Contemplation on the Odu Oyekun Ika (oyekun bika)

These are brutal times
These are terrifying times
These are times like no other
Scream the oppressed from the minarets of their mind
Only to wake up moments later
Alone in bed
Face buried in pillow
Crying to an audience of one
Nothing changed
Each generation's downtrodden
Fills the oceans of despair with their tears
A painting drawn over and over again
Each time with new faces and backdrops
Different yet oddly similar
When viewed from a distance
Eyes blurred
The mind sees our problems
Remain unchanged
Oppression
Greed
Fear
Judgement
The strange irony is that
More often than not the powerless
When given power
Act very much like the oppressors they
Fought just days before
There is not a single one
Among us
Who has not given in to the temptation of
Judgement
It is sadly
Human
In fact I would wager many of you are
Right now
Judging me for these words
Change is not made in
Minutes
Hours
Days
Change is made in
Months
Years
Decades
Don’t for a second think you are
Better than your oppressors
They too were children once
Suckling on their mother’s breast
We can only do this together
We will only survive by
Recognizing the demons that
Live within us all
Remaining vigilant in keeping them at bay
Always thinking to ourselves
There but for the grace of Luck go I