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THE CATTLE PRESIDENT

Two wrongs can make a right
When two fighting elephants die, the grass enjoys peace
If 73 men must die, a single hair must not fall
If we must sober for our crops being grazed
and our loved ones being butchered, then we get drowned in our own tears
If we must sleep in the cold breeze of the night,
With our eyes wide open, and our mind hanged to our hands,
convenient the cattle.
.
Let me cry now for my brother’s headache,
Not until I catch it,
Is this the change you have in mind?
I will not chase rats when my house is on fire
Since death is the mother of peace,
Let us die as one, for a peaceful generation to come
than be a bootie to this HERDSMEN.

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Comments

but i wish i knew the backdrop for it. The poem is obviously based on some event (why 73 dead men, a very specific number?)
I have to say that

Since death is the mother of peace,
Let us die as one,

is one of the best lines of poetry I have read in some time. It is as strong as Auden's famous
"We must love one another or die"

I would love to know more about the history of this event, which becomes a universal statement, in a very powerful poem with many great lines, and one unforgettable one.

Eumolpus
I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance
ee cummings

actually, i don't mean to tarnish the reputation of my country to the outside world, but i must say this is getting out of hand and the government is not making any moves in resolving the issue, nobody has the right to kill his brother even if we claim that we are one.

the Fulani Herdsmen think they have the right to kill, and I will say that it seems so because they are the only tribe in Nigeria that will commit murder and get away with it not even now that we have a Fulani as a president.

the 73men stands for the 73 innocent souls that was taken on the first of January 2018 by the same Fulani Herdsmen.

i believe that one cannot get peace by having faith, begging the stronger forces, or keeping calm
if we want peace we must prepare to face the Fulani herdsmen, blood is blood.

always remember to make a critique of other poems
using the hoe is not madness for nothing

author comment

Though I am not a Nigerian but I've been in Nigeria for some time now and I know that Nigeria's will always try to push the blame to one tribe. Note that if Buhari is not careful Herdsman will become Boko Haran 2.0. We we raise arms against the Herds men it will just give them reason to buy bombs instead. Not that am in support of their actions but we need to think o the consequences of our actions first. The best thing in my opinion is for the gov't to find some forests and just get the herdsmen to take their livestock there after all they sell the cows to the rest of Nigeria.

and I admire your desire not to tarnish your country. But protest and resistance may also be a true patriotism. Most of us in the USA are totally ignorant of African politics. Man, we have our own problems! Our master kills with words and builds a fortress of hate among his supporters.

Nobody has the "right to kill"! It is within you and your generation to bring about change towards a more compassionate world. Be safe, but keep writing about it!

Eumolpus
I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance
ee cummings

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