16 years later
a mit dɛm na di sem ples we dɛm bi kam lɛf mi
Fritɔŋ Lunge Airport
as a kɔmɔt na di plen, e, a de fil ɔt
so a de drink bɔku wata, a nɔ de ask how much
ɔl mi anti ɛn ɔnkul dɛn se Abu na yu dɔn big so
bɔt dɛn ɔl stil luk di sem lɛk se na yɛstade a go
16 years later
ɔl dɛn pikin dɛn fes luk jɔs lɛk mi
sem nos ɛn chikbon with melanin slightly richer
dɛn nɔ wande si mi bifo bɔt dɛn ɔl de kɔl mi ɔnkul
16 years later
ɛvri mɔnin ɔf ɛvri de
ɔlman de grit ɔlman lɛk se wi na fambul
ivin we di san ɔt, a nɔ de si bɔku lɔng mɔt
‘padiman aw di bɔdi?’
a sam, tɛl gɔd tɛnki
16 years later
ɔl sɔm man dɛn gɛ fɔ it na bred ɛn bɔta
bɔt ɛvri salon man stil gɛt wetin i fasin
sɔm dɛn lɛk uman-lapa, sɔm dɛn lɛk bita-kola
sɔm man dɛn sabi sing we di ɔmɔle dɔn waka
LXG bin tɛl wi se, kaki nɔ to lɛda
bɔt stil dɛn bebi dɛn sabi chɛr am
16 years later
di slogan dɛn na di sem
tide fɔ yu, tumara fɔ mi
minɛŋ o, munɔŋ o, sabanɔ
Sierra Leone, na wi ɔl yon,
una mek wi ep wisɛf for improve Sierra Leone
mi fambul dɛm a no se, chariti bigins at om
so no mata usay a go, a nɔ go fɔgɛt mi salon
wɛlintin, kalba- tɔŋ, bay nyu rod ɔ ol rod
if wi de go wɛstɛnd, wi tek wilkinsin rod
Aberdeen, Lumley, wi kɔntri so lɔvli
16 years later
Taxi drayva stil wan olɔp mi chenj lɛk se a sabi dem
ɛn layt de stil kam ɛn go, lɛk dɛn JC dɛm.
Abu Yillah is a Sierra Leonean Filmmaker, Poet and Photographer based in London.
