In “Booty of War”, Winifred Kijie Odu’s lines sit crisply in the verses of the poem with such precision that makes it admirable. Each line, carefully woven with the yarns of poetic devices, drips with nostalgia and a longing for the day when hope will cease to be an abstract construct.

– Editorial Team

Now we sit in sorrows
And watch the sun turn pale.

We are the booty of war.
Now our land, once an empire

of harmony. Lies desolate

When they increased their volume
Of hatred and twisted truth
They weren’t aware, now we’re ruined,
Left with nothing but ashes of burnt houses

Our streams now flow with blood,
It used to be our spring of life,
Our market, littered with battered bones,
A place where we once shared happiness

We are like the birds of prey,
Unaware that a hunter approaches
We are like a lion’s game
Unable to run free from its tight grip
We are the booty of war.

Enmity brought this upon us,
The jealousy we ate as manna,
Turned our blissful days into

endless nights. We hope someday,
The sun melts this trauma
Else we spend all our days
In sorrowful adventures

About the Author

Winifred Kijie Odu is a young Nigerian who finds pleasure in reading, writing, and singing. Her dream is to touch and heal the hearts of many, promote and preserve nature. She is also an optimist and seeks to create an impact in the lives of others through her works of art.

Photo by Jessie Crettenden from Pexels