A Platform for Ethnically and Culturally Inspired Music
I
We Are Children!
We make the world go round
but we are taken to the ground
We make ourselves ready to be used
but we are abused!
We make the world a proud place
but we are pushed aside in many ways!
We make up the figure
but we are not shown the gesture!
We make forgiveness our priority
but we are faced with cruelty!
We make the truth our watch-word
but we are influenced by the Liar’s Rod!
We make the world one
but we are treated as none!
We make freedom play out itself
but we are stuck in the growing years of self!
We make ourselves happy at school
but we are not just cool!
We make our elders better brethren
but we are children!
II
The Growing Life of a Child
The moment she knows a ‘seed’ has been sown into her,
All hands would be put in place
So that the seed would have a face
Its care would be of great grace
Everyone involved-man and wife-would work hard
To ensure the seed is not shown the Red Card too early
She would begin to eat healthy food for it to grow well
She would have to endure the pains to avoid the wrong sell
She goes for regular Ante-natal care;
Given the right the medication;
told on what to eat and what not;
This would continue for a couple of months
Until she is due for delivery…
When it’s time,
The pain experienced in the Room of Labour ushers need the grown seed----the baby
Everyone connected to her is happy that the baby has come to stay
It cries aloud to stamp its presence
Tears of joy fill the whole place
as all present are on hand to carry the baby, turn by turn…
The baby’s growth in the world would take a count twenty four hours later…
From a-day-old to a Five-year-old child…
All baby wares are bought
Family members are in deep thought
Over the baby state
Friends and associates come visiting
Admiring the cute-looking baby
The baby begins to see the world days after
It begins to sense the mother’s smell
Her breast, voice and cuddle soon attracts him
He attaches himself to his mother than anyone else
His mother is his first companion
He smiles and cries to gain attention of all
He sucks her breast to quench the hunger thirst.
He sleeps under her arms
As the days go by,
he sees the need to leave his comfort zone.
From being cuddled all the time by his mother
he tries to crawl
Being closely watched by his loving mother,
He makes a fall
He hands and feet are stronger as he attempts the crawl
He soon finds the perfect position
He plays around on his own at times
His mother is there to cuddle him
If he hits his body against the floor
His food soon change;
From breast feeding comes some slightly hard foods
that he would have to start chewing
He cries out
Because his comfort zone of regular breast-feeding is about changing
After sometime, he is used to the diet change
Ten months later, he can not only crawl, walk,
he understand the language of his mother!
His world of fantasy gradually fades
as he faces the real world at age one
He is made to learn the ABC, 123 identities;
Set to go to school at age two
Prepared to go on simple errands by his mother at age three
Told what to do and what not by the same loving mother at ages three and four
His world changes when he is being scolded by his mother
for the things he did but was told they were wrong
He is no longer pampered
As he used to four years ago
His formative years of training and learning had just begun…
Ages six to Twelve…
He is expected to become the best student in school
and well-behaved at home
He is expected to read his books
And carry out assigned domestic chores in the house
He is expected to play with his friends during the day
to come home, read, ear, sleep and prepare for school the next day
His body changes as he grows older;
He is taller than he used to be
When he was seven
His loving mom still loves him
but a touch of discipline is followed.
As he moves on with his elementary education,
he works hard to pass his exams
to gain promotion to higher levels
This is followed up by his mom
and teachers at school.
He looks at his mates in school
and admires their lifestyle
He then takes it home
only for his mom to caution him
At ten, he feels the need to ask some questions
She answers his questions not seriously
but realizes one thing:
the growing life of her son will soon be over…
He prepares for his final exam
to leave the used-to elementary education
for another new one…the high school
At ages 11 and 12
He begins to experience what his mom had earlier realized:
“The passing Away of The Growing Life of a Child”
• “He’’ applies to both genders.
III
The Man; the over-grown boy
(I)
He is fully grown;
Maturity is his crown
He takes on responsibility;
Task carrying is his ability
He is independent;
Service rendering becomes the evident
He decides what he wants;
Situations make the counts
He contributes his quota to the family;
Ideas become what he disseminate actually
He is a leader;
Giving instruction become the feeder
He is living by the law;
Crime is not his character flaw
He is ambitious;
Goal setting defeats the ambiguity
He is a role model;
Others stare at that propel
He is generous;
Needs of people are enormous
He is a teacher;
The Student is the attention catcher
He is a faithful person;
His spouse is the reason
He is rich;
That has been his wish
He admits his wrong;
That makes him strong
But…
(II)
He is still an over-grown male child
His big skin still hides his puerile mind
He still loves to dream
His fantasies are the heights of realm
He still likes toys
His favourite cars are his Lorries
He still seeks for attention
His spouse would mention
He still frowns at competition from his contemporary
His thought feels this will not be temporary
He still wants to be cuddled His wife’s care is the revealed
He still dislikes not having his desires most of the time
His aim is intended not to be cut-off at his prime
He still wishes to be the boy child he was
His attitude seldom says the cause
He still remembers the sweet childhood years
His archived cloth section reveals the wears
He still leaves with the fragments of boyhood
His approach to situations tells the ‘little boy’ of his manhood
He still the man with the over-grown boy look
His living wish of being a child is in his subconscious hook.
IV
The woman; the grown girl
She has come of age!
Her beautiful curves reveals her appeal
She smiles;
Her face speaks of her aura
She has attractive hairdo
That draws men’s attention
She is the pride of her parents
Her character is her pride
She is in love with everyone
Her intelligence is admirable
She is the cynosure of all eyes
Her loving presence is felt by all
She is an experience to behold
Her readiness for greater aspirations lures men to her
She is married to the right man
Her home is built with beautiful children---sons and daughters
But…
She is still has the girlish mind
Her good childhood experiences she remembers
She still loves her Teddy Bear,
Even when she is happily married
Her make-overs is still her body consultant
She still makes use of the mirror
Her love for what her girl kids likes still lingers
She is still Dad’s Little Girl
Her admiration for fashion is still not changed
She still spends on things she doesn’t really need
She still craves for care; even after age seventy
She still wants the world to understand her, though she can’t really understand herself
She still takes good care of her body
Her friends are the known Grown Girls
She still sees herself as the grown girl, despite being married to her husband for fifty years.
--
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