They are just children but have known pain, seen pain, dwelled with pain and condemnation and they are never allowed to voice out this due to the myopic reasoning of our African mentality. They say "this thing ought not to be said by children; they are too young for this talk". Not knowing they are not helping them but rather expanding their earthquakes. These little children are most times subject to molestation and assault at a very tender age and when they try to talk about it, they are blamed for been too playful and free with their Uncles or Aunties. Who else are they to be free with if not family? hmm..... Some have been forced to be spectators to this heinous, disgusting act but still victims as their childhood are been marred for life. Children who have gone through hell but still have no voice to be heard, Children who evil have been perpetrated by people they believed to be Family. They live in homes turned to war-zones by abusive and warrior like parents. Th...

Mother told me corn would make me taller, Luckily we had a corn farm. She fed me corn everyday, I thought corn was the sweetest, Until I had a taste of rice today. Mother told me ragdolls were expensive, Luckily I had one. I played all day with Holly, I thought my ragdoll was the prettiest, Until I saw a Cinderella Polly. Mother told me stick houses were beautiful, Luckily we lived in one. Despite the leakings and creaks, I thought my house was the strongest, Until I saw a house made of bricks. Of all the things mother told me, She told me to go out, Be greater and braver. She told me to return, Wiser and richer. I did not understand at first, I'm presently in town, I understand at last, The penury deep down.                    - Adaji Glory Ojima

My mum and I always had our loads of dramatic moments so let me gist you about one of our episodes. Being the first Girl in the house, it is usually expected that I do most of the house chores most especially cooking but then, that was not the case ooo, as my mum never trusted me with the role of cooking most especially cooking and frying chicken in the house because I had a habit of helping her remove the witch from the meat (a.K.a tasting all the meat) it was always annoying when Iya Ope wouldn't let me do the chicken work. But as time went by Iya Ope was always busy so she was left with no choice but to let me do the the chicken business oh what a victory. While I was in the kitchen preparing the chicken Iya Ope would make it a constant habit to keep on shouting from the living room "Ope ooo.... Don't think I can't see you, I can see you fahhh!. . . I have counted my meat o and I know their shape everything! Don't try me ooo. . . Oya come sef let me smell th...

You showed me what it felt like to be loved to have a friend who cared one who would treat you as family. Just as I was beginning to open up my closed gate to welcome your loving embrace you started shutting down the reopening again that was the kind of affection Philip showed Anita. I thought probably I was just imagining things little did Anita know that all the love Philip's professed was fake and a fragment of my wonderful imagination little did she know that the moment she accepted Philips  love invite she would be left out in the blazing hot cold sunny rain. But naïve Anita, the moment Philip showed her love she accepted believing he was the one and was real; Had she know he was just another masquerade in disguise. All this thoughts began to flood her head why would he show care when he didn't care? Why would he show love when he had non to give? Why would he make her fall in love if he just wanted to see her break? Anita would have been glad if her path never cr...

I sat down thinking to myself what's happening, what's wrong? What's so negative about my aura? What was I doing wrong but I still couldn't bring myself to answer this questions because the more I asked the longer the questions just kept staring back at me. What will I do next, where will I go from here, who do I turn to, I still no answers surfaced. Guess I just have to keep on playing the guessing game until I find my answers. She could feel it within her that her whole world was crumbling but she couldn't do nothing about it she was helpless everything was just gone to where she couldn't tell. But she gave herself hope that in all the negativity there had to be a positive side to which she was yet to unveil. I guess I just need to fight off my negativity for my positivity.                              - Adepoju Joy Sidikatu    (adep...

He was my crush I always played an alternate reality where we were both in love and happy. I was damn crazy about him couldn't get him off my mind even before you ever thought of looking my way I had already known, even though we never talked I felt like I knew you all. I kept on stealing glances at you but you never noticed me. I always made sure I sat close to you at every chance I got so I could drown myself in your elegance, I always sought for your face in every crowd. I was that girl at the corner who was always craving for you. I tried letting go of you even when I knew you where never mine to begin with. Things where getting serious most times I found myself day dreaming about I saw you in everyone, when I laid down doing nothing thoughts of you always crept into my heart. I kept on contemplating if I should man up and tell you how I feel about you but I couldn't I Was so scared of you rejecting me. The day you smiled at me for the first time I felt like I died ...

DAYS OF OUR LEADERS PAST Days of our leaders past, Days of our Mothers gone, Things done are cast, What have our present leaders done? Justice, peace and reign, Lost in thought of what these became, Crops in need of rain, War and crises finally came. Though all these were evident, All these came crashing forth, We were confident, Our interests versus the leaders fought. I was told that during the civil war, It was tribes versus religions, Events that were meant to mar, The country was divided into legions. The labour of our heroes past, Shall never be in vain, These days have come so fast, Yet nothing but pain. Thus we are aware of culture, We are also sure of the law, These two together could torture, We are left eating the consequences raw. All we know is our heritage, All we can do is to be brave, For life as we know is a stage, Where we can play our parts better.                ...