I told her how I feel
What I've kept hidden
What I've thought of her
Who I am and have been
Who I will become
She cares so for me
She encourages me.
She loves the funny banters
Even our crazy arguments.
Maybe she truly loves me.
We have nothing but joy
except her father's hatred.
Hatred for my "people".
We've hurt him, he says
We're evil, he insists
How can we live our lives
Waiting for his approval.
How can we proceed
When he cares not for me
with such hate in his heart
Traditions and culture
is all they know and follow
But what good is tradition
If it causes heart ache
If it destroys love.
This poem is intended to draw people's attention to the problems in our society. The idea of racism or tribalism or even hatred for people within your tribe and country. I really do not get why someone would have so much hatred for a whole group of people, thousands or millions at once.
I know the heart can handle a lot but how can one heart handle so much hatred?
It is easy to hate and to love too but hatred keeps you sad, angry whenever you remember the person or people it is directed to. Love makes you light up each time you see the people you love. So why do people choose to always be sad and miserable instead of choosing happiness?
Is there any gain in hating other people? I don't think so!
Another thing that bothers me so much is the idea of parents' approval before marriage which can be so frustrating some times. Some keep their kids from getting married because of tribal differences or hatred between them and a certain community.
Sometimes, they would tell you people from village A do not marry from village B. That centuries ago, certain disagreement happened between said villages and since then, there has been a rule that marriages shouldn't happen between people from both. What the hell does that even mean?
They bring their old traditions and ideologies which shouldn't even have any place in our modern society into play. For places like Nigeria where the culture is not to go into any marriage without the parents' approval and "blessings", this is just troublesome.
I just wish life wasn't so complex some times.
We just have to stop the hatred. More love in our hearts!