He raised up his head,
Trying to speak,
Yet speaking nothing.

She opened her mouth,
Trying to mutter words,
Yet nothing coming out.

I can't breathe
Words never to be forgotten

I can't breathe
Words we carry on placards

I can't breathe
Words kicking down whiteness

I can't breathe
Words doing-away with racism

I can't breathe
Words demanding equality

I can't breathe
Words bridging the white and black gap

I can't breathe
Words changing the times

I can't breathe
Words destroying white supremacy

I can't breathe
Words uniting colors

I can't breathe
Words uniting races

I can't breathe
Words signifying unity

I can't breathe
Words causing race inequality uproar

I can't breathe
Words knocking down white brutality

I can't breathe
Words ending police brutality

I can't breathe
Words
Great words
Creating equality for all race
Ending police brutality
Doing-away white supremacy
Uniting all race
Uniting all colors
A must for all nations

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

The creator of the universe
Our whole existence
Our tradition and way of life
The beginning and the end

The divination and religion
Of our people
Odu Ifa our literary corpus
The grand priest of Ifa
The mantle of Olodumare

The builder of the Ifa Oracle
Ile-Ife your city of abode
Orunmila,
Orirun ile Yoruba
The master of Aseda and Akoda
The Aalafin of Yoruba land
The Ooni of the Yoruba mantle

Our spiritual system of existence
Orunmila,
The supreme being
The Orisa of all orisas

Esu bows at your feet
Obatala trembles at your voice
Ogun makes an obeisance at your sight
Osun lays down at your coming
Yemonja proclaims your might

The divination of Ifa
The prophecy of the Yoruba heritage
The founder of earthly beings
The Ese Ifa
Orunmila
The principal Odu

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Players,
Upon people’s weaknesses they play.
Tramplers,
Upon people’s happiness they trample upon.

They preach,
Oh they preach,
Preachers of men,
Preaching their manifestos.

Their mass oppressions,
A whipstroke of slavery,
Keeping freedom away,
Allowing unspoken speeches.

Mr. Government!
Your planting of truth,
Yet acting lies,
Like Lucifer upon earth.

Our lost lands,
The cornering of leaders.
Our cherished freedom,
The bounds of greedy mortals.

Their moral compass,
A dumpling for gutters.
The words of restructuring,
A lie they tell to sleep at night.

The revolting of souls,
A bribery round the corner.
The dawn of a new day,
A shutting down of a never casted dye.

The Bantu they throw at us,
An education of their disloyalty.
Equality they preach,
Yet enjoying the fruits of our labour.

Our heroes past,
A burden dropped,
To be forgotten,
Yet remembered for belly sake.

Me, My belly and I,
A stomach infrastructure,
Catering only to the rich,
Yet diminishing the poor.

The controllers of affairs,
Dictating one’s future
Offering obedient slaves,
A slaughtering for their ****** souls.

Their theatre signatory,
A passing for comedy.
Our leaders,
A legacy of betrayal.

The citations of a bad fruit,
Their forever plantings,
Bringing over odour,
Of sadness and slavery.

An act of niceness,
Yet taking my bones at every given chance.
Giving us no choice,
Yet claiming we have no bounds.

Stirring us along
Giving us hope
Talking of a bright light,
Yet sinking in your treacherous torture.

Stealing of freedom from our lips
Pushing us into the dark quarters
Digging our early graves,
Yet cometh like a Redeemer.

Telling us of your democracy,
Yet ripping off our fundamental rights.
Your dictatorship,
Creating our unfree society.

Coming out,
Telling us of our victorious times,
A bribery to generations,
Yet helping to dig out graves.

Giving heart-warming patriotic speeches
Telling us not to be afraid,
Portraying tunnels of hope,
A bribery we didn’t reject.

Your illusion of a god-complex
Crushing everything in your path
Giving false hope
A mockery we carry on our foreheads

Our daily tyrants,
Walking freely,
Taking slaves,
Yet leaving no man to rise.

We envisaged a better tomorrow
Leaving the past behind
Creating new dreams
A dream you cut short

Our pens as placards
Establishing dictatorship
Safeguarding a revolution
Writing hopes of tomorrow

Your speeches
Bringing apathetic graves
Letting out your brutality
Showing life’s forces

You stand on the hill
Shouting your command
We all gather in fear
Singing silently “dictatorship free us now”

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Queen of the kingdom
The heart of Sàngó,
Giving Sàngó courage.
Sàngó's betrothed
Oya,
Goddess of wind, tornado,
Yet the owner of the marketplace.
Queen of all seas
Creator of lakes and rivers
The waters knows your name
Goddess of storms
Orisa of death and rebirth
Oya,
The mother of nine
Oya,
The undergoddess of Odo-Oya
Oya,
The unbeatable warrior
Oya,
The summoner of rain
Oya,
Sàngó's princess consort
Oya,
Thou who walketh through fire with no burns
Oya,
Queen of courage
Oya,
Goddess of speed and energy
Symbol of faithfulness
Goddess of devotion and perfection
Oya,
Goddess of war
Oya, our fiercely warrior of old

Written Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

She cometh from afar,
Chanting words of magic.
Singing beautiful songs
Calling out to the spirits

Her powers so glaring
Her voodoo doll by the window
The crystal ball of life
Cards of the future laid in the table

Looking into her eyes,
Seeing the communing of the spirits.
The owl on her roof,
Making scary sounds welcoming the spirits.

Piercing into my soul
A telling of the past and the present
Her reading of fortunes
A telling of the future

The enchantment in the room
The conjuring of spirits
Her performance of black magic
A force of good and evil

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Obatala,
Oba tasa.
Father of all orisas
The irunmole of mankind

Obatala,
The saint among saints.
The archetypal spirit of creativity
Olodumare's right hand
Father of humanity

Supreme deity
Holder of justice,
Wisdom and life.
The quintessential father

King of the white cloth
The eldest of all orisas
Creating mankind,
Drunk on palmwine,
Yet creating beautiful beings.

Obatala,
Danbala,
The father of the sky.
Your divinity,
We looketh upon.

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

A brown man
Standing,
Shouting,
Speaking radicalising words.
Marching as to war
Showing placards of his grief,
Depicting foreheads of vagabonds,
Reminding others of past slavery.
Their de-subjectification of freedom
Their voices,
A singular connotation of enough-is-enough
An appetite for recognition
A planting for equality
A right to color
A plea bargain for respect,
Yet writing a throwaway of discrimination.
A caged bird,
Wanting to soar far beyond whiteness.
Demanding equal previlege
A demand costly but needed
Their melancholy of racial assimilation
Our sanguine of identity

Their windspread of hatred
Our moment to canvas light
Black
A shadow of itself
A belonging for many
A colour they deem despicable,
Yet a horizon we cherish.
Looking to the future
A beautiful future
I too
She too
He too
Us too
They too
Black too
Will sit at the table of colors
A dream I hope so dear

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Sing me a sweet carol
Twinkling sounds of happiness
Upon merriments of joyous celebrations

A time for joy
A holiday season
Old traditions new memories

Glows on the trees
Love all around
Kisses under the mistletoe

Thou gave us thy son
On a manger he was born
Our wishes came through

A king came
Special gifts he brought
Oh what a delight

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

At the church of all saints
Singing glorious tunes
Hymns and harmonious voices
The father, an altar he stood in front
His passing
Life if an exited fellow
Can we say something?
Say to the saints
The tears of many
Words much but little
An ovation so small
Ashes to ashes
Keeping nothing in your remembrance
He once stood here
A man like God
He jouryned with the saints
Wait a minute
His family speaks
Tell them
He once stood here
Only to stand no more
Did he perish?
Wait a minute
Did he perish?
I said speak
He had no vision
The mantle perished long ago
Did he wait for the saints?
No, the morning after
I see a congregation
Mourning a death of old
Clap for her speech
He perished like a sunken treasure
Was he not a king?
Did he perish?
Oh!
A glorious exit
He perished like a sunken treasure

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

We will charge harder
Yes sir!

We will strike when it is cold
Yes sir!

Let's go by night
Yes sir!

Prepare the feeryboats and other vessels
Yes sir!

Send them West at once
Yes sir!

Charge our men forward
Yes sir!

Eliminate thy enemies
Yes sir!

Crucify their men to the cross
Yes sir!

Their women
Bring spoils from the merry
Yes sir!

Gold
Your dignity of war
Yes sir!

What's with the yes sir?
Yes sir!

Incompetency tthou keep under thy bossom
Yes sir!

Are you sure you can lead,
Thy men to battle?
Yes sir!

What's with the yes sir?
Yes sir!

Colnel!
Yes sir!

Thou look less serious
Yes sir!

Go forth and disseminate thy rivals
Yes sir!

Go now!
Yes sir!

Go!
Yes sir!

What are thou waiting for?
Yes sir!

Written Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Shackles on my feet
The ******* of the past
Thou held me out
Piercing my heart with bitterness

I tried to come undone
Portraying the beauty of the future
Wearing you like a cunning smile
Setting ablaze a binding heart

I let go
Letting deep like a broken vase
Pouring out it's flowery gaze
Turning love astray

Oh some foretelling
Relieving bad memories
Revealing the aches of oneself
Attaching a Biography to pain

Beautiful but broken
A Potter's broken piece
Stunning but broken
Leading to the ways of no return

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

The funeral marches to graves
The descending of curtains
An end to come
The march to finality
A marching to dust
Tarrying to the night
The quiet hollow
The aura of sadness
The exist of a mortal
Death,
A coming at will.
Death,
The king of one’s soul.
Death,
The Lord of the night.
Death,
A silence to life.
Death,
The lion of the forest.
Death,
The ruler of the mountains.
Death,
A piercing of hearts.
Death,
It’s tattoo forever a mark.
Death,
A ticking of the clocks.
Death,
A bringer of eternal peace.
The sweet relieve it bringeth
The residing of mortals
Death,
A bringer of grief.
Death,
A planting of sadness.
Death,
An anthem of black flames.
Death,
A war veteran’s dirge.
Death,
A thief of the night.
Death,
A certainty for all.
Death,
The burn out match stick in one’s ashtray.
Death,
The whither of bones.
Death,
A tragedy to life.
Death,
An endless sleep to one’s soul.
Death cometh
A sweet relief
One’s death
The glowing of darkness
Death,
A mortal’s final rest.
Death,
The ugliness to a beauty.
Death,
The letting out of a final sigh.
Death,
The calling from one’s ancestors.
Death,
A passing through the night.
Death,
The end to one’s pleasurable life.
Death,
I float this Carol,
To you I sing.

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

I want no surer ***** than your arms
You shared my happiness
The rose in my garden whithered,
But your love stayed strong.

The only beauty that is forever
Your angelic coming into my life
The only day of sunshine,
Yet never blinding.

I promise to love you compassionately
You're my forever
In your heart, I promise to stay forever
I promise to keep our candle burning

Seeing you in the crowd
Noticing your flowery smile
I picked a bright rose
A rose that keeps my heart alive

Our special day
The joining of us
Our vows from the heart
Moments I'll always hold dearly

You have become mine
I have become yours
I promise you,
Patience, understanding and tolerance.

I promise you sunshine,
I promise you little rain,
But I promise calmness for all storms,
Giving my hearts deepest devotion.

You're my best friend
I promise to give you the best of myself
Come rain
Come sunshine

Our love shall be stronger than hate
Our hearts shall beat as one
Our love,
A great sum than two in love.

I'll love you all my life
Meeting you,
I was touched by an angel,
Ending the bitterness of my heart.

Your love has me sure
Your love has brought purity to my heart
You make my sing
The angels in heaven sing hallelujah to our love

I stand at this altar,
Pouring my heart,
Telling my beloved,
The desired of my heart to our everlasting love.

I shall carry our love with me
I shall carry your heart with me
I love you
I shall say it at least once a day

I searched for good and beautiful
I found you
I searched for peace
I found you

Your heart
Where I'll always be
All I want is us,
Together forever.

Written Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Fixating my eyes
Stripping your beauty piece by piece
That I may show thy beauty

Beautiful maiden
Among pleasantry ladies of May
Dancing like an Arabian night

Laying down by thy side
Listening to the sounds of the night
Wondering how my heart captured thy flower

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Have thou reached casa isolata?
Shimmer of paradise it bestowed
Beautiful lands it rested upon

Sorroundings of fruitful clementine
An empire of pride

Casa isolata
I hear the callings of thy chimes

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Illusions of thy presence
Love, thy dwellings in self illusions
Fabricating for souls
Belladonna your favourite peace offerings

Your speaking smile
Explicit words of happiness
Estatic feelings thou brings
Enchantments a layer thou hides

Thou sheddings of light
Deceiving men and their deeds
Postering love
Forgetting life's hatred

Happiness
Your best addressed to all pains
Hope
Your cunning way to thou's enchantment

Promising Euphoria
A place thou led us there not

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Ori,
My intermediary
The divinity calleth
Your response awaketh my divinity

You are here
Ori,
Gbe ja mi
My intermediary
I calleth to thee

Ori
Ma pada leyin mi
Call upon my divine helper
Ori
Lead me to my chosen destiny

Ori
My divinity
My guardian
Orisa bi o ba gbemi
Ori mi ma pada leyin mi

Ori
Eleda mi
My protector
The chosen of my destiny
My door to life

Ori
My life regulator
The conformed of my destiny
Take me to my Orisa
Don't let me down

Ori
My watchman
My interpreter
My destiny caller
Ori
My devotee to the gods

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Exiting the blackness of the night
Thou tiny mediocre awakes
Arising with casual elegance
Biding the night farewell
Singing it's welcoming lullaby
Pouring out it's gorgeous golden-blinding

I feel it's presence
Sending overpowering bright lights
Bedazzling our minds
Oh radiant one
Thy golden fingers of sunlight
I receive your relentless dappling

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

By his Majesty's foot stool
Tales never been told
A warrior's analogy
Imaging the blood of many

The battle of old
Modakeke it's passage
Crowning victory a renegade

Scars untold
Proportionate to the heartbeat of Ile-Ife
Setting Ooni's mantle
Bowing to Orunmila

Scavangers setting the pace
Awarding criminals the holy Cross
Anointing them for the book of life

Desertion of no return
They called it a treatise
Holding onto dissertation of old

Blood a signal of peace
Reminding hearts of tales unforgettable

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Cultures of old
Surrendering to thy god
Bowing in reference
Telling mysteries unravelment

The forecast of the elders
Giving praises to their gods
Welcoming the spirits
Resurrecting the ancient incantations

Monarchs in gathering
Rulers in council
Entering the room of spirituality
Leaving Epistles for generations unborn

Their cultural powers
A bestowing of forefathers
Worshipping mighty deities
Forming lineages of righteousness

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Their relationship
A poetic diction
Giving room for freedom
Taking down all languages
Like revolutionaries of old

Not a sound sense
Making language her foot stool
Creating vague words
Bringing back medieval times
Telling ancient African tales

Shooting language in the face
Beautifying colloquialism
Expressing one’s self
Giving recognition to informality
Doing away with language distinction
Forming a path of it’s own

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Justifying a thief
Looking for a Redeemer
Yet selling one's soul for bargain

Sale of one's conscience
Giving room for imprisonment
Doing away with the inconvenient truth

A line-up of forgotten heritage
Accepting the long spoon
Cornering the dividends of abandonment

Losing one's entitlement
Giving betrayal a new name
Crowning loyalists king of the land

Upholding truth
A forgotten culture
Making lies their way of life

Truth at the cross
Dying for it's belief
A martyr no one wants

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Walking through these paths
A walk I feel I have taken
These memories
Why do things keep repeating itself?
I remember
This familiar feeling
This feeling
A feeling of before
These empty thoughts
Haven't I been here before?
These significant signs
I have seen them before
I had this dream
My reality,
A repeat of this dream.
Looking around
Seeing new things
Haven't I lived this before
De Javu,
Why do you keep coming back?

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Sleep well my beloveth
Sleep well my heart
You tarried away
Your ancestors calleth
The casualties were many
Yours was deep

The funeral songs
It overwhelmed my heart
Esu Lalu looted
He stole my precious heart
The drums of your demise
Your children screams in sadness

I sit under the tree
Our mahogany tree
I weep at your grave
Without you
Life ceaseth
And sorrow departed me not

Esu Lalu
Why take my bride into the dark quarters?
Esu Lalu
And I begged you
Esu Lalu
You failed me

The little one
Misses the suckling of her mother's breast
I want to tarry to my beloved
Esu Lalu take me to my beloveth
She awaits my coming
I must tarry to her

Esu Lalu
I was glad when you gave her to me
Esu Lalu
I must
Esu Lalu
I must tarry to her tonight

Esu Lalu
She is my beloved
Are you coming Esu Lalu?
When should I expect your arrival?
My beloveth awaits my coming
Esu Lalu take me now

Esu Lalu
Don't leave me in the lurch
Aya mi owon
I am coming
Esu Lalu will bring me to you
Esu Lalu I await your arrival

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Have you seen him?
See who?
The medicine man
He stood by Idanre hills
Watching from afar

He gathered the clansmen
Offering sacrifices
Calling his ancestors
The specialist looked
Afar off

His enchantment
A ******'s surrender
Darkness hovers
Bringing down the spirits

Incantations
The words of the gods
A melodious sound
The Ifa Oracle's praises

The beating of bata
The fire of atonement
Smoking to the heavens
An appeasing of hearts

A sacrifice so befitting
A ******'s surrender

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

When I die today
Dying with the king
I die a worthy death
I can hear my ancestors calling
The drums of my arrival
My story has been told
This is a marvelous sight
My coffin
I lay to rest
Sorrow no more
My demise a worthy story
Weep no more
My ancestors welcome me
Great king
What an honour
To lay beneath your rest

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Why stand by the corner
Oh feint soul?
I hear your cries
Like a wounded lion
At my sight
You ran into the dark

Come out!
Come out!
Oh feint soul
I worketh thee not
I know your bitter laughter
Bitter laughs I hear

You seek retribution
You favour vengeance
Revenge your heart cries
Entangled in your bitterness
The shimmer of death
You seek

Forgive not
Oh feint heart
Forget not
Oh bitter soul
Seek not
Oh vengeful heart

I call to you
Shadow helper
Grief not
Alas
I grief
Yet I sorrow not

I plunge a knife
Your heart I pierce
Feint heart
But bitter soul
Vengeance I seek
Retribution my calling

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Our husband
Thou look in my eyes no more
I reek of old wine
Thy mouth spaketh
But thou saith nothing

I hear drums
Ceremonial beatings
Your smile I longed to behold
The peepings of the crowds
Your attire I longed to touch

Favourite of thy bossom
I know your heart
Belongings of another
Stories at the market square
Thou findeth thy favourite

Old clothes
Thou look away
Old heart
Thou embrace no more
Longing afresh a new favourite

Welcome
Our husband knows your heartbeat
Preparations of thy entrance
Our husband's favourite bossom
Welcome, our new wine

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

A lesson learnt hard,
Giving a bitter taste,
Breathing challenges,
Yet giving hope to many.

An array of human nature
A wild umbrella,
Covering many things,
Yet giving different experiences.

Past lodges
Present circumstances
Legacies being left behind,
Leaving stories for generations

Some to birth
Some to death
Some to old
Some to young

Some to beauty
Some to ugliness
Some to failure
Some to success

Some to hope
Some to disbelief
Some to tears
Some to laughter

Living as a martyr
Living as a coward
A thousand miles to riches
The poor yet a mile

The bundle of joy
The array of sadness
The call to celebrating child birth
The funeral marches to the grave

The road yet to be taken
The road taken
The road not taken
The travel of lives

Footprints of time
Life well spent
Life not spent
The echoes of many

Some go pleasingly
Some go unlively
Some to tragedies
Some to fortune

Some are participants
Some are spectators
Some to strength
Some to weakness

The architect of fate
The dictator of destiny
An array of fear
A mantle of courage

Life
A journey to the unknown
A welcome to many
A farewell to others

Life,
A survival for many.
Life,
Heaven for others.

Life,
A pursuit of happiness,
Keeping up appearances,
Yet covering all sadness.

Life
A walk to freedom
A walk to imprisonment
A walk for mortals

Life
Though tough
Though easy
Life is Life

Life
Some to ease
Some to difficulty
Life is Life

The ascending of life
A life to come
The descending of life
An end to life

Life
The wonders of dreams
The joy of mortal breath
The illusions of reality

The true reality of finality
A living life of life
A living life of death
The illusions of reality

Mortal race to life worth living
Mortal race to dust
Mortal race to finality
A race to the reality of finality

When the curtains is opened,
The play begins.
When the curtains is drawn,
The play is done.

Life
Oh life
Life
Life is just like life with no comparison

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

My dove
Your presence,
Always a sight to behold.
The way you love me,
So pure like the angels.

Your coming into my life,
A settling of peace.
Meeting you,
A calming for all storms.

You gave me the best gift,
A gift I will remember always.
The fresh air you brought,
An appeaser for a life time.

My one and only
You changed my existence
You brought me joy
I cherish all moments together

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

He came out with his *** belly
Spitting some gibberish
He sounded strange
The white man nodded in accordance
Playing along so feintly

His words were long
Yet different
Not cautious
But depicting a mild smile

He boasted of his prowess
Commanding the stage
Speaking words strangely
Criticising the white man's language

Beri-Beri
An example of his prowess
Expressing a nonsensical of himself
We all looked in wonders
His peers clapping at his performance

The narrator
A Nigerian professor
A grandiloquence of English language
****-a-doodle-doo a man of language

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Who killed Thomas Becket?
Canterbury I ask
He laid down to rest
The cathedral
Humbled at his death
The Tempest
A joyful tomorrow
King Edward
I hear your majesty
Send him a message
Th demise of Thomas Becket
Canterbury I ask

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson

Where is the unity of independence?
Where is the fight,
Of our forefathers?
I don't understand
Why stand like a forgotten tree?
Why look like a woman,
Who has lost her baby?
The surrender of slavery
The return to home
Songs of slaves
The echoes of freedom
The uniting of ken
The struggle of leaders
Do or die
Our political mantra
Independence sinketh
Sinking to rise no more
Forgetting their misery
A congregation of political leaders
A home of theatre

Written by Tosan Oluwakemi Thompson