It was a dark night in May at Durbar Creek Across the marshland, the wind blew slowly
Palm trees of a strange country stood on the shores
And the people stood in chained sores
The whips of the master whistle through the air
A crack on their backs to urge them on
A pale moon reflects on the dark water
And salt seeps into wounds of slavery
Torchlights held to alien faces appear from trees
Thin lips turn to crescents at the smell of the long sea journey
The bidders prod the flesh of the freeborn
Fingers pinch the dignity of the strong ones
The chief raises his head to look into their eyes
The words reach in the wind
Orimiri Omambala bu anyi bia
Orimiri Omambala ka anyi ga ejina
Their voices rise with the chant
The frogs croak with the lament of these newcomers
An eerie song is taken up
And the music of their chains lead their voices
All men were born free
Chukwu makes no man lord over the other
The ancestors call to their spirits to be strong
And together, they all walk into the deep
One by one the water closes over them
And the shouts from the shore
Become nothing more than a hum of defeat
Quietly, they make their journey home
It is often told under moonlight
Two hundred years after that night
How the whispers are heard at Ibo Landing
When the marshes are silent and the chains of the dead rattle
The fishermen will not cast their lines
In the dark waters of Durbar’s Creek
The chief leads his people to the homeland
A slow procession of free souls fly over the waters
Orimiri omambala bu anyi bia
Orimiri omambala ka anyi ga ejina
sad, melancholic, but nice. .free frombondage and slavery. .
Pitiful. Sad. Dark. Gothic. Rabble-rousing This isn’t a legend, as it actually happened. Thank you Umari. Well put.”…GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!!”
Truly,’ all Men were born free. Chukwu makes no man lord over other’.Say No To Slavery!!!!!
Beautiful as always!
nice but sad
Say no to slavery. If only such bravery still abound in this present times. I still cant believe how six (though with a gun), can overpower 148. If they are mobbed in unison the death rate might have been reduced. But again who wants to die first. Just saying. Sad.
Correction……….. Say no to slavery. If only such bravery still abound in this present times. I still cant believe how six (though with a gun), can overpower 148. If they were mobbed in unison the death rate might have been reduced. But again who wants to die first. Just saying. Sad.
Nice piece but sad, may the Lord help us. Slavery is really baad.
Bravery and resolve..
Modern day slavery is still a menace.. I pray the world is truly liberate someday.
Nice one
wow…i do not enjoy poetry… i was hoping to read born again, you can imagine how downcast i felt when it was not it, but then your lines caught my attention and stanza after stanza i read on. i love this poem umari
i do not like poetry… i was hoping to read Born again…i was downcast when i saw it was a poem. then the lines caught my attention and stanza after stanza i read. i love this poem Umari
Hello Umari and a good one you have here. but pls, when would Born Again’s next series be released? Am tired of having to refresh all the time, my data expired after the last series and I rushed to renew thinking the next series would have been out but what do I know, there has been no post all this while and my data would be expiring in a few days. Honestly I love you but I just don’t like your style of keeping us waiting and refreshing all the time, the interest is beginning to wane. Pls and pls, let’s have an update soon on Born Again. Thanks and God bless you.