DIDACTIC: "NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS" BY SAILA ABBY

The years we lived were few and far between. When there are no words we danced to the trends of the times before we learned the impact of pain 

Our hearts had no recourse for we were strangers to dirge 

Man, a doomed sailor liked to think he is Lord and Lord of all when he is but a mishappen voyager without a lamp to guide his way

Scoff at his foolishness! 

The elders in their right minds knew there was more to life than meet the eye so they made obeisance to the God unknown, regaling the high seat of the immortal 

The youngster mimick a deluded drunk attempting to pave a new way without counting the cost 

Oh how sudden his fall! 

We bathed in the streams, without shame of sham dignity because our ancestors were men without such encumberment

Having teeth they bit the food of the gods, saluting what they know not yet with reverence 

Is that a tree I see? Have you wondered at his origin?

He stands like an orphan without a father being slave to the whims of men who themselves will see the insides of the belly of the earth 

It's no use, don't try to understand the way of madness.  

Man would stand in his own way

He hasn't learned enough 

While the earth murmurs at the sudden wetness within his sanctuary, man continues to sow discord wrapped in platonic effusion.

©SAILA ABBY 

-Nigeria 

“Never in a Million Years” by Saila Abby is a philosophical and didactic poem that examines human arrogance, the loss of ancestral wisdom, and humanity's disregard for the natural and spiritual order. The poet contrasts the reverence and humility of the older generation with the recklessness and misguided confidence of the younger generation, highlighting man's tendency to challenge established wisdom without considering the consequences. Through imagery of a doomed sailor, an orphaned tree, and the earth's disturbed sanctuary, the poet questions humanity's claim to superiority and exposes its limited understanding of existence. The poem ultimately advocates humility, respect for ancestral knowledge, reverence for the divine, and a more responsible relationship with nature.