tarry a while (i)

“The world says: “You have needs — satisfy them. You have as much right as the rich and the mighty. Don’t hesitate to satisfy your needs; indeed, expand your needs and demand more.” This is the worldly doctrine of today. And they believe that this is freedom. The result for the rich is isolation and suicide, for the poor, envy and murder.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“It is the preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else that prevents us from living freely and nobly.”
― Bertrand Russell

Odun nlo sopin o

Baba mimo

Fi so re so mi o baba rere

Ohun ti o pa mi l’ekun o

L’odun titun, ma je ko sele si mi o

Baba rere

(The year is coming to an end, good Lord,keep me save my good father,Whatever will make me cry in the new year, don’t allow it to happen to me, my good father)

The year is almost ending

its sun almost setting

its last dress being ironed

preparatory towards being packed

the year is preparing its farewell

but

it is not the end

it is still not ‘ebenezery’

it is still dawn

preceding morning

 

so,

tarry a while,

tarry a while!

where were you

when this year’s sun showed up?

what were your thoughts?

when the new year came

with fanfare

what were you doing?

what resolution/s

did you make then?

what decision/s

went through your mind?

 

baba Olówóayé,

how have you spent the year?

it has been a year of splendour

a year of achievement

and

unquantifiable profit?

it has been a meritorious year

filled with journeys

left and right.

 

amsterdam was a stop over

frankfurt only took a day

taipei was for a week

hongkong was ceded in your presence

new york’s sun always welcome you

london’s shops carry your footprints.

 

you are in the hustle and bustle

if you are not e-mailed

you are ‘interneted’

you are not the only mobile entity

you car is mobile

so also is your smartphone,

what about your PDA?

you carried it

wherever you go.

nowhere is free from you

everywhere,

a working place

the moment you have your notebook,

or a laptop.

now I heard

there is a finger top

you

ran through the world

this last 365 day

like a whirlwind

and a hurricane

greeting, touching, forming

and destroying partnerships

 

tarry a while, tarry a while.          

 

 

did you

spend time with those

close to you?

 

did they

ever see your face

during their nightmares?

are you there beside them?

when they need you?

can your children recognize their father?

or is it the voice alone they know?

tarry a while, tarry a while!

 

how many people did you touch?

how many lives did you improve?

we know you improved

your net worth

but how many kindness or is it

“kindnesses” can you remember..?

we know you closed

many deals

but how many lives

were lost in the process?

how many people were retrenched?

with their lives closed?

 

tarry a while, tarry a while.

 

the year is coming to an end

how many promises

have you broken?

how many shady deals

are in your briefcase?

how many fast deals

have you closed?

how may ambitions

were ruined

at your board rooms?

how many of the plebeians

did you step on

to declare your profits?

tarry a while, tarry a while.

 

 

 

the year is running to an end.

you are running to end

that last deal of the year

tarry a while, tarry a while.

can you remember

when last you had a rest?

are you not

on the road 24 hours?

did you give yourself

10 minutes each day?

out of the 1440 minutes

making the day?

did you even think

of your Creator?

or is it

following strict compartments

like your businesses?

is meeting God a token

that

which you contribute

those Sundays

you have time?

or is it a daily affair?

 

do you live your beliefs

and religion

or do your religion

and beliefs leave you?

have you sharpened your conscience

or have your conscience deadened you?

 

tarry a while, tarry a while.

 

the year is coming

to an end

the end is coming

a while.

nobody has seen God

through a fat cheque

nor is the Creator

appeased through deals.

 

you never came

with anything

nor will you go

with something

so, baba Olówó

 

tarry a while

we all came NAKED

we will all leave NAKED!