The time came when crickets sang unpleasant songs <br />When stars became visible but struggled to shine <br />When moon shed tears of blood! <br /> <br />Songs of war echoed from the south … <br />Destroying every tree with their bloody swords! <br />Under his bed, a toddler frightened terribly <br />as they stamped their feet with vengeance. <br />Their brothers were slaughtered! <br />Their hands stained with their fathers' blood! <br /> <br />They screamed joyfully after beheading a man <br />They played weird games with their victim's head <br />They made the wind wailed through the trees! <br />Then he realised that blood was flowing. <br /> <br />Burning huts attempted to assist the struggling stars <br />Then he felt the lowly tears of the moon. <br />Whose hut would be next? <br />When many have been rendered homeless! <br /> <br />His little heart cuddled his sister's heartbeat <br />Under his bed … longing for dawn <br />But crickets sang unpleasant songs, <br />Whilst moon shed tears of blood <br />What a cold night I will never forget in Warri.<br /><br />NDIDI UBOGU<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-cold-night-in-warri/
