Baskadia

At a Time

At a time, I wish I was a toddler

Strapped to my mother's back

With my mouth sulking my fingers

My mother's "Oja" firm around me

My buttocks held together by napkins

With nothing on my mind

than to suck my mother's milk

At a time, I wish I was still very young

Running around the village square

With friends who know nothing like myself

Our sandaless feet plying the village mud

Our mindless mind filled with nothing but endless joy

We don't know if danger looms around

.

At a time, I wish I was still the young school lad

Bouncing off to the missionary school

With epa and banana in hand,

I wish I was still the young school lad

Trying to pronounce the first letter of the Englishman's tongue

But I detest the teacher's ceaseless cane

But at this time,

Here I am, walking the busy street of Lagos

with my papers and nothing in my tattered pocket

We have learnt the whiteman's language

We have gone to the whiteman's school but

Morning meal is afternoon food

Lunch is dinner

I wish I could go back to being a toddler

By Agiri Taibat Blessing