YOUR BUTTERFLY DOESN'T KNOW

There you are all grown
Flaunting, puffing, sagging
Laying to waste all the glories past.

There you are all rich
Wallowing, selfish, greedy
Stashing away all the common wealth

There you are all warped
Screwed, unthinking, unconscionable
Seeking only the unthinkable

There you are all talk
Wordy, opinionated, arrogant
Doing all talk but little or no action

There you are all shaken
Pinning, hiding, scared
Scaring even the young

There you are all empty
Clueless, Valueless, lacking in foresight
Selling away your children’s future.

There you are all trapped
Surrounded, boxed, hijacked
Sitting through the ignoble national shame

There you are totally clueless
Unknowing
Enmeshed
The ignorance of the butterfly
The freedom you enjoy
The wealth you took for granted
The communion you forsake
The wisdom you disdain
Built on hard work of heroes past.

Your butterfly doesn’t know.

Femi Osikoya
© 15 May 2014