Poetry

WHEN I AM GONE
Ntui-Oben Obi-Agbor

When I am gone,
To where I was hewn                         
To the place that welcomes all,
What will people say about me?

When my frame turns useless,                                   
And the earth is dug six feet                                                 
And I lie awaiting judgement                                                
What will people say about me?

When  I no longer can take in air,
And  like a statue
I can neither talk nor hear,
What will I be remembered for?

When I leave for the ancestral land,
Where the torments of life are forgotten,
And the title ‘late’ is given me
What becomes of my undone works?
What becomes of me
When at my last people mourn
And others come to wine and dine
Will I be having a good rest?