Freedom By Crooks Poem by Oluseyi Akinbami

He wanted to speak
Therefore, he called a group
And named himself
Affiliates his honor to a deity
A natures reverence to the unseen is accorded to him
For the name he bares

They wanted to sing and dance
To allay the guilts which they bore
By the ancient, pronounced exile from Eden
As substitute to His Substitute
They gather around the man who wanted to speak
And provoke him with different looks to spur his inspiration

They wanted a space where their group can gather
In the name of the deity whom they portray pretentious
And traders of tambourines, drum, bells, woods zincs and cement
Make a living from their labors
In huts and rooms a convergence inviting

He has a book which he never read
Or read yet understand nothing of the wits
Yet he wanted to speak and called a group to himself
And compelled them by words to read along
They buy from stores where merchants make more money

They wanted a cure to a deep-rooted curse and guilt
But hoped by songs and dance and word without Him
To allay their fears of an impending doom which they bare
They all by choice allowed a way to douse temporarily the burden which bare
Ignoring The Way which the Substitute had announce

These are not very free and they claimed they are not totally bound
Thought no freedom is half in Nature
And no bondage is sweet to bare
By proclaiming positive ness contained in the books
They hoped to someday be free

Through many gimmicks
Made a ready troupe
And all waiting
For the man who lead the group
A monopoly of private podium
Never erred or never telling his errors


But he must speak as he spoke days ago
Success by number adjudged
And pride his power in multitudes
All confused by his oratory annulled of His truth
Which by conscience, he knows
And we know too


They wanted freedom
Like I do too
Which only comes through cleansing, from the old rugged cross
By Poverty, Nakedness, Persecution, disdain, shame, Ignominy
As a stranger
Unloved unsought and sentenced to die by martyrdom


By Macaulay Akinbami