Independent, eternal, divine.And may thy light endure,Till Time itself bends to thy song.
Amada Paul Israel@israelamadapaul172464
1 day ago
INDEPENDENT FAITH
Prologue
To thee, unseen yet ever present,
We lift this hymn of voices old and new.
Thou art the star that guides the wanderer,
The drumbeat beneath a nation’s ribcage,
The whisper in the tempest,
The fire that seasons our struggle with dawn.
This prayer, this ode, this offering—
Is woven for thee, Faith:
Independent, unyielding, eternal.
The Prayer-Ode
O Faith, thou unseen star that lights the night,
When storms do roar and tempests cloud the sky,
Thou stand’st unshaken, constant, pure, and bright,
A pillar firm when mortal hopes do die.
Grant us thy hand, when doubt would rend the heart,
And whisper courage in our trembling ear;
Let not despair in shadow’d guise impart
Its poisoned draught, nor bind our souls with fear.
O gentle guide, whose wings bear men aloft,
Teach us to walk where reason cannot tread;
Make strong our will, make tender spirits soft,
Revive the flame when earthly fires are dead.
So shall we rise, upheld by thee above,
And crown our days with trust, with hope, with love.
Faith! Iron sinew of a nation’s marrow,
Invisible drumbeat beneath the ribcage of Time.
Thou art ancestral kola chewed in the mouths of prophets,
Palm-wine poured to thirsty gods at dawn.
Today, thy banner unfurls
Not of cloth, but of heartbeat and breath,
Of shackled feet now pounding earth in dance.
Freedom’s masquerade dons thy mask,
Cowries glitter in thy laughter,
Talking drums crack the silence with thy name.
Faith, we carve thine image on the iroko of remembrance,
We drink thy fire from the gourd of tomorrow,
We carry thee in our marrow as we walk
Through alleys of ash into gardens of rebirth.
Independence is not yet a feast
But with thee, Faith,
We salt our yam with hope,
We season our struggle with dawn.
Sing, masquerade of mornings!
O Faith, thou art the flame that refuses to die;
With thee we inherit tomorrow.
Epilogue – Benediction of Faith
Go forth, O spirit unbroken,
Thou flame that no tempest can quench.
Carry in thy wings the whisper of tomorrow,
That nations may rise, and hearts may stand.
Let thy banner be not of cloth,
But of courage and breath,
Of children laughing, of drums proclaiming,
Of shackled feet now free to dance.
Abide with us, Faith
Independent, eternal, divine.
And may thy light endure,
Till Time itself bends to thy song.
