Under the Tropical sun, strung
Rumbling like the sea on which she sits
A tornado ride in an amusement park
- exciting, enthralling, endangering.
Tinubu Square
cage of medley mammals
Cars honking
Pedestrians cursing
Hawkers, their wares, hawking
Customer! Customer!
They attack
like hawks sighting a prey
Made in England!
Made in America!
Made in Japan!
Made in China!
The farther, the better.
Hustlers, pick pockets
Naira, Dollars changing hands
faster than a Japanese sonic train.
Ashiri a bo!
Ashiri a bo!
Beggars belch on Carter Bridge
Mosques blaring prayers
Waves of discordant noises
swaying, coaxing.
Serene and sizzling
like a rebirthing snake
under the evening sun, she naps
Seducer of Portuguese slavers
Idumota Lagoon
transporting King Sunny Ade and his African Beats
through iron-barred windows and quadruple-locked doors
Dubbed melodies serenade the night
Ole! Ole! Ole!
Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa! Papa pa!
Robbers and cops battling for the night street
like old American cowboy movies.
A synthetic jungle under the frying sun
dozing but never asleep
My Lagos.
Birgitta Heikka
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/my-lagos/
