Just beyond our tiny village
Miles afar from the big city
Stood a forest dark and evil
Greatly feared by young and old
There the trees made a large canopy
Under which dwelt the wildest beasts
Amidst them the yellow woodpecker
Picking at the bark of the sacred tree
The green mamba watched in silence
Waiting for the right time to strike
Its slimy body splattered by litter
Droppings of the lousy owl above
At the edge of the evil forest
Where the trees were fat and short
The tree-canopy bent to the floor
Reaching to the leafy shrubs
There the little black mole
Ran for his precious life
Pursued by a wounded viper
Hunting for an evening meal
At the centre of the forest
Where no foot must ever step
Sat the ancient boundary-stone
Set in place by our fathers
Standing tall among the trees
Of the dark and evil forest
Is the great ‘iroko’ tree
Still regarded as the greatest
Now I see it from afar
Towering above all others
At the centre of the frame
Giving meaning to its name
I should never hope to rest
‘Neath its giant leafy structure
While it’s sitting at the centre
Of the dark and evil forest
Toyin Taiwo © 2012
