ABU @50: A Poem by Aliyu Bala Aliyu
Towering above them all like a giant almond tree
Watching over their young souls free
Imparting knowledge to all that seeketh
From far and near they cometh
From the north; from the south
From the south; from the east
Zaria was the confluence
We may not have set our eyes on the fireworks
But we sure felt the warmth of the fireplace
Even saw the splinters and glowing sparks
From the sages of yore that walked your face
And set alight lit the raging flames of scholarship
Those of activism not least either
And the nation bore did bear witness
The continent the echoes did hear
And the world the vibrations
We salute you oh ABU
But by the toll of time and clime
All dying from wear and tear
And no firebrands and brains to nourish their flames
Nearly all drained or cowered to base
In toil and sweat battling to survive
Stifled yet trudging on
As the testimonies bear to say it all
We salute you oh ABU
For standing so tall through these years
Through the ups and downs
Showering us with love and all you had to give
Your sons and daughters the world over are strewn
How gallant and high they strut the earth
With their badges of excellence and honour
“ABUSITES” as your children are called
Ahead and distinguished in all we do
So proud to be born of you
Certainly so to pass the baton
To the generations to carry on the tradition
We lit our torch at your feet
And gazed upon your visage
And beheld the promise of tomorrow
And theirs too they shall light there
How proud; how glad; we are honoured
Thy flag shall flutter and lights not dim
Beyond two scores and ten
We salute you oh ABU
Aliyu Bala Aliyu,
Dec 2012,
Lagos
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