Mazi, It’s Enough. Please Sit Down

Men from the east must break kola
And the ritual must be heartfelt.
Zeal must be shown throughout the rite,
It proves that the gods are with men
If they are pleased by libations
That was poured in praise to them.
Spit on the sand to send away
Evil spirits from partaking
Near the feast that unites mortals.
On and on it goes- libations-
Understanding has come to stay,
Guns are no longer at arm’s length,
Humans have found kola sweet.
Palm wine must also go round at
Least until the insobriety
Eats up the chaos in man’s heart
And lay him bare for the gods use.
Soak yourselves with the ancestors,
All you do they see and guard.
Silence! Mazi will stand and talk,
It is culture- he is eldest
The gods can talk to him alone.
Do not listen because he’s drunk
Or because you don’t have a choice,
Weight is on his shoulders alone-
No, Mazi knows when it’s enough.

Younglan Louis