Halloween or not

it is the Eyo, the Ojude Oba,
the Sango, the Olojo, the Oro,
the Igogo, the Osun-Osogbo festivals.
it is who we are and how we dance.

it is the Ofala, the Iwa Akwa,
the Aju, the Ovala, the Inne,
the Egbo, Ekpe, the New Yam festivals.
it is where we farm and when we eat.

it is the Arugungu, the Akata,
the Nupe day, the Kagoro day,
the Ogani, the Nwonyo festivals.
it is what we harvest and whose fish is bigger.

it is the Calabar, the Rhythm Unplugged,
the Block, the Felabration, the Star Trek,
the KABAFEST, the LABAF, the Aké festivals.
love festivals abroad; call it ‘immorality or old-fashioned’ at home.

Tomide Abdul