“It takes strength to make your way through grief, to grab hold of life and let it pull you forward.” – Patti Davis
Today’s poem is a deeply personal and emotional exploration of grief, anger, and loss.
For the first time, I’ve attempted to write a lyric poem. This particular piece was born out of a profound sense of disillusionment with Nigeria and its leaders that I’ve been feeling for a couple of years now. It focuses on the tragedy of losing faith in one’s country after witnessing the government’s decisions that led to the military killing innocent protesters. The poem captures the raw emotions of mourning not only the lives lost but also the hopes and dreams of a better future, dreams that have now been overshadowed by violence and betrayal.
As I explored lyric poetry for the first time, I found myself challenged to give voice to the unspeakable, to express through words the heaviness of sorrow and frustration. Writing in this form has been both cathartic and revealing, allowing me to explore the depths of the personal and collective grief that many Nigerians have felt since the 20th of October 2020 in ways I hadn’t before. As I have learnt while studying the different types of poems, the power of a lyric poem lies in its ability to distil emotions into their purest form, and this piece attempts to do just that by speaking to the heartbreak of a nation and the pain of those left to carry the weight of loss.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
A Nation’s Heartbreak
Once, I held you close,
believing in your promises,
a land of sunlit skies,
where hope bloomed in the soil,
and dreams were born in the streets.
You were the place of my birth,
the pulse in my veins,
but now, I no longer know your name.
What have you become?
Your flag, once a symbol of pride,
now hangs heavy with the weight of blood,
stained with the cries of the innocent,
their voices silenced beneath boots
that marched for power, not peace.
I watched as our brothers, our sisters,
stood with empty hands raised high—
not in surrender, but in hope,
begging for a future where freedom was real,
where life had value,
but their hopes were met with gunfire,
and the ground drank their dreams,
turning fields into graves.
How do I grieve for you, my country,
when it is you who taught me love?
When the soil beneath my feet feels foreign,
and the streets I once walked in pride
are lined with shadows and fear?
I trusted in your dawn,
but now, the sun refuses to rise.
Where is the justice you promised?
The freedom you waved so high?
The hearts of the fallen beat in me,
their names carved in my soul,
and yet, you bury their memory
with every false word, every broken vow.
You mourn nothing,
but we mourn everything.
I grieve not just for the lives lost—
but for what could have been,
a nation of promise,
now torn apart by greed,
where power silences truth,
and justice is a distant dream.
I have lost faith in your hands,
hands once held out in peace,
now curled into fists.
I can no longer sing your song,
for the melody has become ash in my throat,
choked by the smoke of burning hopes.
But still, in the quiet of the night,
I wonder—
can you be saved?
Can your heart beat again
for the people, for the truth,
for the future we once believed in?
Or are you lost to us forever,
a dream we must leave behind
in the graves of those who dared
to hope?
For now, I carry this grief,
heavy as the silence left behind,
and I mourn not just for the dead,
but for the country
that could have been.
This poem is a reflection on the devastating impact of political decisions that disregard human life and dignity. It’s a tribute to those we’ve lost and a reminder of the importance of staying hopeful, even in the face of unimaginable tragedy. Though faith may waver, our voices must remain strong.
P/s: If you have any questions about creating content, writing, or the poem above, please leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram!
