Submitted By: Kifayah Abdul-Quadri

Checks and Balances
Do you dote upon me
Like I forever you?
That the fish does the sea
And the water weeds do?
Would you carve a red wood
Into a blind statue face
Judge, praise, my bad or good
For the sake of love's grace
The sun naps in the west
But a love real and strong
Always new, needs no rest
Though the weather feels wrong
I forgive and forget
For a little while yet.


The Praying Sonnet
Like the brightest sky blue
Lord, make my happiness true
Like the undisturbed sea water
Lord, let not my peace alter
Like the man shedding happy tears
Lord, make me have no more fears
Like the spring water pure
Lord, make my sinful heart cure
Like the cooling sun of the West
Lord, let my heart be at rest
Like a friend or servant devotes
Lord, I pray my heart heeds and notes
And if I'm nearing my grave
Lord, make me bold and brave.


A Child’s Lamentation
Why sit and complain
Help rather than blame
For time spent correcting
Better used resurrecting
Doing the same thing
Calling it a sin
The word of the mouth
Not done can't yell out
A precept with a given
Example is quite even
But an old saying goes
And everybody sows
"Do what is said
Not what is dead"..


Green Snakes
When we first meet them
Gentle as a lamb they are
Pretending to be a star
Never easy to condemn
What follows? A first attack
With no contentions we fight
Trying to put things aright
Hoping never to get a sack
Unknowingly and easily they kill
If a man is useless
His life is worthless
Any corpse is kept in a seal
A well organized conspiracy
In putting an end to democracy.


A Birthday Chant
I will swim the Ogun and Osun rivers
Not turning back or minding the cold shivers
Just to get the celebration some fishes
I won't if it's only against your wishes
I will hit and beat for you my gangan drum
Praising , greeting ,you and where you come from
I shall never stop dancing till my side aches
Or the stick to my drum or my forelimb breaks
Women never go hunting in the forest
I will hunt in the North, South, East West
Searching for the treasurous elephant tusk
That will get to you nothing later than dusk
'Cause you deserve a long lasting joy today
A day many wish and pray is their birthday.


Rain of Peace
They are bad deceived dreams
All ye hopeful streams
You dare not flow at daylight
But flood my sleep at midnight
This rain will not fall
Gathered clouds of gossips are null
The egg yolk is conceived yellow
Boil it and get the same fellow
Take your brains to the oracle
And come back with black miracle
But you cannot fry water to drink
Leave it under the shade and think
Deeply, deeply, till the sunsets
Embrace peace and leave your threats.

Everyday People
The same people complain
The same people are against you
The same people are with you
The same people are not with you
The same people are the same
The same people change
The same people are to blame.
The same people love you
The same people hate you
The same people can kill you
The same people can save you
The same people eat with you
The same people talk about you
The same people are to blame.


The Wind of Peace
Now I can feel it
The wind of peace
Blowing upon my face
Like it never before
Bringing each time it comes
A new feeling from above.
Rushing and flushing
My heart of its sorrows
Heating and beating
My heart with joy
Yelling and telling
My soul of a new beginning
That my inner peace
Had just begun.


Cloth of Influence
Air, an inevitable
Necessity of life
Light, a must for sight
Clouds of sadness
Burst into rain of tears
The command of nature
A full bladder must obey
Humor has no miscarriage
For laughter is born of a good joke
And I know that long water fast
Can be a letter to death
Or a toast to bad health
Wasted resolution in the end
To avoid influence of a friend.


The Accused
BEWARE!
The bear has been wounded

BEWARE!
The bear has been grounded

BEWARE!
Console not the bear

BEWARE!
Tease not the bear

BEWARE!
For he is angry
For he is hungry
The wound is still very fresh
Keep your sympathies till it gets flesh.

BEWARE!

Water of Life
Follow thy lord further
Respect your mother and father
Stones and sinners dwell in hell
Our bad deeds shall foretell
Say and see prayers
Reap visitors in layers
Everything has been made clear
From all shameful ways, flare
Stop! Don't chase the wind
Your models have sinned
Water turned to wine
Is no reason fine
Draw from the well of knowledge
And thy lord shall acknowledge.


Test of Faith
Fear looms large in me
Tears suffer from drought
The land is dry and cracking
There is a famine
The wind is strong and harsh
Cold and unfriendly
It grips my heart
And leaves it worried
I feel so unsure
So unloved
But I know
Allah loves me
And this is but a test
For my weary soul
To be at rest.

©Kifayah Abdul-Quadri, 2002

A wise man listened hard and heard:
"Do not be deceived by what is done but what is said."