Amuse: Poetale of a town boy

I have become the village belle

Just that in fact, I am not a girl

Nene was so good in eulogizing me

She sang of my praises even when I did nothing

She told the villagers about my escapades in the city

She told them of my big eye glasses and how it fit my face

And how it seem that the glasses wore the face instead

Now she told them the stories I was ashamed to tell

And how I wore long pants with a string they call beletu

Okay, the sweet memories I kept in this hamlet

Seem to outweigh my disapproval of the city life

I forgot that picking other peoples mango fruits

Was a great taboo, if so I am guilty… I just remembered

When the evenings came in the countryside

Nene will be the first to come take me for a walk

She will tell me to hide in the tree silhouettes

And not to let the wild boys of the hamlet see me

Why she said so I can not really tell

Well, I could feel the boys treat me with distaste

The evening was not like the town nights

The hamlets were lighted with the kerosene lamps

And smell of peoples dinner rented the air,

As we passed some of the windows on the huts

Nene will tell me, hold your nose akpiri

And she will laugh out loud in the darkness

I see her white teeth shine but not her

For Nene was chocolate brown and the night will not discover her

The trek to the village square were they sold palm beer and pork,

Where Mallams sold also the tasteful Suya which scatter my head

Was quite interesting… crickets buzzed in the darkness

And bright stars glittered up the dark, cloudy skies

Nene will let me use my little savings to buy those sweet things

And she will yell out big brother each time she wanted to deceive me

But the pain always was to go home when it was time,

When we returned from our evening walks

For warm showers and spicy hot soups

I feel the joys that come with me staying away from the city

Commentary.

Beletu: Belt

Akpiri: long throat

Suya: grilled meat with crushed ground nuts and spices.

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