(For Frank Kokori)
Frankly speaking……
So he has gone the way of ancestors
Not in a chariot of fire
Not in a golden carriage
Not on the wings of the eagle
He strode back home
On a path cleared by our common prayers
He swung his hands by his side
As he swayed to our songs of honour
Rare brand in this clime of caviling compromise
True in his word, true in his deed
He knew what part of the sky begat the sun
So he walked all his life in perpetual Light
When darkness seized the land
And gun-toting despots assailed our Freedom
He risked life and job and pitched his tent
On the side of those who labored for a chainless future
For he was a Leader who knew how to follow
Scion of our devastated Delta
He knew the perilous particularities
Of the politics of oil
Truth over tribe, science beyond superstition
He was there when a foul Annuller
Imperiled our Liberty, and he stood forefront
In the army which challenged his gun
Sleep well, worthy Compatriot
You remain a Hero in a land still
In desperate search for lasting values
Frankly speaking……
Niyi Osundare, one of Africa’s foremost poets and academics, is Emeritus Distinguished Professor of English, University of New Orleans.
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