Pity The Nation by Kahlil Gibran

I first heard 'Pity The Nation' by Kahlil Gibran on BBC world service in 1998, as it was been read out by the presenter, each verse reminded me of Nigeria, it was  like a prophetic poem about my country. Gibran is the third best- selling poet of all time,  behind Shakespeare and Laozi.

“Pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion.
Pity the nation that wears a cloth it does not weave
and eats a bread it does not harvest.

Pity the nation that acclaims the bully as hero,
and that deems the glittering conqueror bountiful.

Pity the nation that despises a passion in its dream,
yet submits in its awakening.

Pity the nation that raises not its voice
save when it walks in a funeral,
boasts not except among its ruins,
and will rebel not save when its neck is laid
between the sword and the block.

Pity the nation whose statesman is a fox,
whose philosopher is a juggler,
and whose art is the art of patching and mimicking

Pity the nation that welcomes its new ruler with trumpeting,
and farewells him with hooting,
only to welcome another with trumpeting again.

Pity the nation whose sages are dumb with years
and whose strongmen are yet in the cradle.

Pity the nation divided into fragments,
each fragment deeming itself a nation.”

― Kahlil Gibran, The Garden of The Prophet

Inspired  by Kahlil Gibran, I wrote this for my beloved country- Nigeria.

Pity The Nation

Pity the nation that strives on corruption, favouritism and nepotism.

Pity the nation that rewards and celebrate mediocrity.

Pity the nation where tribalism is deeply entrenched.

Pity the nation where justice is bought.

Pity the nation where the hallowed chambers of 'Government Houses' and 'Rock' are brothels, dotted by pimps and ne'er-do-well.

Pity the nation where life is ''solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short''.