Not My Business by Niyi Osundare (+Text and Summary)

See the full poem text and summary of Not My Business by Niyi Osundare (8 stanzas of 26 lines) and download the PDF with likely questions and answers.

Stanza 1

1. They picked Akanni up one morning
2. Beat him soft like clay
3. And stuffed him down the belly
4. Of a waiting jeep.

Stanza 2

5. What business of mine is it
6. So long they don’t take the yam
7. From my savouring mouth?

Stanza 3

8. They came one night
9. Booted the whole house awake
10. And dragged Danladi out,
11. Then off to a lengthy absence.

Stanza 4

12. What business of mine is it
13. So long they don’t take the yam
14. From my savouring mouth?

Stanza 5

15. Chinwe went to work one day
16. Only to find her job was gone:
17. No query, no warning, no probe –
18. Just one neat sack for a stainless record.

Stanza 6

19. What business of mine is it
20. So long they don’t take the yam
21. From my savouring mouth?

Stanza 7

22. And then one evening
23. As I sat down to eat my yam
24. A knock on the door froze my hungry hand.

Stanza 8

25. The jeep was waiting on my bewildered lawn
26. Waiting, waiting in its usual silence.

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