Grabbed where I lay next to my woman,
Tip of dagger, glittery point at my throat,
I was gagged, shoved off and fettered
I demanded to be freed but was slapped,
They loaded me, a steel cargo on a truck,
Then muzzle and tether my hands to rails,
In dark, I heard groans of many abducted,
We were co-tenants to a slaughterhouse,
Immured, tyranized and severely bruised,
Butt calloused from overnight bumpy ride,
I was delivered manacled on wood block,
On large boat, hush voices haggle to pay,
Moment my life sold, I didn’t even know,
Priced to be used, abused or even refused,
They don’t care to know, but I know tears,
My tears which they paid to ignore will tell,
Tell my woman, and our children my fate,
To stay not silent, when others are bound
Cash Aiye-ko-ooto
In over 115 works, Nigerian American, Cash Onadele Aiye-ko-ooto’s oeuvre spans several creative genres. He wrote and produced The Noble Warrior staged in theatres in Abeokuta and Lagos. 2019 4-part ethnographic fiction drama titled 'Blood of Freedom'. Additional works followed, 55+ children youth and adult stories, screenplays, novels, novellas, children / youth short stories, and collections of novellas. Before fiction were poems. 52 anthologies of poetry, he famously cataloged as 'Odo-Alamo Series'. He is a prolific writer, a culture-aware philosopher, poet, and playwright. Cash is 62 and lives in Lagos and Texas, USA with wife and business partner, Denise Marie. The Yoruba native brings indigenous Juju voice to storytelling. Aiyeko-ooto built the world's largest library of individual poetry work. The solid enrichment of his volumes in songs, ethnographic plays, and stories with literary devices make them appropriate for entertainment and teaching of literature to secondary and tertiary institutions. His ambition is to contribute to development of youth and creative arts in Nigeria. Cash, an Architect, graduated from UI, (BSc, MSc) 1987, University of Nottingham, UK (MBA) 1993. He walks, writes, and mentors writers. He accepts international bookings for Readings, Public Speaking, and Poetry.
- Cash Aiye-ko-ooto#molongui-disabled-link
- Cash Aiye-ko-ooto#molongui-disabled-link
- Cash Aiye-ko-ooto#molongui-disabled-link
- Cash Aiye-ko-ooto#molongui-disabled-link
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Olaleye Timothy Fikayomi
240102147
This poem vividly portrays the brutal experience of abduction, forced captivity, and dehumanization, likely in the context of slavery or human trafficking. The speaker’s pain and loss are made personal through the mention of his “woman” and children, grounding the suffering in broken family ties and lost futures. The narrative moves from the violence of the capture—symbolized by the “dagger” at the throat—through the physical and psychological torment of transportation, to the anguish of being sold like property.
The use of words like “cargo,” “manacled,” and “slaughterhouse” evokes the loss of human dignity, comparing the captives to objects or animals being traded and disposed of. The “hush voices” and “haggling” reinforce the theme of commodification and disregard for human life. Through poignant imagery, the poem calls attention to the indifference of the oppressors (“They don’t care to know, but I know tears”) versus the enduring pain of the victims.
The closing lines deliver a powerful message of memory and resistance. The speaker’s tears become a message for his loved ones, urging them to “stay not silent, when others are bound.” The poem thus transforms personal grief into a collective call to witness, remember, and speak out against the cycles of bondage and oppression.
Kareem Oluwaseun Opeyemi
240102151
This poem is a powerful and emotional account of a man who is captured, enslaved, and sold, while reflecting on his pain, fear, and longing for justice. It tells the story of many people who were victims of slavery or human trafficking, and ends with a message that urges others to speak up against oppression.
This poem is a powerful and emotional account of a man who is captured, enslaved, and sold, while reflecting on his pain, fear, and longing for justice. It tells the story of many people who were victims of slavery or human trafficking, and ends with a message that urges others to speak up against oppression.