FACE ME I FACE YOU — A POETIC PIECE IN NIGERIAN PIDGIN LANGUAGE!

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Face me I face you!
Na the way for more than two.
You no dey take eye dey look,
Na spirit dey feel watin ur neighbor dey cook.
Too much sense man still be fool.
You grow, you rise, all for one neighbourhood!

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Mama P wey dey run mouth like cooking stew,
You talk, you live, your malé go hear am for her news.
Her own son, yamayama dey chop him gbrokos.
He no get plan, no future, no focus.
Her daughter small thing remain Yansh for commot mucus,
Na so so waka waka from area to Lagos!

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Papa Rose no dey carry Rose play!
Na so so increment for suitors day by day.
But he own thing dey stand even when fowl pass.
He dey do nonsense but you no try am for him daughter ass.
He daughter bride price na him only asset,
So he need rich suitor wey go clear him debt!

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Our area get every every, both good and bad!
We no need doctor to tell us when we run mad.
Food no dey but fat people dey add,
Money no dey but small pikin dem no dey sad.
Everyday for compound things dey lost anyhow.
We dey use to am, Abi na now?

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There say fundamental needs na food, cloth and shelter!
But why our houses be area scatter?
Why our food be like ekelekpe?
Why our clothes be like something for sheshegbe?
Why our story dey always be comedy?
Why our lives dey always be laughing story?

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This is a poem written by me in Nigerian Pidgin English language.
The poem titled Face me I face you is about the livelihood in a compound.

In Nigeria, face me I face you refers to a kind of low class compound where each apartment is opposite the other and tenants share public toilets and open corridors for kitchen.
Your neighbours see, know and feel everything you do.

The first stanza is an introduction to what the compound seems like.

The second stanza talks about a tenant Mama P who gossips and criticizes but her children are not even close to being good examples.

The third stanza talks about a male tenant who cherishes his daughter so much but disvalues other girls sexually. He sees his daughter as wealth and places high rate on her bride price thereby scaring suitors away.

The fourth stanza describes the contradictory outcome of the area. Despite the poor living standard, tenants are still happy.

The fifth stanza retires the poem to its tragic outpour. Where the pains of the poor livelihood is felt...

Itoro Archibong, Writing Junkie!!! ✍✍✍