Freedom at last, but where do I start?
A decade lost, with a shattered heart,
I left behind the familiar, the loved and the known,
In search of greener pastures, but ended up alone.
From Lagos’ bustling streets, I embarked on a quest,
Through countries and borders, I traveled, unpossessed,
No papers to claim me, no identity to hold,
Just a dream of a better life, that grew old.
I swam through rivers, walked through deserts wide,
Drove through highways, flew across the skies,
With every step forward, I left behind a part,
Of the life I knew, and the love that dwelled in my heart.
A wife, children, parents, community, and friends,
All left behind, as my journey’s bitter end,
Seized and imprisoned, for ten long years,
For crimes I committed, through all my doubts and fears.
But now I’m free, with a heart full of cheer,
Yet, where do I start, with no one near?
The world outside’s changed, since I last saw the light,
And I’m left to navigate, through the dark of night.
My family’s moved on, my children grown tall,
My wife’s found solace, in another’s loving call,
My parents’ gray hairs, now white as snow,
And I’m left to wonder, where do I go?
The memories of my past, now taunt and tease,
As I try to find my place, in this world’s expertise,
A stranger in a land, that once promised gold,
Now I’m left to pick up, the pieces of a life grown cold.
But still I hold on, to the hope in my heart,
That freedom’s taste, will never depart,
For though it’s bittersweet, it’s mine to own,
And I’ll rise from the ashes, to a new life, unknown.
