The Four Faces of Love

I have a secret to spill and no one else must hear of this.

There is a woman in my life whose person I now tell you about. A woman whose life has dealt great blows on me. Before I tell her name, I shall tell you four sins that the world hates her for. Perhaps you will decide to be more liberal or kind to hold otherwise. So keep an open mind and tell the winds of scrutiny to be still until you are sure you can be as objective.

For now, it is safe to call her M.

‘Nnanna’, that’s what she calls me and my palpitation, in responding, betrays me. She looked into my eyes a lot initially when I arrived making ‘silly’ faces at me. Blowing me kisses every now and then and taming my tears to cease at her presence or touch and my body to giggle on her tickling.

Initially, I felt enslaved as it bothered me that two people could control my thoughts, emotions and physiology. I felt a little less than a baby. ‘I have my pride and power!’ often I would prove with loud squeals in the middle of the night and throw the whole house into World War II. I was entertained to see them all run around like zombies looking for this or that to pacify me. But then like a vision in white her two hands would reach for me in the darkness with warm palms clasping my sides, ascending to a warmer pillow, then as usual the milk works would follow. I loved my life.

However, with time M had grown more and more distinct as the thoughts my mind became more conscious of the tastes, textures and colours of the life I lead and the world she is now the centre of. I could recognise her even with my eyes closed. She teaches me every day to laugh, cry and be lucid. Often relaying that as much as I appreciate splendour, occasional lack and silence is healthy. There has always been this thin filament that gets thicker every day between us. Perhaps it is because of her four sins, the four faces of love:

The Face of ‘Sister’

M tells me great things. Little and simple in their packs. She always slips in gold nugget whispers at times when my mind was most wildly receptive and my ears impulsively itching to listen.

She beautifully steps back and forth in my life keeping at my pace and often a little slower and faster. She challenges my abilities to think, be answerable and gives me the chance to be a man. While she stretches my patience she strengthens my faith. She always applauds my feats and mildly urges me on in flashes of polite contempt. Then again she is not always present to witness my growing stupidity but always make me aware that she looks out for my explosive moments and prays for me in the silence of my tears.

When I am weak, she warms me with love and understanding. She always tells me that I am her inspiration, her pride. She inspires dad to. Whenever she is here dad is hardly ever in a bad mood. Again she knows when to step in to my rescue and when to side him for our good. This is one of her faces of love. A love which gives her the right to have…

The Face of ‘Lover’

With this face she is a shield to my immaturity. She flaunts me like a trophy to the world. In this new light she sees me as perfect and exclusive. She always listens to me and gives me several chances to grow up, appearing to understand even when I am most inexplicable. She never gives up on me and she is always kind.

She is humble enough to let me see her tears and but they are gone the next minute and love is sweet and simple once more. Her secrets are my secrets. My life is her life and all my projects are a joint priority.

However, she understands that she deserves her space and I deserve mine. She is not too coy to be silly around me and to let the whole know that she is in love. For this reason, most of the time, it is us against the world.

I admit that she completely owns my mind when she wants to. And no one takes our love for a ride. She teaches me to love in simple and most spontaneous ways. She trusts in my fidelity and fancies how I try to struggle from her charms to no avail. Funny as it may seem, I occasionally want to run away when the love explodes in multiple unconventional definitions. But those times cage me in the more. Then again to achieve this, she has to have…

 

The Face of ‘Friend’

As time passes in my life I independently accept that I can never be independent. She makes this so true. Often I find myself looking at her, inspired by the extent to which she has succeeded in outliving all that used to stand in her way. She sees danger in nothing and is fired up simply by the thirst to lead a wonderful life. Every part of her is a super-story. Her academics, finances, spiritually, family, love-life, career, purpose and gifts. She wonderfully bears this face to a lot of others besides me and has inspired almost everything to come alive and stay that way. She is good. She is beautiful. However, she is often misunderstood and challenged by those who believe that her speed is a threat and an eye-sore. But then, how she handles this so maturely marvels me all the more. When she tells me the bitter truth, she does not blink at all and that scares me. But she knows how to have a good time and does it properly. She does not pretend to be a fan of my madness but quite a lot about me gets to capture her undivided attention and I feel so V.I.P. when this happens. Truly, she can never achieve this without wearing…

 

The Face of ‘Mother’

After raising five kids- in collaboration with God and dad, she does not only have more than her own fair share of labour pangs, mood swings, morning sickness and the works, she has a stellar personality, great taste in meals, entertainment, fashion and books. She is such an amazing companion, hostess, student and coach. Often she plays all three at a time and suddenly the world to her is one big classroom. We still cook together once in a while and I have to learn to accept the painful Vitamin A that the onions cannot do without. ‘Run to wherever and return! This onion will not cut itself ’ she says in her silence observing you as she seems to be so engrossed with the vegetables or the stove. Who says that the kitchen is not ‘inspiring’?

The again, in some inexplicable way she manages to love and remember everything about everyone. Five kids and a husband should be competing for accommodation in that little heart of hers, but this seemingly little heart seems to expand with an amazingly explosive rate. No one can touch its ceiling, no one can reach its depth. She knows every subject of every homework. She joggles the expanding social circles, health, emotional and psychological needs of us all and even more. And she does this so perfectly it scares me.

From tooth brush lessons to puberty to sex and relationships, everything is on her schedule and in her purse. No wonder she hardly ever falls sick or cries. She enjoys a healthy marital relationship with dad and together they are impermeable. So it’s better they do not even sit on your matter because it is their way or the high way. In this light, I hate to admit, most of the time their way is the best way. Every stroke of the cane and TV deprivation was just perfect for our upbringing and maturity.

M is my mother,  Mrs. Doris Chinyere Ikpo.  I do not boast in her being flawless but no woman can be as perfect as she is to bear these four faces of love at the various phases in the lives of my sisters, dad and I. She is not only an inspiration to me but also a standard. Each day I wake up to her is a festival for me. She is every place I want to go to. She is everyone I want to talk to. In her, God shows himself to me ever loving, ever kind. Still, she may not be much but she means the world to me.

As you add a year’s feather to your hat, I declare that everything that means happiness to you is strengthened. May all your days be filled with joy, peace, complete happiness, inspiration and the All-preserving presence of the Most High God . We love you mum. We love so much. And we pray for grace for all mothers to love God; lead beautiful lives; raise wonderful kids and husbands; and to bear the four faces of love.

So this is the woman in my life, I hope you do not judge me so. You know my secret and now you owe me.

But I plead and plead again, if you see my mum anywhere, tell her that you know that we love her because we loves her so much.

Happy Birthday mum.

From your family.

 

 

 

More Learning to More People

If education, as Nelson Mandela puts it, is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world, then learning, I dare to say, should be the most important process in all of human existence. In this light, it is quite salient to, against all odds, aptly define what learning is in order recognize it. We ought to study its scope and relevance in the society. This is more so as we ought to recognize, as well as, implement the best methods practicable and available. These are all in order to get the best results of this exercise and more still harness its powers.

Jurisprudence holds that there is not one objective definition for any one term in the world. However, proffering explanations would be of great help in conceptualising to an extent, though not exhaustively. Generally, learning may thus be explained as the process of acquiring new, or modifying and reinforcing existing knowledge, behaviours, skills, values or preferences and may involve combining variedly sourced information. ‘Innovative’ may also be translated to the words ‘new’, ‘unconventional’, ‘revolutionary’ and ‘creative’. ‘Bridging’ refers to connecting or relating two or more disconnected parts. ‘Literacy’ refers to the ability to read and write to a competent level, or the knowledge or competence in a particular subject or area of activity. ‘Skill’ is the ability to do something well to a desired quality. ‘Gap’ in this context may refer to complete or partial absence.

Through time, the scope of learning and where it can take place has been altered by the society’s conception of it. Then again, it has grown steadily as well. This growth has kept it formidable and present in everyday, every place and at every time. When I sit in the classroom to receive my lectures, I am learning. When a girl observes her mum cook, she is learning. When a man reads a book about another man, place, time or thing, he is learning. When a lady travels to a place (other than where she has been to previously) and is gradually getting accustomed, she is learning. When I speak to the youths in my community, I am learning. When I attempt essay competitions alongside my regular academic scheme, I am learning. While I am listening to musical lyrics continually, I am learning. In all these processes, and even more, learning takes place. It springs from the consciousness that something is worth knowing that is unknown; absent that could be present or that something is desired or admired which could be achieved. Learning is the diffusion and absorbance of thoughts, experience, information, ideas, skills and behaviour from a definite source that is prepared and focused on giving to receiver that is prepared and focused on accepting. It is the complete process wherein there must occur a certain alteration in the mind and capacity of a person owing usually to a confrontation or encounter with something or someone else. It is such a delicate process, in the course of which absolutely anything may transpire if taken for granted.

In the twenty first century, it is pertinent to wake up to the status quo and the fact that the art and act of learning has broken free from concrete walled and aluminium roofed classrooms, laboratories and libraries. They are no longer chained to customary lectures and regulated by a fixed time. They do not strictly require any particular person, place or time. They are delicate yet dynamic processes which the world now harnesses to immortalise develop, explosively propagate and expand its existence, power and capacity. In order words, learning is no longer a case of ‘It is very important that you watch me closely and repeat’ but has become the spontaneous process of ‘Watch me, others and you, repeat continuously, do better and let others watch you’.

However, a few corners of today’s world have decided to hold tight to the cliché methods, make them more unbearable, unaffordable and distract others from breaking free even when it is most pressing to. As a result, The Educational Systems of countries like Nigeria suffer and have to come face to face with very daunting challenges. Some of these challenges include inadequate funding by thy government; extremely rigid academic schemes; instability in the condition of the teaching staff; politicisation of admission into schools as well as regards recruitment of teachers; encouragement and non-confrontation of indiscipline, cultism and education malpractice; poor parenting and guidance of the pupils; low standard set for teachers; lack of good role models and the availability of bad ones; inaccessibility of quality education to the poor.  

All these are active factors which affect the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of our Nigerian schools be it nursery, primary, secondary or tertiary. Most of the time, we carry on as though it is not there. Other times we flee from the consequences of our bad actions and lethal inactions. This is further buttressed as the Network of Migration of Research on Africa (NOMRA) (migration expert group) posited that about 10,090 Nigerians were granted visas into the United Kingdom in 2009 and they paid forty two billion naira to the host nation. Another negative effect of our poor education system is that a reasonable fraction of the bright minds in our country cannot afford the proper education, not just because of financial constraints but because of the cliché methods employed. The Nigerian educational system is simply not prepared to handle the twenty first century mind and mannerism.

Whether it is accepted or not, the fact is that today’s lectures are not held in four walled classroom filled with desks, white boards, books, pencils and teachers who speak flawless English. They are held on Facebook Groups and Fan Pages. Pupils are comfortably seated, paying rapt attention, steaming actively in Blackberry Messenger instant messages and ‘To Go’ Chat Rooms. Social Networks, whether they are salaried or not, now receive the highest patronage from the contemporary minds because they are available and affordable. Not merely because they are flashy alluring distractions but because what our Nigerian schools and stale libraries in institutions have to offer are nothing compared to their stellar style, colour, user-end simplicity and speed. This grey cloud is stretched not just to the form of the schools but the substance therein. This is more so the case as the contrast is not only glaring but leaves the twenty-century pupil the chance to choose.  

The questions on our lips thus become: How can we save and fortify our educational system? How can we make Nigerians more conscious of their innate prowess? How can we, through formidable and potent creativity, capture Nigerian minds firmly without distracting them from our core values as a nation and a people under God? How can we creatively inspire and transform Nigerian minds to those which are capable of recreating Nigeria to become the state of our dreams? How can we save Nigeria now? How can we save Nigeria’s tomorrow?

The only way that more learning can be spread to more people is being conscious of them and their circumstances. Today’s Nigerian does not need merely need to be told what to do; he needs to know what to do and how to do it. Invariably, he has to be given the proper orientation by the proper people at the proper place through the proper means. Herein, four things are to be properly taken note of and catered for, orientation, tutors, location and medium.

The proper orientation in the context translates to the act of mentoring the society with the right values through academics. It is not just enough to have subjects taught in classes and seminars. They have to be juxtaposed with what is more customarily seen and has become part of regular living. This however, may not demand the creation of more schools or fortifying the schools that are in existence already. This instead is a call to make the society one big school.

In this light, the education should be taken out to the streets, cinemas, shops, parks, garages, churches, mosques, social groups and other places that are generally pumped with people. This demands holding regular classes at these places in the course of the evenings on courses like Mathematics, English, Basic Sciences, Computer Science/ Information Technology, Arts and Craft, Government (the Art of Good Citizenship) and Current Affairs, commencing from the scratch as it is would be taught to nursery and primary school pupils. This exercise could be drafted into the National Youth Service Corps Scheme. These are very important courses that are today the core of literacy, skill and good citizenship. If the National Youth Corps Orientation Camp are lined with activities such as seminars on basic communication skills and ethnic language of the places they (the fresh graduates) have been posted to and ‘The Art of Teaching in the Twenty First Century’ anchored by qualified veterans (Africans perhaps) who have been opportune to have taught in other places outside Africa and are internationally recommended. These seminars should be at least a two week event with field rehearsals and modelling of these modes by these veterans. These corpers should have, at the end of the seminar, sound knowledge of how to carry out these tasks in their stations. This process may be more spiced if local celebrities such as actors/ actresses, models, artistes, speakers and celebrated authors and humanitarians volunteer to be attached regionally to stations. People would definitely flood the Mile One Park in Port Harcourt with their books and pencils if they got wind of Richard Mofe Damijo’s Free English Lecture on Friday at Mile One, 5:00pm prompt or Osuofia’s Arts and Crafts Class on Saturday Afternoon at the Upper Iweka, Anambra State. These celebrities shall be at these places monthly but shuffled biannually so that the process retains its spontaneity.

Another means to take more learning to more people is bringing these lectures to the radio stations and television programmes nationwide at least three times a day, in the mornings just before the news; afternoons during lunch; and in the evenings just before closing. Three subjects a day with a basic academic scheme that runs monthly including weekend revision sessions (which shall revisit all that has been done in the course of the week). This is more so the case as these programmes shall be interactive and shall have begin and end with popular demand music tracks as shall change from time to time. To encourage and reward public commitment and patronage to these programmes, tests and examination questions thrown open to the public to call and answer them. To further boost public participation, calls made to these academic tests and examination shows should be charged extremely minimally or completely free. Awards scholarship and of certificates of participation should be issued to participants based on the number of attempts they made and their performance at the tests and examinations. As time advances, there could be all night tutorial radio and television shows on Friday nights breaking Saturday morning in preparation for these tests and examinations. This is more so the case as these tutorials can be recorded and sold at a subsidized rate to the general public at book shops nationwide. Academic literature and cartoons may be included in the print media everyday so as to serve as a reference point to the general public and also encourage the general public’s paying attention to current affairs. There could also be billboard signs which further advertise these lectures and their schedules to the public at strategic places nationwide.

Unarguably, the art and act learning is Nigeria’s key to a better society wherein people are more enlightened to know what is proper and what is not; what to believe and what to discard; where to go and where not to; what to say and what not to. This is more so the case as this further prepares Nigeria to compete in a sophisticated yet simple world as it is today and it will become as time and knowledge advances. After the above have been successfully pursued and accepted then we can join we world community on the internet, creating and emerging a new generation of cyber Nigerians who are not only prepared to storm the world but redefine her with that which is not only enviably Nigerian but also proudly African

Ma beru, I'm here

Love in pain’s place

I'm here to brighten the plane

To teach you forgiveness

To shame anger

Prayer in tear’s time

I’ll listen to bring you here

And my words will make you strong

Laughter in fear’s chair

I’ll walk with you

Fire will seem feathers in the breeze

And storms will be a mild rustling of bubbles of air bubbles

Ma beru, let it go

Let this fear be nothing to be

Ma beru, I'm here

To teach you laughter

To teach you Love

To listen

To make you strong

Ma beru, I'm Olorun

Ma beru, It is Me

Education can Change the World

Proferring definitions are difficult because terms have multiple meanings and are hard to articulate. Thus single definitions would not be all encompassing but misleading. However, explanations within the context would be more expedient. Education springs from the Latin word ‘Educatio’ which translates to English words such as train, erect, breed or take out. ‘Most powerful’ hints certitude in a state of superior effectiveness. ‘Weapon’ may pass for either an instrument in hand or one within reach. ‘Use’ denotes application. ‘Change’ translates to either a slight alteration or complete transformation in the state of affairs of a particular concern. ‘The world’, I dare to say, is space, humanity, environment and time within a definite chronological and geographic confine. In this light, all is fused and explained as ‘training can hit the world so hard, it can transform space, humanity, environment and time’.

The world has been hit one time too many in the course of history. These hits have been occasioned by servitude, natural disasters, world wars, revolutions, the holocaust, gay movements, technology, terrorism, social networks...the list is endless. These invasions by factors (however not external) have weathered and brought the world to where it is today. This is more so the case as it has set the world on the journey beyond the designation of day, night and seasons- The destination of a higher rationality, a more worthwhile existence. It has led the world to the practice and search for consciousness, enlightenment and freedom. Invariably, all three concerns put together are very nature of education. In the light of this, education beams as the most formidable of the actors, factors, objects, goals and weapons capable of changing the world.

The alteration or transformation of the world through the leadership or training of human minds and trust has stood its ground in the past as it is doing today. However, the measure of good or bad that shall result for such transformation would be a reflection of ‘who’ or ‘what’ controls the process. Thus giving light to the words of Mahatma Gandhi ‘Non violence (vice or virtue) is not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part of our being.’ The mind, the human seat of consciousness is the target.  On December 25, 2009, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab stood as the Nigerian proof that the human is capable of defending that which is ‘good’ as he has been taught to believe and love.

John Dewey opined that ‘...education is life itself’; scepticism is ‘the mark and even the pose of an educated mind’. Nigeria needs to fearlessly rise above our cliché system by capturing and training Nigerian minds with the expedient methods- an X mind matching an X method, alongside a revolutionary impartation with the more expedient versions of truths, facts, visions, goals, laws, policies, rights and duties, and thus wield this weapon.

Let Afro spark...

Hey there! I was up till the early hours of today and felt this incline to share my thoughts with you on one of the simple ways to revolutionise Africa. It is actually an excerpt from my Undergraduate Long Essay.

'Unarguably, a better defined Africa and Nigeria is needed. In the light of this, I dare to search beside Lord Denning for a new outlook (which is now not only needed in Equity but also in field of the African Human Rights). On this note he submits (and I agree with him):

But where is it to be found? It is I think, to be found in the new spirit, which is alive in our universities. The law schools there do not content themselves with recording the law as it is. They are more concerning themselves with the law as it should be. They are exposing the fallacies and failings of the past and are beginning to point the way to a new age and a new equity. When the present generation of students comes to take their place amongst the judges and practitioners of the future, there will, I trust, be found among them many with a new outlook, which will give us the new equity (Africa and African Human Rights) we so badly need.[1]

In this light we opine here that Africa’s morality should be thrown open to the African youths and undergraduates(from all over the continent) to define after the latter has been transformed through and in course of an organised week long festival set aside to exhibit, celebrate and imprint Africa. This festival shall be known as the Afrospark Festival. It shall run as described below within a selected African state which has been prepared to be good enough to reflect Africa’s unity.

In the course of the festival, the youths shall be given by of Essay Topics, Future Rights. Future Rights, as referred to here, connotes the rights given to the Festival participants to apply. Through writing, their own self-enacted laws and philosophies to events not occurred yet, perhaps one fictitious in accordance with what they think is expedient half way into the Afrospark Festival week.

On the first day we shall have the registration of participants (undergraduates and historians who shall serve as judges), opening ceremony, announcement of Essay topics. On the second day there shall be the moon light play programme- wherein there shall be viewing of movies that tell the truth of African stories such as Amazing Grace and Black November (both produced by Jeta Amata); there shall also be plays, poetry session, moonlight tale telling in the open with every one seated on the sand, interactive tale and movie review and cultural dance performances.

On the third day there shall be essay rounds which shall include written and oral interview rounds. On the fourth day there shall be excursions to places of interest which are of historical African relevance. There shall also be crafts and gymnastic display by the natives.

On the same day, there shall also be the Secrets and the Sand Session wherein the men and the women shall split into two groups (All males in one group and the other all females in the other). In the course of this they shall share and constructively discuss, analyse and criticise the norms and values that accrue to their gender under their native African custom. After these, the best nine essay entries shall be announced.

The next day the top nine shall be allowed to express their essay idea in any manner they deem fit. It could be videos, slide presentations, poetry, dance, singing, reading, and speaking. But creativity will be highly rewarded. The judges shall be a select few from the natives of the town in which the festival was held alongside academics, artists, writers and artistes. The winner shall be judged on his/ her ability to see the good in Africa, celebrate and develop it for him or her and the generations to come. After this round, the all the participants shall all be taken to where we shall have the burn fire dance, dinner and photographs in the course of which the winners shall be announced and other awards shall be presented for other categories. Albeit the case, all these shall be forecasted life on the satellite so that the world may see Africa and the life within her and may also join in the activities therein by updates on the Afrospark blog or website. Invariably, we shall be giving Africa voices and real faces. The effect of this is that we would be training the future legislators, presidents and judges. We would be giving them an invaluable experience that they will cherish for the rest of their lives. They shall also be guided by the light of their collectiveness and the leading to preserve and realise all that they have learned. Thus bringing it into their lives and making these values have a louder voice both in their lives, and in their relation with one another and with the society at large.

It is pertinent note here that the first edition of the Afrospark Festival was concluded at the time of the writing of this long essay, however, it was not a full blown one week event but was an essay competition (organised by the Organised Press- Crew- a service unit in the Pentecostal Fellowship of Madonna University)[2] calling to the Nigerian graduate to solve the Nigerian problem with intuitive Nigerian solution having been given a defined scope and subject matter-humanity.'

For more info look up afrosparknigeria.blogspot.com, and theorganisedpresscrew.blogspot.com

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[1] Fabunmi, J. O, Equity and Trust in Nigeria, Ile-ife. Obafemi Awolowo University Press (2006) 2^nd Edition P.7.

[2]Organised Press Crew,  The Afrospark Essay http://theorganisedpresscrew.blogspot.com/2013/03/storm-world-in-words-and-win-you_7341.html(retrieved on 04/08/2013).

The Nigerian Tomorrow

“Nigeria is such a mess right now. Just when we thought that Boko Haram is permanently resident in the North, Rumuokoro got bombed. It is terrible I tell you. See what is happening at the Federal level.... The future of Nigeria is only the same here at another time. Trust me, fifteen years from now, we will still be witnesses to the mass bloodshed, poverty and corruption....Let us be realistic, nothing is changing anytime soon.” As guilty as I am to be part of this reality, I cannot swear on my doubt of Chuks prediction. Unfortunately, it was the future we both discussed -The future of Nigeria.

Nigeria’s status quo is no secret. Awareness of it is enough rape into the guilt of being part of the system that feeds it. Amongst a lot, today Nigeria thrives of the misconception of what may constitute true religion and acceptability of certain practices. Many do not know the genesis of this, but today the dance is quite a trend. Christmas Day 2011 was not much of an amusing joke and the several Jos bombings too. Painful as it was and still is, some of our very own men regard the bombing and mass killings of fellow men as necessitated by the ‘Nigerian circumstance’- the same circumstance that we share and should work together towards ameliorating. 

Nonetheless, efforts have been made by the government to salvage the situation. First it was the employment of dialogue, amnesty, and now arrests. As commendable as they may seem, they do not negate the fact that, everyday, at least one Nigerian child somewhere is fed with a very good measure of hatred, disappointment, poverty, frustration and anger for her society- her country. She may only be seven years old and may not know what a bomb or pistol looks like, but she recognizes the hunger in her belly, the bareness on back, and the hatred in her heart. She is nurtured to accept her individuality and independence as the description of her fate to the detriment of a society who regard her existence a burden, humiliation or even a mistake. On the other hand, there is another who may have sprung up from ‘nobility’ but has been taught by her kin that propriety demands that she spills human blood to be ‘saved’. They are just two out of the millions of other categories of Nigerian children who are born and fed with the similar darkness on other days of the year. The three things these children have in common is their mind, time and the magnitude of their energy.

I am a writer, child tutor, brother, son, mentor and training to be a lawyer. Yet the truth is, I am also a slave and victim to as much stubborn misconception as thrives in our society today as constitutes a threat to our existence as a people bound by a common ancestry and destination. But then, have we not all at one time in our lives or the other been guilty of this same misconception? Forgivably, concession to guilt is the first step to progressive restoration.

I am sorry

Ndo, I am sorry

Dear God, I am sorry

I hope I am not making this prayer too late

I am sorry

This is pain

This is pain, I can’t deal with

I am sorry

Ndo, nwannem

I am sorry

I saw you fall before you did

I am sorry

I did not warn you

I am sorry

I did not help you

I am sorry

I did not mourn you

I am sorry

Ndo, I am sorry

I am sorry, I am sorry

There is nothing I can say

Even now to a stranger

I am sorry

I refused to help you

I am sorry

I did not pray for you

Ndo, I am sorry

When the flames took you away, I was asleep

I am sorry, I am sorry

I don’t have an excuse

I am sorry

I did not run after you,

I am sorry, I am sorry

I am sorry my brother

I am sorry my neighbour

I am sorry my hall rep

I know it’s certainly not early enough

But my heart won’t quit saying I am sorry.