ABIKU

Abiku, the born-dead
Round the oil pot
Leaking the grease that bubbles
You neither stay nor leave
But browsing to and fro the earth
Thousands of gold and silver
Will not appease you
Nor sacrifices of a sweet savor
Can make you stay
For the spirits of your
Soul-mates are driven your
Erratic spirit into the ethereal world
Of your kindred.

Abiku, the monster child
Naked you stripped yourself
Under the bamboo trees
With a leaf of plantain
Tied to your waist
In the market of your spirit world.

Your moody countenance drags
In the mud makes your body-stale
And your philosophical scar shows
Your rebirth and the appearance
Of your first stay
Abiku the born-dead
Of the ethereal world.