<p>October 20, 2020, a day of unrelenting pain,</p><p>A nation's youth, with shattered dreams, in vain.</p><p>Their voices silenced, their futures brutally torn,</p><p>A tragedy that shook the nation, and left hearts forlorn.</p><p><br></p><p>Tears fall like rain, as we mourn the lives lost,</p><p>Their memories now taunt us, with what could have been the cost.</p><p>Their laughter, their smiles, their hopes, and their fears,</p><p>All brutally extinguished, through bitter tears.</p><p><br></p><p>Wetin happen, my people, why our youth dem die?</p><p>Why dem futures be cut short, like say dem no get say?</p><p>We dey cry, we dey mourn, we dey wonder why</p><p>Dem lives be taken, and dem dreams be denied.</p><p><br></p><p>We remember the joy dem bring, the love dem share,</p><p>The promises dem make, the futures dem dare.</p><p>Their dreams of a better tomorrow, their visions of a brighter day,</p><p>All snuffed out, leaving only sorrow, and a nation's dismay.</p><p><br></p><p>In the midst of grief, we search for strength to carry on,</p><p>But the weight of our sorrow, feels like a burden that's too strong.</p><p>For the youth who fell, we'll weep, and we'll mourn,</p><p>And wonder why their lives, were cut short, and their futures torn.</p><p><br></p><p>May their memories be a blessing, but also a painful reminder,</p><p>Of the lives that were lost, and the dreams that were left behind.</p><p>May we honor their legacy, by working towards a day,</p><p>Where such tragedies will cease, and peace will find its way.</p><p><br></p><p>Make we rise, make we unite, make we demand a better tomorrow,</p><p>For the youth who fell, and for the futures that we borrow.</p><p>Make we work together, to build a nation that's just,</p><p>Where the lives of all citizens, are valued, and their dreams are a must.</p><p><br></p>
Lament for the fallen
By
Ayebaibomo Atalawei