They called you a prince.
When it’s almost time,
For the apple to fall,
They called you the heir.
They wore you a crown.
You were no longer a prince.
Even without experience,
You ruled over everyone.
You were on the throne,
Sitting on your ego.
Bearing the resemblance of your
Father so many years ago.
You were told to pick a wife
Like trying a rope for a ceremony.
Some you dropped after testing.
Others you refused for their colors.
You gave your fellow men,
Women wrapped with ribbons.
And your generosity was praised:
“Long live the King!” They said.
But what they didn’t say
Was what they said:
“Long live inequality!” And it echoed
Into the ears of democracy.
They said a woman can lead
A man only when he’s a boy.
And a boy can husband a woman
Before turning into a man.
Who told boys to see themselves higher
When their mothers are their Kings?
By Elijah Christopher
Elijah Christopher is a journalist at A New Touch Of Africa, is also a creative writer, a poet, and an IT enthusiast. He contributed to the collaborative poem written in celebration of Edwin Morgan Centenary, the first Glasgow poet laureate and Scottish national poet from the University of Glasgow. He loves meeting people and learning about new places, cultures, events, and lifestyles.
