Shuffling And Smiling (A Tribute) Poem by Uche Nwanze

The Legend sang, his voice still echoes in our minds. Sang he boisterous, they said he was rabid.
Shouted he ferocious, they mistook him for an urchin.
Danced he gleeful, they say he was a junkie.
Shuffling and Smiling, forty nine sitting ninety nine standing, tomorrow he saw.
Like a prophesy his premonitions is birthed today.
Like a puerile joke, his admonitions no longer yesterday's headlines.
Looting and Lying they milk us dry, leaving us hungry and angry.
Killing and hiding, they leave us helpless and hopeless.
Stealing and slaving, our pot of gold in their pocket.
Tortured and Taunted, they put on him a toga of a criminal.
Naked truth they deaf their ears to hear, kirikiri they make a place for him in jail.
Enquiry and public hearing, the same people, in this script the culprit the accuser.
Money grown wings, vanish into obscurity. They say it is no longer missing or maybe a snake swallowed it.
Leprous fingers they point, fainting they feign.
Fela his father named him, eba mi eda his disciples call him.
Like a comet he blaze forth like a prince in foreverland.
Name and shame him, his silence they sought to get, his fame they couldn't tame.
Suffering and Smiling, Corruption coagulated our conscience.
Shuffling and Smiling, we come home, no water no light.
Shuffling and Smiling, the same people still in the seat.
Shuffling and Smiling, gag him in vain their efforts, no gang up can stop him.
Shuffling and Smiling, Anipulapo, death lies in his pouch, death can never stop him.
Shuffling and Smiling, his voice to the end of age will resound.