Vicious Sting Poem by Chris Jibero

Without means man is but
an empty chest bereft
of treasure
stripped of pride and poise
divested of honour, gait and
glory and standing aloof like
a dumped damsel bemoaning
her loss and ravished
in anguish like a thumb
at war with whitlow

Like a road haunted
by mischievous evil spirits
is he with no means
avoided and deserted
a babbling baby he is
before the congregation of fools
made wise by their means

Abandoned like Ndiegoro
pestered with disdain and
contempt which follow him like
flies married to ogiri
cos no means confers
embarrassment on a man

No means flashes its
torch of dejection
at every wake
like a petty policeman
at an illegal night check point
But unstaggering love, faith
and hope remain the
balm for a man stripped
of his epaulette
of manliness by the vicious
sting of no means.

(c) Chris Jibero.1990.