TwoCents | Echoes of Biafra - by Ayebaibomo Atalawei

"A Nation's Lament: Echoes of Biafra" In the heart of Africa, where the sun dips into the seaA land of proud warriors, with a history yet to be freeThe drums of war beat loud, a sorrowful refrainAs brother fought against brother, in a conflict that would stain The memories of a nation, forever scarred and tornThe cries of the innocent, echoing through the mornThe scent of smoke and blood, a stench that would not fadeAs a people's struggle for freedom, was met with force and shade In the east, a nation stirred, with a dream of self-ruleA people tired of marginalization, with a spirit that would not coolOjukwu's voice, a call to stand, against the odds so strongA people's determination, to right the wrongs of the past, so long But the enemy was fierce, with a military might so grandA government determined, to quash the rebellion's standThe blockade's grip, a deadly vice, that squeezed the life from the landA people's cry, for help and aid, that echoed across the sand The world watched, as the tragedy unfolded, like a playA people's suffering, met with indifference, day by dayThe voices of the powerful, silent in the face of painAs a nation's future, hung in the balance, like a thread in vain The war raged on, for three long years, with no end in sightA people's resilience, tested to the limit, day and nightThe sounds of gunfire, a constant din, that echoed through the landA people's cry, for peace and freedom, that seemed so far away to stand The streets of Aba, once so fair, now lined with refugees so wornTheir homes, their livelihoods, lost to the war, their future tornThe children's eyes, once bright with life, now dull with hunger and fearTheir laughter silenced, by the sounds of war, that drew ever near The markets once bustling, now empty and stillThe traders' cries, now replaced with the sounds of war's chillThe farmers' fields, once green and lush, now laid to wasteA people's livelihood, destroyed by conflict, without a taste The hospitals overcrowded, with the wounded and the sickThe doctors' hands, so skilled and sure, now struggling to keep pace with the trickThe cries of the patients, a sorrowful sound, that echoed through the hallsA people's suffering, met with compassion, but also with walls The world's indifference, a heavy weight, that pressed upon the landA people's cry, for help and aid, that seemed to fall on deaf ears, so grandThe voices of the powerful, silent in the face of painAs a nation's future, hung in the balance, like a thread in vain But still the people held on, to hope and to their prideA nation's resilience, tested to the limit, but still they would not divideTheir determination, to survive and thrive, in the face of adversity so strongA people's spirit, unbroken and free, like a song The war finally ended, but the scars remainedA nation healing, but the wounds still felt, like a painThe memories lingered, a bittersweet refrainA reminder of the cost of war, and the price of freedom's gain The survivors returned, to rebuild and restartA nation's future, uncertain, but with a glimmer of hope in heartThe children's laughter, once again echoed through the streetsA people's resilience, a testament to their strength, a nation's defeat But the lessons of the war, must not be forgotten or ignoredA nation's history, a reminder of the dangers of division and discordThe importance of unity, and the need for peaceful coexistenceA people's struggle, for freedom and self-determination, a universal insistence Let this be a reminder, of the devastating cost of warA people's suffering, a nation's scars, forever in storeLet us strive for peace, and work towards a brighter dayWhere every child can grow, wild and carefree, in a nation at peace, in every way. A tribute to the victims of the Biafra war and a reflection on the devastating consequences of conflict.

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