The Palm-nut of this World
I am in this world, I am not in this world
Because the affairs of this life are too unfair
So, tell me, what cause do I have to show my teeth to the world?
Life is a bottom pot to those who have licked it;
For those who have tasted the sweetness of bottom pot
Should show teeth as white as snow
While we reflect on this country sitting on time bombs
that has filled us with nothingness,
The nothingness that has built staircases with our lives.
What is my share of joy in this world?
The palm nut of this world is not for those who can’t crack it,
The palm oil of this world is not for those without a chewing stick,
The firewood of this world is not for those with blunt axes.
Life indeed is a bottom pot to those who have licked it
So, tell me, why should I join those whose whiteness is as chalk?
I have been on the move from childbirth…
nothing seems to move in my direction:
I have been here. I have been there…
nothing seem to be in the places I had been
And age like a weaver bird is weaving my head with white hairs.
The palm nut of this world is not for those who can’t crack it,
The palm oil of this world is not for those without a chewing stick,
The firewood of this world is not for those with blunt axes.
Yes, it is for those who have tasted the sweetness of the bottom pot
Look at me, I have been in the bush cutting wood,
I have been there setting firewood
And I have been here fanning embers…
when it comes to licking the bottom pot
I am shoved and pushed to where I belong:
I am in this world, I am not in this world
The palm nut of this world is not for those who can’t crack it,
The palm oil of this world is not for those without a chewing stick,
The firewood of this world is not for those with blunt axes.
Yes, it is for those who have tasted the sweetness of the bottom pot.
About this poem
This poem depicts life - life is sweet to them that has made it, bitter for those who haven't made it.
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Written on February 17, 2022
Submitted by Kudietei on November 20, 2022
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:58 min read
- 5 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | Abacdxxxx aCEF cx xxbxx CEF DggxdxA CEFD |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 1,828 |
Words | 393 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 9, 4, 2, 5, 3, 7, 4 |
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"The Palm-nut of this World" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 31 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/144658/the-palm-nut-of-this-world>.
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