This Is Lagos
by Chinyere Nwosu
Along the road today I saw many people,
Some strolling, some driving and
some standing and just waiting;
Some sitting and chatting,
some holding hands and loving;
Some hugging in welcome,
and some waving their goodbyes.
Amidst the hustle and bustle were many happy people,
counting their blessings, loving the life and hoping for tomorrow to resume the fight;
Many unhappy, perhaps ungrateful,
blaming even the air that keeps them still living;
Many so indifferent about the ups and downs
just waiting for the timer that keeps ticking in rhythm;
Many drivers yelling at each other,
sometimes blowing the steam at no one in particular;
Buses making lanes that push
the pedestrians away from the roads well created as walkways.
Multiple languages are spoken at every corner.
Yes! I find that I fit in and lost all at the same time.
Never mind people, I play the movie in my head
at some moments wondering if Nollywood does notice the competition.
Well, just saying, share a bit of my day and mind you,
some others look the same,
just with different lines and settings.
Whatever the case, I love it all the same.
Hoping for the morrow and all the love that it brings
About The Poem
A typical day in Lagos, Nigeria, is tedious and fun. With the hustle and bustle of the city, the drama has become a regular everyday affair. Lagos is a city inhabited by people of different ethnicity, nationality, and religious beliefs. It is sometimes mistaken as ‘no man’s land’ – of course, the natives of the land hate to hear this. This poem depicts a typical day in Lagos. Welcome! Because This Is Lagos!