Olatuja Oloyede: I Love to Watch the Moon at Night

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I love to watch the moon at night
It reminds me God is watching
Every secret deeds of men

I love to watch the moon at night
It reminds of that world
That will never be

The evening moon reminds me of love
Of beloved far away in distant lands
Of the betrayal of the trusted
Of the millions unsheltered from the scourges of the cold
Of thousands dying of hunger and neglect

I love watching the moon at night
It reminds me of who I am
An African child
It reminds me of our fallen heroes
Whose blood had watered a withering world
Of their unnamed sacrifices

Yes, the night moon
Reminds me of the great fears
That mar the heart
Of a lost boy in a terrible world
Of our arching elders
Hurrying to the graves with their wisdom

The night moon
Reminds me I was once a boy
A coward afraid of the world
I still do not know
whether to cry or smile
Whether to stay or go
This moon reminds me of my history
Of my visions and dreams
The silence of my friends
The wounds of my enemies
There are questions in my confused mind
Questions about love
Questions about peace
Questions about dreams
Questions about peace
Are there answers scribbled
In the blindness of your brightness

And as I watch the night's moon
I know it really does not matters
How many come and go
Or who is a friend or for
But I just must stand and be strong
And be a man in a crashing world

I must go into the wild
Surmount the mighty mountains
Cross the boarderless sea
Walk through the doors
Of the magnificent cities
Shake hands with the betrayals
And remember they were once my brothers
Yet must I wrestle the throne
And break lose the chains
With which freedom is fettered

But when my round is done
I must come back again
To the cushion of age
To the pavilion of weakened bones
To the chariot of failing strength
And watch the night moon
Hoping then to sleep the deep sleep
Dreaming to be home
To my fathers, to my ancestors
To a realm of rest
A world where there are no moons
To remind me of the evils of humanity
Where no brothers betray
Where no foes assail
Where no school to define
A world to be truly free
Where I shall be truly be me