The Hearts of African Royalty

JOURNEY OF A DREAMER

In the land of Nigeria, a place called Savannah

Lived a prince whose heart was on fire,

Prince Malik dreamt of a world beyond the borders,

But his parents feared and blocked every order.

Six elder sisters he had in his life,

But no one was allowed to hold the knife,

For it was a tradition that only males could reign,

And this unwritten law caused the prince some pain.

His dreams were big, his heart was true,

His thirst for knowledge was nothing new,

He yearned to learn and explore,

To step out of his comfort zone and soar.

But how, he wondered, could he make it known,

To his parents who sat on the throne,

That he wished to break the old tradition,

And journey on a new expedition.

Malik’s heart was heavy and he felt hopeless,

As his parents remained firm in their beliefs, so careless,

He sought solace in the deity called “Mmuo Mmiri” (Mami Wata)

Who promised him a way out, a chance for his dreams to matter.

But the deity’s kindness was but a facade,

As the prince soon discovered, he had been had,

For in exchange for his aid, the goddess demanded,

That the prince gives up his humanity, his life forever stranded.

The prince, desperate for a way out,

Agreed to the terms without a doubt,

Only to realize, too late, the deception at play,

As he became a creature of the sea, forever to stay.

With scales and fins, he now called the sea his home,

Longing for the days when he could roam,

The lands he once knew, the people he loved,

Left behind, his dreams and his soul were all shoved.

The prince’s family had grown worried for him,

Wondering where he had gone and what had happened.

They searched high and low, far and wide,

Until they discovered the deity’s wicked pride.

The deity warned them, the prince could no longer survive on land,

For he had given up his humanity to become a creature of the sea,

But the family had to see for themselves,

And so they gathered their courage and set sail across the waves.

Arriving on land, they were met with confusion and terror,

For the villagers had never seen a creature like this before,

They saw the prince’s scales and fins, and immediately assumed,

That this creature was dangerous, and something to be exhumed.

The prince’s family pleaded with the villagers,

Telling them the story of the prince’s transformation,

But their words went unheard and the fear grew stronger,

Finally, the villagers attacked, thinking it was their only option.

The prince’s family watched in horror as their kin was attacked,

Their cries for mercy fell on deaf ears,

The prince, now more creature than man, knew he had to act,

For he could not let his family suffer any more tears.

Betrayed, saddened, he fell to the ground,

The villagers had killed and sent him outbound,

His friends and family mourned his loss,

His love and empathy, are no more at any cost.

The villagers too mourned but learned a lesson,

Of ignorance, fear, and intention, a great confession,

They realized too late, what they had done,

A noble life lost, they had not won.

The prince’s legacy lived on,

A tale of courage, empathy, and compassion,

His loss paved the way for change,

A lesson learned, not to be strange.

And so, he became a symbol of love,

A messenger whose warning came from above,

A creature, full of goodness and light,

Whose legacy will forever shine bright?

QUEEN ADAUGO: A NEW ERA

Years passed and the kingdom changed,

People began to see things in a different range,

The prince’s legacy had left a mark,

A new era had begun a new spark.

His eldest sister, Princess Adaugo by name,

Decided to take a stand and play the game,

After all, why should she let tradition hold her back,

When she knew she had something special, and that was a fact.

Against all odds and the opposition of the court,

Adaugo fought for her right, a powerful retort,

She believed a woman could be a ruler just as well,

And finally, her parents’ minds began to quell.

With her kindness and intelligence, she earned people’s trust,

Her leadership brought prosperity, which was a must,

She abolished traditional norms, paving the way for change,

And in her reign, the kingdom began to rearrange.

The people rejoiced and hailed her with glee,

As they watched their beloved Adaugo set free,

She broke barriers, united the kingdom, and ruled with grace,

And became the first queen, never to be replaced.

Years went by, and history was set,

Women were now rulers, and they poured their power without a fret,

Adaugo’s name was remembered with respect and admiration,

Her legacy lived on, her deeds and her creation.

And so, the kingdom flourished,

Under the rule of the queen who banished,

The traditional norms brought light, and hope,

And in her reign, the people knew they could finally cope.

A ROYAL LOVE FORBIDDEN: THE SECOND CHILD’S TALE OF SACRIFICE.

The second child of the royal family,

Was known for her beauty and her charity,

Her heart was pure, her spirit free,

But now she faced a great tragedy.

Her parents had chosen a suitor for her,

A rich and powerful man without any stir,

But her heart had already been won,

By a commoner, a man who made her heart run.

They met in secret, their love forbidden,

Their passion growing, their hearts smitten,

Princess Adebisi knew that they could never be,

Not in a society with laws so unfree.

Her parents warned her of the consequences,

Of what would happen if she made their defences,

They threatened to disown her and her lover,

Adebisi’s heart is now in danger.

But love is a force that cannot be tamed,

No matter how strong the walls that are framed,

Adebisi and her lover persisted,

Their love was stronger than anything that existed.

But as time went by, the pressure grew,

Princess Adebisi knew what she had to do,

She had to choose between love and duty,

Between her heart and her family’s beauty.

In the end, she chose what she had to do,

To marry a man she barely knew,

Her lover’s heart was now shattered and broken,

Forbidden love left unspoken.

But deep down, Adebisi knew,

That her love for him would forever be true,

And though she may have married another,

Her heart would always belong to her lover.

The second child’s story, a tale of sacrifice,

Of a love so strong, it came at a price,

But her legacy lives on, a message to all,

That love will always triumph, even in a royal hall.

The Bridge Between Worlds

Princess Aida, the third child of the royal family,

Dreamed of exploring the great unknown,

Her heart yearning for adventures to unfold,

To discover worlds beyond her own.

She heard of the tales of the African greats,

And yearned to see them with her own eyes,

To traverse the lands and see the sights,

To witness the wonders that lay beneath the skies.

Her heart felt restless, her spirit wild,

And so she set off in search of her brother,

To join him on his quest for knowledge and lore,

And to learn from him like no other.

As she travelled, she encountered a force,

A mystical realm that was filled with wonder,

A world that lay between both life and death,

Where spirits and humans existed in thunder.

Princess Aida was torn as she watched,

And so she made a bold choice,

To be a bridge between the spirit realm and hers,

A calling that her heart could no longer withhold.

She spent her days tending to the spirits,

Helping them cross to the other side,

As she learned from them their great wisdom,

And became their protector and guide.

Though her brother travelled far and wide,

She found meaning in her role,

As the bridge between both worlds,

She found the purpose that made her heart whole.

And so Princess Aida found her calling,

And though it may have kept them apart,

She knew that her brother was never too far,

For the beating of her heart remained smart.

THE UNEXPECTED GIFT.

Naya and Nayla, the twin girls were inseparable,

Their love for one another is unparalleled,

Their bond is unbreakable, their hearts irreplaceable,

Together they were unstoppable.

But one day they disobeyed their father’s wishes,

And journeyed into the cursed and evil forest,

A place where no one dared to go,

But the princesses were determined to know.

As they journeyed through the dark and eerie woods,

They came across horrors and sights so crude,

But still, they persisted, their love for one another,

Stronger than any fear they could smother.

But then tragedy struck, and the sisters were faced,

With a situation that left them both displaced,

One twin was caught, unable to break free,

While the other had the chance to flee.

But the twin who had gotten away,

Knew what she had to do without delay,

To go back and save her sister,

With all her strength and all her vigour.

For days she searched, her heart in despair,

Until she found her sister, caught in a snare,

But she had to make a choice, and oh, it was tough,

To leave her sister behind and save herself enough.

With a heavy heart, the surviving twin fled,

Leaving behind the lifeless body of her twin instead,

Hasn’t the family grieved enough? Mourned the loss of their child that day,

Their hearts shattered, and in sorrow, they did lay.

For they knew the depth of their twin’s love,

And the sacrifice that each of them dreamed of,

A bond that had stood the test of time,

Of sisters who loved each other more than life sublime.

LOVE’S FORBIDDEN FATE

The sixth child, Zehara, was a rare gem,

Gifted and bright, unlike her kin,

Her parents loved her above all,

And she was the apple of their eye, overall.

But fate had a different plan in store,

One that would leave her heart forever sore,

For she fell in love with a girl so queer,

One that society deemed so wrong, so clear.

Their love was pure, and their hearts entwined,

But society made laws that kept them confined,

Their love was a sin, a taboo to ignore,

And they had to keep it hidden, forevermore.

But one day, while they were out in the fields,

They were caught by a villager who refused to yield,

The king was soon informed of the forbidden love,

And he was filled with anger, too much to shove.

The king’s daughter begged and pleaded,

But the villagers were adamant, their hearts unheeded,

The lover was charged with a sin so grave,

And sentenced to death, with nothing to save.

Princess Zehara took one final glance,

At her lover who was sentenced to dance,

And her heart was filled with hate and despise,

For the king who had taken away her prize.

She couldn’t do anything but watch in agony,

As her lover’s life ended, filled with tragedy,

Forbidden love was a sin that society couldn’t bear,

And princess Zehara was left with a broken heart to repair.

LETTERS FROM KING NADIR

Ene Chisombili Franklyn is a talented individual hailing from Nigeria, specifically Enugu state. He recently completed his L.L.B. program at the prestigious Enugu State University of Science and Technology.

A passionate writer, Ene Chisombili Franklyn finds joy and expression in the realm of poetry. With a creative mind and a way with words, he pours his emotions and experiences onto the pages, creating captivating pieces that resonate with his readers. He constantly seeks to enhance his craft and broaden his understanding of the world, always open to new perspectives and knowledge that surround him.