Sentinel Expression Warehouse July 2004

Shine Your Eye

For this country, life dey smell
Like pig belle we don sour well well;
Come hard like dry coconut
Wey water no fit from inside comot
Even if you like crack am for ground.

When mid-night don dey reach
Small girls go begin wakka wakka like witch,
Dey find big man we go deposit
Money for quick action; collect HIV as receipt.
Chei! Bad thing don plenty like sand sand.

Anyhow, people must survive for Lagos,
Graduate become conductor for Molue bus,
PhD throw way CV begin sell pure water
School-cert holder don become four-one-niner.
Trouble dey our papa land.

Before cock crow, Lagos don begin dance
Danfo drivers don begin dey shout, “One chance!”
To capture the J.J.C wey dey hurry hurry
Why because, mugu no dey fininsh for Oshodi.
Mugu fall- Guy man pick money for ground.

My brother abeg shine your eye
Lagosians dey like tie-and-dye
Clothe, dye and design dey always change
Because survival get grade by grade -stage by stage.
Crime and survival be husband and wife for our land.

Copyright James Amuta 2004.

James Amuta is a Nigerian poet. 23 years old. A graduate of English &