Men, women, children, all fragile and needy.
But who would help?
The days come and the moments fly by
The sun rises and sets
But many are still abandoned in want
Hopelessly groping in the dark
Struggling against the tides
Their needs, their wants never to be met

Panting hearts, sweltering bodies, shaky hands,
Looking for what can be gathered,
But nothing can be found,
Naked and languishing in misery
As though that’s their fate
Yet no one can ask of their faith
In their misery and pain, they feel yet more pain
Pain, they can never soothe
Because they are struck
Struck hard and broken, even the spirit

Yes, it is he who strikes the unwilling
The unwelcome visitor, poverty
Who cares less about posterity
Oh poverty, you who put men in derision
Oh poverty, the raider in derision
But hey, he must die!
Yes! Poverty, I say poverty must die!

So no one will be left in the cold
And no one, left to die.
Look at the little children, languishing in the cold
With none along to keep in the fold
Mourning and moaning for no meal to eat
Weeping for no wheat to beat
Oh poverty, you who scorns the poor
You rob and break the door
You who advance in silence
You pounce at once,
Poverty, oh poverty
You scare them of the puberty
I say poverty oh poverty must die
For no one should live and lie


Look at men clothed in rags
Walking in soles, with holes and tags
The belly quivering in hunger
Empty and cold with no food
Doing their best to no avail
Because poverty, oh poverty
Has robbed men of their dignity
But wait a minute, poverty, oh poverty
You who turn men into nothingness,
It is time, I say it is time; it is time for you to die
Poverty, I say poverty must die.

Gather your courage
Gather your hope
Pick up your strength
We must fight
And we must win
For poverty, yes, poverty must die!


By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi

Email: edogbevi@hotmail.com