NiGERiA 4 Real
Colorful designed cloth wrapped around
waists with a matching head wrap.
Women balancing large loads on their
heads with a baby wrapped securely on their back.
Dirt roads with pot holes and traffic
that rivals that of LA.
Little street shops selling bread,
biscuits and oil in plastic bottles.
It is more common to have a dry faucet
than water coming out of it.
The electric bill comes whether the
lights were on or off for the month.
The sound of the generator has become
comforting because it means the fan is on.
Bagged water is for hydration and
crucial as a cooling measure at night.
Front door is always locked.
Rod iron bars on the windows.
I look over the wall, over the barbed
wire, to try to catch a glimpse of the blue sky.
Trying to catch a glimpse of God’s
creation but all I see is trash lining the street.
Where are the sunsets that I loved in
Masai land?
Where are the acacia trees?
It is different here than in East
Africa.
But I will love it anyway.
I will respect and enjoy the culture.
I will ask to see Nigeria the way God
sees it.
I will make the most of my last
month here in Africa.
