Read Poem: Who is to be Blamed?, by Robert Hillary

Right from conception, I sensed my destination is in a nation
filled with corruption
Where leaders eat the cake of the nation
Leaving the masses in destitution
Am I to be blamed

I was birthed into this nation with no silver spoon,
I’d to sweep my compound with my hands and no broom
I’d to endure mockery from peers
just because I wore tattered shirts,
Mum and Dad tilled the soil
For my body engines to be fueled
Am I to be blamed?

They call it square meal
but I was fortunate enough to eat ones daily
gulping enough liquid for sustenance
I was subjected to want what I get
I was told Education is the key
but i see educated people living like shits
Yet I strive to get it
I studied for good grades, using all my resources
Now, they say good grades without grace is a zilch,
Am I to be blamed?

I have grown into an adult
but can’t shoulder my own responsibilities,
I walk the streets of lagos
in search of a job,
holding my qualifications
but they keep asking for years of experience
if i don’t get the experience from you,
who is to give it?
Or
They give the job to those with connections not minding the content of their brain
In frustration, I ask myself why I studied hard for good grades
Why didn’t I just devote time to knowing highly ranked men in the society?
Am I to be blamed?
My mates are kilometers ahead
yet they say we all have different time,
why is mine slower?
I make more enemies than friends just because
i refused to be influenced by life illegalities ,
Am i to be blamed?

Now i stand looking down
from the topmost part of this building hoping to put an end to this evil melody
that my legs keep dancing to,
The rhythm has been excruciating
Harder are my feets vibrating
My thoughts have left me except the thought of my poor old mother
Who fries potato at the Junction just to make a living
The same thing she did for years to see me through school
And now I can’t even give her a better life
How will she be when I am gone?
Will she forgive me?
Or will I finally relieve her of the burden of feeding me daily after a hectic walk in search for a
job even after my first degree?
Am i to be blamed?

Author: poetryfest

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