O sons of Africa
Daughters of my mother land
You whose blood are still hot
Whose bones are strong
Hear the wisdom of old
Written on the pages of my wrinkled face
Locked in the goblet of my grey and whitened hair

As I sit on the worn out mat of emaciated days
I reflect upon the days of my youth
When there are enough tears in the well of by eyes
To accompany me in every pain
When the scares in my flesh
Are still new and fresh
Those were the dark days
Of furry and folly
Yet out of that fading experience
I have preserved this calabash of knowledge
And treasured beyond every other thing

O sons of Africa
O daughters of my mother land
It is this calabash I offer you
Guide it with your life
Inside it are three nuts
One is the nut of love
Another is the nut of patience
And the last is the nut of faith

When the going gets tough
And it takes only dying to survive
When the tempest bellows hard
And the ship of your life seems set to flounder
Eat of the nut of faith
Do not be troubled on the inside
No that hard winds will die sooner than it rises

When you must move on from each crossroads
When you are a loner in the meadow of struggles
When your ride slows in the shore of progress
And you can see high mountains standing on your ways
O sons of Africa
Daughters of my mother land
Take a bite from the nut of patience
Always tell your self
That tough times do not last
The worries of this world
Are mirages that scares the cowards
Off the lane of success
Hold your peace and be ready to smile
In the very jaw of death

And when upon the high hill of success you climb
And upon your bed the paupers of this life are gathered
Some might have turned against you
Locking up their homes
And leaving you at the mercy of cold dark nights
Eat then the nut of love
Be good to those who hurt you
For love my dear is the secret
Of enduring wealth
Love make you richer in the two worlds

O sons of Africa
O daughters of my Motherland
Take calabash from me.
My strength is failing me
And that is all I have to offer...
The nuts of wisdom


© Olatuja Oloyede