Originally published in an anthology titled ‘IF YU HIE SE A DE PRIZIN’’ (Antoloji of puem-dem fo Naija) edited by Edwin Eriata Oribhabor
“Ghost” Man
Anoda pesin “ghost” don enta mai bodi
A no nou im nem
Bot a nou se na man
Fo di we a fil di “burn” fo front of mai leg fo nait
I bi laik se…
Fo monin we a wek si lait shain fo windo
Bifo a go rich mai wok fo oga kompaund
Luk mai fes insaid lukin glas
Mai “hair” we plet laik snel
Mai “teeth” we de shain wit fain gap fo senta
Mai bobi we im flesh soft laik bred
Mai yansh we raund an kom braun laik kokonot
An a fo sho, dat di pesin fo mai front na wuman
Na fo niat
Wen di onli tin a fit si bi di insaid of mai ai
Di won we vex pas di “moon”
Di red we ‘’sting’’ pas moskito
Na fo nait
A nou se na man “ghost” we don enta ma bodi
A wan nou im nem
Fo wen i tel mi mek a tek smol gon
Mek a go fo insaid kompaund
Mek a put pilo fo mai oga fes
Mek a pul smol gon
Mek a finish am
Mek a tek im moni
A wan tel dem se no bi mi
Na dis pesin
We enta mai bodi
Na im, we go kil gud man.
Yes Sa!
Yu bi big man
Oga man
A bi big biznes intanashonal hostlaman
Yu no respet wuman man
Shebi wuman komot fo yo big man bodi
No bi se yu no laik wuman dem
God sef sabi dis won
Yu laik dem wel wel
Bot yu de wonda hau big man
Fit de empti an notin notin
An a ask yu
Weda yu “reap as you sow”
An yu se no
So mi tu riplai
Yes sa!
Sef-poblishment
A jos de tink hau i go bi
if a de get som moni fo mai puem buk
we a de polblish, bot pipul we de poblish
buk de tel mi se, pipul de onli laik puem we
dem rait wit konk Langwej an fo mai maind,
i go beta mek pipul we laik konk Langwej,
mek dem go rid di baibul oo di Koran
an a de tel dem se mek dem geraut
bikos onli mi go poblish dis buk bai maisef
if fo England pipul de laik buk we bi laik se
na God rait am, a jos de se, mi no bi God
so wai dem no go de rid laik se dem bi human bin
bot a go jos de wonda fo laif, a go de ask maisef se
wai a go de west ol mai taim de rait ol dis puem dem
wen i no go ivun fit mek mi get moni we a go tek
pe fo mai rent, mai fud an to bai klot, an ol dis puem dem
de mek mi no de fit wek op kwik fo monin wit laf fo mai
fes, an de hapi wit mai family pipul
so, a de pre to God we sabi rait koret koret puem dem
wai a no go wek op tumoro an kom de laik to stop
to de rait puem bikos, di tin no go mek mi rich
so, a de pre to God to helep mi stop to de rait puem.
an wen a wek op fo monin, an wen God kom ansa
mai preya, a kom de krai
a no nou wetin a go du.
Minna Salami is a Nigerian-Finnish writer and the founder of MsAfropolitan, a multiple award-winning blog covering contemporary Africa and Diaspora society and culture from a feminist perspective. Minna is a member of the Duke University Corporate Education Global Learning Resource Network. She is also a contributor to the Guardian Africa Network and a Huffington Post contributor.
Three Poems by Minna Salami
