BALLAD: "ECHOES OF A TIRED NATION" BY OLA WRITES

In the middle of the night
‎Suddenly, the light went out.
‎His room was hot like a bakery.
‎There was nothing he could do but go out,
‎He resisted, but choice abandoned him.
‎
‎Alone outside the room,
‎Resting his head on the bench,
‎He heard a melodious voice.
‎Is it a neighbor? he reasoned.
‎The voices kept echoing.
‎The mosquitoes turned his night
‎Into a relentless buzz‑filled concert,
Stealing every wink of sleep.
‎
‎Back in his room,
‎His wife and three children were sleeping,
‎Like helpless beings,
‎Why won't there be heat? he thought.
‎A room holding five bodies
‎
‎A notification popped up.
‎"What's it all about?" he wondered.
‎"Did someone send me money?" he thought.
‎
‎Oh! It's the season of promises,
‎Time to enslave us again.
‎"Pity us, O Lord," he prayed.
‎Our land has become grief.
‎
‎From the radio station
‎To the television station,
‎"We're the winning team," they echoed.
‎"Vote for us," they shouted.
‎
‎Time to put an end
‎To citizens' suffering,
‎Without knowing
‎They're all bad eggs.
‎Ready to make more unfulfilled promises
‎Expectations always hurt.
‎Do they know?
‎Do THEY?
‎

©️ OLA WRITES

-Nigeria

This poem, _ECHOES OF A TIRED NATION_, is a powerful portrayal of frustration and desperation in Nigeria, highlighting the struggles of everyday life amidst power outages, heat, and political disillusionment. The speaker's nightmarish experience serves as a metaphor for the nation's struggles, with the "season of promises" and "enslave us again" conveying a sense of cyclical oppression. The contrast between politicians' empty rhetoric ("We're the winning team") and citizens' suffering is stark, culminating in a poignant plea for change and a scathing critique of leaders' insincerity, echoed in the haunting question: "Do THEY?"