Road Trip to My Birth Place

We took off under cloudy skies hiding the shy sun with no trace of it rays 

Well dressed passengers and a graceful driver driving at a moderate pace 

Mildly air conditioned bus, air tight, sitting comfortably. Ten in all including the driver 

Radio Nigeria announcements with repeated cautions on Ebola virus cold death shivers 

Black asphalt with vegetated side walks, with a tropical landscape of Aninri 

Brief slumber to rest my weak bones, comfort  left me dreaming my future black Lamborghini 

Over five bridges and a plain asphalt supposedly paved by Ikekweremmadu 

This is Africa, just as depicted by foreigners on their movies of cock and bull 

Swamps, lakes and lagoons of green waters. Electric poles with no lined wires 

Quarry, underground filling station tanks, block industries and lorries with fat tyre 

This road is crooked well tarred cloudy paths with villagers with perfect smiles 

Naira and Kobo recreational garden and road  blocks on Afikpo miles 

Off the tarred road briefly to another narrow path where villagers cover distances on foot 

Women on motorcycles transporting plantain fingers drinking herbs and roots 

I made sure I stayed awake because I will drive my car back through this intersection 

My mind won't even doubt my thoughts; poor nigga making rich decisions 

Yeah I live in a city where I don't fit in, where I got no riches and got no joy 

Headed to the land of my birth and wealth, lord have mercy on a prodigal boy 

Wow! A large river stretched under both wings of an armature bridge 

Averted bus collision on high speed sent fear down my spine and loin grid 

The sun is not smiling yet, grooving on a Saturday morning of a long bus ride 

Where are we? Looking around for a signpost within the Ugep drive 

Neat road with trees very beautiful giving a comfortable shade on the path 

Mr. Nice orange building, Vanny suites, spoilt trailers and road block of sand bags 

Small market with lots of young girls on short dresses carrying basins of garri 

Boys on bamboo benches Lazying and pointing out girls probably for an after party 

There are more palm trees than grasses around here and the road is getting messy 

Itune farms? I swear that's what I saw on the sign post. Yes the road is still messy 

Lots of highly inflammable oil tankers sandwiching our bus constantly 

Laborers laying down network pipes within the vegetation lands if the poor county 

This is as green as I love life, very green, I wish my city will stop cutting down trees 

Small cars switching lanes, my Nigeria looked as innocent as I was before the leaders of greed 

You should travel through this road, it's path is beautiful and the journey graceful 

Is it always this wonderful? I wondered relentlessly, or was it because the morning is peaceful?

MTN and Etisalat expelled GLO and Airtel networks, observing my four phones 

Plain white Ts - Welcome to my mystery, mildly on my skinny headphones 

Biase and their mud houses, clusters of church signposts and child labour 

The sun is now smiling and I'm sighting a nasty deforestation and it's horror 

My grandma's local government; Akamkpa with busy citizens on a broader road 

Grandma's daughter had an itchy finger son grandma couldn't see grow 

I'm the words tycoon, Eddie you all know me, see my on your local magazines, I'm a Buccaneer 

Now journeyed across paths to my birth place to come back loaded like a privateer 

National park service down a valley path, gravel loaded tippers with shirtless drivers 

NNPC opposite MRS, indomie plaza up a hilly path with ashy coal tars 

Odukpani local government, more vegetation  but with tall trees this time around 

Akimoh's heights, skinny tall trees and a narrow strait road graced with jazz sounds 

I was born here and left when I was three with little or no memory at all 

The joy in my chest could make my heart creep out from the cage of my ribs and stand tall

Tinapa by the right and the road leads strait with a feel of Calabar attitude 

Thank God for journey mercies just the perfect time for my phone to play Dammy Krane's Gratitude 

- The Vyrus