have no clue what to do with all the spoils. This is typical African scenario. We really ought to focus on improving ourselves as individuals, positively affecting the little worlds around us: our workplace, family, friends...
DeleteThis analogy made correct sense. Most of the time, we are like sheep been led to the slaughter. It's really sad the kind of leadership abi na govt that we have. If there is going to be a change, we the people have to rise up & make it happen.
ReplyDeleteThe goat in the pix has got some swag. :-)
Yes, its left to us to make it happen.
DeleteAnd like goat, they keep leading people to the slaughter house.
ReplyDeleteWe mustn't end this struggle on our knees, prosterity will ask us if we fail!
We gotta fight for what is ours so that we can leave something behind for generations yet unborn.
DeleteNice one @tilola. I totally feel you on this one. We have to end this senseless trip to the slaughterhouse soon. God help us.
ReplyDeleteThe earlier we end this, the better for us. Amen
Deletewowww.....amazing piece,totally like,now following,please kindly follow back maam. thanks
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliment, and thanks for following. Off to check your blog.
DeleteI'm just wondering whether the reference to humans as 'goats' isn't kind of derogatory...because I feel the words you use in poetry should hold a stronger meaning as to what you infer...a goat is a stubborn animal with stinky hygiene.
ReplyDeleteMaybe if you had applied it as a simile rather than a metaphor, it would have worked better.
Just looking at it from critical point of view
Naaa, Afronuts. Don't look at it that way. Its not about the goat, its about the Christmas animal. It can be a goat, ship, chicken, ram, etc. But no matter what animal we buy, when its Christmas day, we are going to kill and eat it. So don't look at the character of a goat.
DeleteThe reason why I used goat is because most people kill goats on Christmas day. I also thought of the popular saying that 'why are you sweating like a Christmas goat?', before I wrote the poem. This is because the Christmas goat has no power of choice.
Okay...I see your point.
ReplyDeleteWell understood
Oh nice. wonder how come I haven't commented. I like the analogy
ReplyDeleteLol. Thanks.
ReplyDelete