There we were gathered,
Nations old and young
Nations who flags flew higher than the sky
Nations of the revolution of the earth
And nations ,who shake the rest with a loud silence.
One of these nations,
Booming and proud
Walked up to me and asked mockingly “who are you”

My heart froze, and suddenly
A spirit of art came upon me
And like the great poet Chinua Achebe,
And as if I was Homer and the rest of the countries were children who longed for a story.
I began to sing, not knowing what I was saying but eloquently.
I sang
‘I am the son of the morning
And the daughter of light
I am the song of the birds on the brightest summer day
The red earth of which you build your houses.
I am the smell of newly roasted corn
And newly fallen dew.
I am the taste of sweet corn
And the smell of a hopeful day
I am, the song the birds sing on the prettiest summer days.
I am the very sun
That brings life chlorophyll to all your plants.
I am the joy of the sad woman
I am the light of the glorious morning
That ends the long nights of pain and agony
I am the freshness that you all smell
I am the essence of beauty.
I am Nigeria,
The daughter of Africa,
Well known among the heathen.
And as if rehearsed, I stopped as if rehearsed
And a large green and white Nigerian flag,
Flew high by itself
And everyone marveled
SAYING loudly AMONGST THEMSELVES
“THERE’S YET TO BE ANY LIKE THIS FROM MOTHER AFRICA”
I smelled in my heart
As if reaffirming to myself
“I am Nigeria”