Terror In The Land Poem by Babatunde Aremu

Alas! there is terror in the land.
There is hurlyburly in the jungle.
Herds scampered for safety.
The elephants cocooned behind trees;
Lions buried their claws underground;
The tigers wrapped their canines with leaves;
In awe of ferocius alliance of foxes and hyena.

The roaring of the new predators
Shakes the wilderness
Making iroko tree to shed leaves spasmodically.
Date palm delivered prematurely in the savannah.
The bamboo refused to sprout.
The whole land convulsed;
Ushering thick darkness

Alas! the shepherd hues
Seeking for foreign alliance
To tame the marauding scavengers.
The vigilantes are asleep
Leaving the land defenceless
Giving rooms for the allied predators
To match their jackboots on the land.

Tears and sorrows flow in the land.
Lives are caught down at plumes.
Sighs and hopelessness inhabit homes.
The shepherd could not tame the predators.
The jet-lagged guards are fainting
And could no longer fight the predators

Haba! who shall be the next prey?
Where will the predators strike again?
Who is the true owner of the land?
Is it the shepherd or the predators?
Will there be an end to the hurlyburly?
When shall peace reign in the land again?
When shall this carnage cease?
Oh! there seems to be no end at sight
The land is afraid of itself
There is terror in the land
Someone help our motherland.

(IN MEMORY OF VICTIMS OF BOKO HARAM IN NIGERIA)