RAIN
The sun usually takes its place early
But not this day
Dark clouds instead gather
Shutting out the rays yonder
The earth looks on in wonder
Then the sound of dried leaves rustling
Wavering trees dancing
Enormous winds passing
At first slowly, then quickening
The Creator’s art revealing
Silence engages the earth
Soon, little drops dive into the soil
Lifting perched grains of dust
Filling the air with fresh perfume
Bringing farmers joy I presume
Steadily and slowly, the drops increase
Soon chasing a single direction
So sunny was the previous occasion
Our memory of which must now decrease
The wet season begins
IMAGINATION
As the skies are broad
Sometimes laden with cloud
So is the canvas of my mind
Priceless as a crown
Painting masterpieces of its own
The root of all dreams
Always at work
Whether we know it or not
Foundation for our expectations
Foretelling consequences
A theatre of choices
A house of freedom
Where everything is possible
And nothing is impossible
Often out of our control
You can vent your anger
Even curse an offender
And not be heard or seen
A place of refuge where rent is free
My imagination
THE COUNTRY I SEE
Loud cries of corruption
An understatement
Of the real situation
This land of great complexity
This nation of great diversity
Draped in Black
And its various hews
The mother of all colors
A beauty to behold
Cherished by some, despised by others
Forgetting, rather, forgoing
The sheer elegance of its own cultures
Borrowing, rather, stealing
Customs even from vultures
Lacking in self-believe
Adapting to every new whim
Suggested by the stranger
Detesting even good wine
Offered by a brother
Coal is better from a distant mine
The gifts of the creator
The blessings of the ancestor
The sweat of the liberator
Wasted by the manipulator
The orchestra conductor
Nowhere is safe
High street or inner chamber
Thieves, thieves, everywhere
Even the so-called defender
Is the greatest offender
Embezzled wealth is sweeter
Unearned allowances are better
The majority, they suffer
It doesn’t really matter
Who cares about hereafter?
Kamsi Ikekpeazu is currently an undergraduate of University of Nigeria, Nsukka. These poems were written between 2017 and 2018 when she was still a high school student. She is a daughter of Okechukwu Ikekpeazu, OGSS class of 1975
