THE UNSUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE

My mother told me the story of her co-wives and herself
Let me tell you in brevity so that you can judge by yourself
Wa, Zo and Bia are the names of the wives
The three initially lived their separate lives
Then they were forcefully joined to a man in marriage
Even when the three did not speak the same language
The marriage was not preceded by any courtship
The women had nothing in common relationship
The consent of any of them was not sought
Even Wa's opinions came to nought
The joining priest analysed that Wa was the most seditious
That although she was the most disloyal, she was ambitious
That of all the people he had ever seen or given directives
That Wa was the most purely prompted by self-seeking money motives
He analysed that Zo had nothing to chase after
No ideals, no ambitions save such as sensual character
That Zo was a fatalist, spendthrift and immoral gravely
That she was a gambler and was so diseased seriously
That she was a menace to any house she sought to be
A threat to anyone she desired to see
The priest said of Bia to be fiercely rebellious
That she had no regard for authority but was industrious
That though she was in deference to the queen's objectives and was religious
Yet to trust her with power was highly dangerous
So the priest had their facts in different compendia
Yet he married them to one Mr. Nigeria
It's now more than a century and they have not got along
Zo is truly a threat and other wives have endured it this long
A marriage without courtship mostly leads to divorce
Especially when three women are married to a man by force

(c) Juwon Osanipin

An excerpt from my book, LIFE (A collection of poems in facts)