It Is October Again

and I am supposed to pretend

         to be happy

the way my country always pretends

         to be free?

         It is October again

and I am supposed to pretend

                  there is still hope for a country

that plants bullets

                  in the chests of sucking infants?

         It is October again

and I am supposed to pretend

                  there is a future for a country

that thrusts daggers

                  into the throats of its youths?

         Maybe you were right.

There is no place like home

but you had better stay there.

Stay in the snow.

Stay in the strange.

Stay in the rage.

Stay in the hostile

stares of racists

because this country . . .

                                                      will break

         you

                    the way it broke my uncle’s leg

it will break

                 you

the way it broke my sister’s marriage

it will break

                                         you

the way it is breaking my mother’s life.

You had better stay there

because this country will kill you

the way it killed Somtochukwu Maduagwu

         it will kill you. The way it killed my father

         it will kill you. The way it killed my brother

         it will kill you. The way it killed my grandfather

         it will kill you. The way it is killing my faith.

You had better stay there

Because this country will kill you.

It will slit your skull into the number

of hairs on your stubborn head.

It will kill you for asking questions.

It will kill you for asking for freedom.

         Maybe you were right

the kola nut will not be bitter forever

but you know who is more right?

         Bash Amuneni

and do you know what is now bitter forever?

         the bland-bitter-brutal truth

when he said: This country will kill you

and it intentionally did. On October 6, 2024.