Abiku Poem by Bakare Oluwagbenga Michael

All hope was built extremely high on your coming;
The hearts of men were gracefully warm with joy the tenderness of your kicks in the womb;
The atmosphere was freed for fresh air in preparation for your coming;
Both friends and strangers await your coming to the world.
At long last, you came down all fine and fresh with your tender blemish free skin;
Your home became a busy arena for joy and laughter;
Gifts were showered upon your parents by both family and friends;
Songs of joy were sang by the old while the young danced to celebrate you;
To make your arrival memorable, your parents made alot of preparations sacrificing a fortune;
Just because your arrival was greatlyanticipated for good.

After so much sacrifice made joyously, you did the unexpected;
You silenced every noise of joy and merriment in your family;
You cut everyone's joy short with the threat to leave;
You stood strongly by the door of life and death for a long while;
Both priests and prophets came down to your rescue;
Even the all powerful chief priest and herbalist come to your rescue;
They all left for their respective homes nodding their heads in shame of being ridiculed by you;
Your mockery on these earthly mighty men showed how much you intended to take your parents' joy away;
At last, you departed the world leaving your family shattered.

Oh Abiku! How much longer shall your parents' joy be cut short by you?
Till when will you put your family in so much reproach?
How much more do you intend to disrupt their peaceful home?
Why do you haunt the joy of everyone close to your family?
Till when will you make mockery of the mighty powers of the earthly priests and herbalists?
Oh Abiku! The nightmare of every priests and herbalists...