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I'M A CHILD


 My mother sleeps at home 
While I hawk under the sun 
Our dinner is dependent on it 
Chidi works at an eatery 
All day, sometimes into the night 
Tolu is my neighbour's housegirl 
Her pay services her parents debt 
Ayo works at construction sites
Along with his father 

 I'm 10, Chidi 7, Tolu is 9 and Ayo 8
We are minors yes but not children
We have been made to grow 
Much more faster than our peers 
Carrying the weight of the world 
On our little shoulders 
Tolu works under inhumane conditions 
Chidi rarely gets food to eat 
Ayo has broken more bones than bricks 

 I miss going to school 
I miss studying rhymes and memorizing tables
I miss goofing around with my peers 
I miss listening to moonlight tales 
Oh, I miss the immature pranks of kids 
I miss playing hide and seek 
I miss playing catch and ten-ten
I miss playing police and robbers
And featuring as mummy in our little dramas 
Now I'm told child's play is for children 
Not for me, a ten year old girl 

 I wonder, are these memories mine? 
Are they a part of my imagination? 
I struggle to recall the days of my childhood 
When I was as free as a bird 
As I go through the streets 
Peddling my wares 
I chase these memories 
Trying to keep them with me 
But they skirt around in my head 
And vanish like the wind 

 My innocence has been ripped off me 
By the people who should protect me 
I've been exposed so prematurely 
To the harsh realities of life 
I've been robbed a normal childhood 
A proper education 
The right to dream 
Hope and laughter 
A bright future 
The society applauds me 
For shouldering adult responsibilities 
They all seem to forget 
I'm just a child 
Who wants to be a child

 Par: Youniece_jaycub
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