Dr Fixit (4371 - 4380)

 

4371

‘to understand the spiritual is right here

in the physical – there, here and everywhere

I’d seen youngsters throw massive objects

at harmless lizards and fowls; and insects

they’d chase to hurt for fun or their prowess to show

they dominate them and from here they’d grow

other organisms to infuriate till they’d attack

ones that would vehemently fight back.

They’d slap the butterflies and the hive they’d hack.

I’d watch a youth stone a cobra on a bush track

 

4372

‘which first saw him and slithered off to hide

and the missile had struck the snake on the side.

So provoked, it had returned with speed

to fight who seemed on aggression to feed.

But the fellow had thrown down all his missiles

and fled, not caring if his skin and eyes

on thorns and spikes he might pierce –

if the insects and animals can make us race

to save our necks; if these lesser beings

can resist us, we too can do bigger things

4373

‘as we’ve been empowered to resist the demons,

the evil angels. This is a core right buried deep in our tendons.

Papa Yardit, to answer your question

of what’s the truth, there’s one sole head of Creation,

Akwa Abasi Ibom, who caused every other thing –

angels, humans, animals, insects; every being,

animate and inanimate; material and immaterial

to exist and made some predominate – the spiritual

over the physical; angels over humans

and humans over insects and animals have dominance

 

4374

‘but only the Creator of all we must revere.

Seek Him, know Him and His precepts alone observe.

Like we’d been admonished, resist every demon

and they’d flee from you! Here I end my sermon.’

The stage revolved and the scenery next

was still night wearing a star-studded vest

and behind a brook stood hosts of nocturnal creatures

which did an anthem with nocturnal features –

that is, the birds, animals and insects

shared their tones praising the Chief Prefect

 

4375

of Creation in the simulation of an orchestra

conducted only by a grandmaster.

And for long minutes the symphony went on

and ovation enveloped the place when the song

at last did stop and with fulfilment

everyone later left for their apartments

scattered in different districts of our clans

but the creatives in every nook nursed their plans.

I returned to fully minister to my wife

and also to keep building up the strife

4376

in my new script which I’d later resolve

as the protagonist tries to solve

the riddle of a spook of a deformed

new-breed soldier ant long transformed

from the living realm to the dead – honestly,

do the dead still haunt things earthly?

That was the question  I sought answers to

with ‘THE RETURN OF MENDIT ONE’ and so

I buckled down to it every blessed day

following the end of my long-drawn-out play.

 

4377

SCENE SIX: A day before admission, we’re in the halls

vacuuming, putting flowers and dusting the walls,

windows and doors and then move around the place

trimming the lawns, flower hedges; and the sentries gaze

all about The Academy from the tower to report

about the weather and other events of import

to the short and long-term security,

and most especially as we now show real sensitivity,

to the welfare of the youngsters about to join

us and then something seems totally wrong

 

4378

with a group of elite corps patrolling the lakeside

of our walls; a sentry too makes an aside

to the guards on the walls that saucers,

numbering over ten, are zooming like attackers

towards the elite corps but their flight is slow

as they protect a surging zillion of ants in a long row

from the wood and at the edge of the lake

they crowd together and a soldier ant does make

a stride forward and mount a log

and speaks out loud that we could from our block

4379

hear him well and we’re all transfixed on our spots

as the tone and mannerisms, we can’t fault,

are those of Mendit One, our disgraced former head

of Information Unit though Forensics still states

the remains in their macabre box

are those of a soldier ant who turned a fox

and was chased till he ran into a raging fire.

But would his spook again jump into the attire

of those still living to come haunt us

because with his words, he comes to taunt us?

 

4380

‘I’m surprised you bunch of rascals

are still in business so this musical

I’ve come to play and teach you how to dance

humble and return home as if in a trance

as you’d all failed to seize the great chance

I did decide to rest my whip and lance

hoping you would on your own realize

the futility of your awkward dream and with clear eyes

return to let your folks know how abysmally

with a bloated-headed guy you awfully