(Previously published in Rattle)

Wahala if you are a bystander, watching

the protest from afar; hands tucked in pockets

Wahala if a stray bullet finds a home in

your bones, or your liver

Wahala if you come to lend bass to protest

chants, & hired hoodlums turn it to bedlam

Wahala if you drive there with your Camry

& drive home with a cracked windshield

Wahala if you drive your car through a police

checkpoint at night. Wahala if the road is empty

Wahala if you are the young man behind

the wheels. Wahala if your head isn’t shaven

Wahala if you are nearby when a cop shoots

another cop. Wahala if they wash the blood

off their hands & bath you in it. Wahala if

there is no video evidence to towel you clean

Wahala if you don’t know bigwig lawmakers to

nick you from the jaws of torture

Wahala if police swear they didn’t nab you

Wahala if they actually did nab you & are lying

Wahala if you are already stewing in their belly,

writhing like upset intestines amongst others

in a dingy cell. Wahala if you are unfamiliar with

the smell of conc. piss and shit.

Wahala for your corpse that will never be buried

Wahala for the mother that won’t kiss your cold cheek

Wahala for the river that will eat you

Wahala here, wahala there. Wahala everywhere

But no wahala for the cop whose forefinger twitched

on the trigger like an apoplectic

Wahala for government running out of tricks;

for thinking they can SWAT at us like flies,

Wahala that they do not know their harsh blowings

have stirred wisps of smoke where slumbering

tinder nest once lay. Wahala that they do not

realize they are making dragons out of us

Note: Wahala is Nigerian pidgin for “trouble.”

Wàhálà Púpọ̀ Nínú Orílẹ̀-Èdè Yìí

Wàhálà, bí o bá jẹ́ Olùwòran, tí o ń wo

ìwọ́de láti òkèèrè pẹ̀lú ọwọ́ rẹ wà nínú àpò

Wàhálà, bí ọta ìbọn bá

bálẹ̀ gbá sì nínú egungun rẹ, tàbí ẹ̀dọ̀ rẹ

Wàhálà, bí o bá yá bass fún orin ìwọ́de,

kí àwọn ọmọ ìta sì sọ ọ́ di ìdàrúdàpọ̀

Wàhálà, bí o bá wá ọkọ̀ Camry rẹ jáde

kí o padà pẹ̀lú dúgìrì iwájú tó ti fọ́.

Wàhálà, bí o bá fi ọkọ̀ rẹ kọjá ibi tí àwọn ọlọ́pàá

ń yẹ ọkọ̀ wò ní òru. Wàhálà, bí ojú ọ̀nà bá dá

Wàhálà, bí o bá jẹ́ ọ̀dọ́mọkùnrin tí ó wà lẹ́yìn

ọkọ̀. Wàhálà, bí ori rẹ kò bá wá ní fáfá.

Wàhálà, bí o bá wà nítòsí nígbà tí ọlọ́pàá kan bá

yìn ibọn sí ọlọ́pàá mìíràn. Wàhálà, bí wọ́n bá wẹ ẹ̀jẹ̀

ọwọ́ wọn, tí wọ́n sì fi wẹ̀ ọ́. Wàhálà, bí kò bá sí

fídíò tí ó lè fìdí ọ̀rọ̀ múlẹ̀

Wàhálà, bí o kò mọ àwọn aṣòfin olówó ńlá

tí lè gbà ọ́ sílẹ̀ lọ́wọ́ ìpọ́njú.

Wàhálà, bí àwọn ọlọ́pàá bá búra pé àwọn kò na ó

Wàhálà, bí wọ́n bá na ọ, tí wọ́n sì ń purọ́.

Wàhálà, bí o bá ti wà nínú ikùn wọn, tí o sì ń

yí káàkiri bí ìfun tí ó ti darú

Nínú ẹ̀wọ̀n. Wàhálà, bí o bá mọ òórùn

ìtọ̀ & ìgbẹ́

Wàhálà fún òkú rẹ tí a kò ní sin

Wàhálà fún ìyá rẹ tí kò ní fẹnukonu ẹ̀rẹ̀kẹ́ rẹ tí ó tutù

Wàhálà fún odò tí yóò jẹ́ ọ́.

Wàhálà níhìn-ín, wàhálà níbẹ̀. Wàhálà níbi gbogbo.

Ṣùgbọ́n wàhálà kò sí fún ọlọ́pàá náà

tí ìka-ọwọ́ rẹ̀ tẹ̀ ìbọn bí ẹni tí ìbínú re pọ̀ jọ̀jọ̀.

Wàhálà fún ìjọba tí kò ní ẹ̀tàn mọ́;

wọ́n rò pé àwọn lè pa wá bí ẹṣinṣin.

Wàhálà pé wọn kò mọ̀ pé lílu wọn ti ru

èéfín sókè nítorí pé àgbọn tí ó kún fún ṣẹ́kẹ̀ṣẹ́kẹ̀, a kì í fi ọ̀pá lù ú.

Wàhálà pé wọn kò mọ̀ pé wọ́n

ń sọ wá di dràgọ́ọ̀nì