Pax Nigeriana.Sonnet 01

Part 1: The Pulse of the Street 

(Sonnets 1–10)

1. Third Mainland Hold-Up

The brake lights stretch into a crimson snake,Above the lagoon where the salt winds blow.The engines idle, weary drivers wakeTo Danfo buses pushing in the row.A gala seller darts between the cars,With pure-water bags balanced on her head,Beneath the midday heat or rising stars,Where daily bread is chased with heavy dread.The hours pass, the city's pulse is slow,Yet inside every vehicle, a radio playsOf politics and things we do not know,As gridlock swallows up our fleeting days.We curse the road, the lack of moving space,Yet find our patience in this frantic place.