Locked up behind our rusty gates,
Terrified by the robbers of mandates
We count each day and number each night;
Staying alert, shuddering in fright
With rumbling bellies and pounding hearts
Praying to be shielded from the brutal darts;
For the gory days are here again,
The time mayhem and bloodshed reign,
It is yet another season of carnage
When political monsters prance in full rage
As they battle for ballot boxes
Whilst the streets pile up with corpses
Under leaking roofs, keeping our heads low
We await the evil days to come and go.
Political elections in many parts of Africa are always do-or-die affairs, no thanks to power-hungry political leaders who find it hard to relinquish power after their tenure in office. As the gubernatorial election draws near in my state, Ondo, Nigeria, I have written the above poem to describe the fear and anxiety of the people.