To Sade Adu My Soul Sister

My soul sister Folashade
Do you still remember those days
When you always loved to sit at the feet of Grandma
And listen to her unforgettable old wives' fables
Of the Tortoise and all his tricks.
Once in a while I saw you sitting all alone in the moonlight.
And I was wondering what you were thinking in your delicate heart.
But, I left you alone to your innermost spirit
Because, everyone must seek out his or her own destiny.
To be yourself and let me be myself.


Dear Aunty Folashade Adu,
I want to talk to you.

You are old enough to be a granny
Since you were born in 1959.
But, you have not come to our shrine
To recite your ancestral Oriki.

You prefer to sing and twist your waist
From the sunlight to the moonlight
Only to the delight of the White world
And you turn your back to your homeland
So, you think the Oyinbo white man is the best?
Who told you that the Oyinbo is better than the rest?
But, have you forgotten that good old saying?
That charity begins at home.

So, when are you coming to sing and dance for us?
Just like those wonderful days in our village.
When you always wriggled your tiny waist
To the folktales of Grandma in the night.
Before, your Oyinbo mummy took you away.
And you promised to return one fine day.
When you were now our big sister.
But, you only came to greet Grandma.

Aunty Folashade,
The Oyinbo cannot even pronounce Sha-day
And I laugh at them when they think they are wiser.
So, when are you coming back to Nigeria?