One Poem by Ngozi Olivia Osuoha

 

THERE IS DIGNITY IN LABOUR

 

In labour, was I conceived

In labour, I was birthed

Training me was a hard labour

Because there is dignity in labour!

 

A labourer earns his wage

Decently, honourably and honestly

He does not extort at the toll gate,

He has dignity and integrity.

 

Whether old, sick and frail

He will never labour in vain,

For there is dignity in labour!

 

He sweats in pain because he is not a thief

He gains in plain, he is not in grief

He has some relief even if brief,

Because the universe honours he that labours.

 

He who labours, labours not in vain

But he who steals, steals all in vain

Generations shall call him a thief

And nations shall see him in grief,

Lands shall hear him wail when he grows weary

Because he shall fail for not labouring uprightly!

 

There is dignity in labour, make no mistake

There is labour in dignity let no man deceive you!

 

If you anchor on a mushroom, there will be for you no room

If your boat is offshore, you will not sail more

So hear me loud and clear; there is dignity in labour!

 

Labour on, labour on, men of integrity

Labour forward, there; is dignity!

Arise, shine, adorn the world.

 

A dollar earned is a lesson learned

A dollar stolen is a dream frozen,

Labour on, soldier of nature

The universe is neither deaf nor dumb

And the Creator neither dead nor numb!

 

If you are obedient, you will eat the good of the land

Therefore be useful, otherwise life will not give you 'shishi'

Ngozi Olivia Osuoha is a Nigerian graduate of Estate Management with experience in Banking and Broadcasting. 

She has authored twenty three poetry books, and has featured in over one hundred and ten international anthologies. She has published over three hundred poems in over forty countries, and some of her pieces have been translated and published in  Spanish, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Macedonian, Farsi, Arabic, Khloe, Scots, Chinese, Hindi, Assamese, Serbian, Greek, and other languages.

She has won several awards, and some of her works have been nominated  for Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net Awards, among others.

She has some of her books in foreign libraries, including the US Library of Congress. She's a tailor too. And she has some more things to accomplish.