Great Men Lived Here Before! Poem by G. Akanji Olaniyi

Great men lived here before
On this earth
They bestrode the length and breadth on the planet
Some were giants, whose names and voices ran heralds
They walked in huge strides
Putting fears into the hearts of humanity
Conquering lands and destroying abodes
And taking all there were in their paths
Some were dwarfs, that controlled giants
Their tools were magics, power and vanity
Fear of the unknowns and the unseens that makes others servants and slaves

Great men lived here before
In the big buildings like castles and palaces
They controlled and commanded tens of thousands and millions
Using the armies that must obeyed to the last order
They exhibited excesses and they never cared
They could jail and order to kill
There were places for confinements
And the masses can be detained, judged or sent to the great beyond

Great men lived here before
They were rich and prosperous
Their wealth and affluence commanded huge influence
All went straight into their heads
They became different and callous
Extravagant and covetous and more
Life meant too little to them
Their actions were hated and disliked
Yet, they never cared
They could buy whatever with their money

Great men lived here before
All walked this surface of the earth
Some were giants and some were little; dwarfs
Some had royal blood flowing in them
Some were leaders, diplomats, administrators and so on
Some were very rich and some were very poor
They were prides of humanity
Exemplary in characters and actions
They preached and practice peace
Their names commanded respected, even in their absence

Great men lived here before
Millions of names; fewer in the history records
They all, now, lived under the earth
The place reserved for all humanity

OLANIYI G. AKANJI
(C) 2015