The language we speak: proverbs

Eyin tí yóò di epo, yóò tó iná wò.
A palm nut that desires to become
palm oil will have a taste of fire.

and the light was called from the dark
everything that was made perfect
was drawn from imperfection
to show that beauty
is not a thing just for the eyes
to decipher and appreciate.
beneath that which meets the eye
lies a flowing stream of oil
an abyss filled with gold and
black earth
rich enough to grow every seed sown.
but for back bending,
fingers scratching, palm blistering
ground digging, time spent grinding
life would have been easier.

Victor Oyedele