A Voice From Within - Reginald Asangba Taluah

There was a great trembling
The earth shook
The mountains quivered
And the passing wind waned

In a small hut made of mud
And roofed with thatch
There I lay
On the graveled sand
Born to a peasant family

I came with pain
But I am here to gain
While you were fed with Lactogen and Cerelac
I fed on the wisdom of my mother's breast milk
And I am hear to speak wisdom
Nothing but wit

I cried and cried loud
The deaf heard me
The blind saw my plight
The crippled walked close
And the dumb were moved
But to no avail

You pitiless nations
Mercy they say is easy to give
For it keeps coming
But you refuse to give
And in my longing
I long

A nation lost in tolerance
Blindfolded to virtue
Chaos upon the least provocation
With no brother's keeper

I hear guns fire from far and near
I hear the earthquaking of people as they run
But I do no see the adversary they fight
And baffle at the sight

Brother killing brother
That is my fright
They massacre and ransack
But I remain keen

After the ravaging, who suffers?
After the ravaging, who hungers?
Then do I see the ugly face of war
Having to build what was destroyed anew

Leaders turn against each other
Striving for leadership
Wanting to be served and not to serve
But when I want to oppose the wrong
They keep my mouth shut
Awaiting my reprisal
But I fear no reprisal

For how it pains
How it pains, brother
To live in this world of chains
With no gains
While the wicked and greedy
Care not for the needy
In pain we try
But in vain we cry
Brother, it's painful
Friend, it's ungrateful.