POWER CORRUPTS - ABAYOMI OJO

 Agbede was a boy of few words 

English was one of his disabilities 

He came humbly to enlist my help;

To compose verses of love to his long time crush 

I was in till he broached her name, Jadesola;

The 'naughty girl' who never regarded me as the class captain 

It was time to clip her wings 

In the note I committed all kinds of felonies in Agbede's name 

Happily he ran off to give his 'thoughts of love' towards her 

I paced eagerly around her desk 

To be sure my lightning struck dangerously well 

Soon there was a hoard of wailers around our queen. 

The wailers wailed more than the bereaved 

And counselled her to seek redress for the injury received 

Soon the mighty Mr Majek strolled in 

And called forth my visibly shaken friend

I couldn't look into his sorry eyes as he rode quietly to the slaughter slab

I felt so little and sad but my remorse was a little too late 

Agbede was beaten blue, grey and black 

Till my name dropped from his swollen eyes-

I was beaten blue, grey and black 

Not just by the canes of Mr Majek

But also the occasional gazes Agbede cast at me 

He stopped talking to me. 

I thought it ended there. 

Agbede was the son of the village blacksmith, 

From the lineage of the masqueraders 

Masquerades were the death of me

Agbede lurked beneath vengeance for many months 

Till the season of the masquerade finally dawned 

Alone on a tiny path, I finally met my death 

Agbede beat me blue, grey and black 

And I was powerless against the stings of his whips 

The pen is not mightier than the sword, 

Not even mightier than the whips from my estranged friend. 

I was corrupted by the power of the pen 

Agbede was corrupted by the power of the cane 

We were both guilty of the power of corruption 

I was guiltier for drawing the first blood.

Poem Credit - Abayomi Ojo