Looking around this place, it is quite apparent to see
Nothing here is free for you and me
Whether it be by colonizers and systematically by each other
The freedom we once spoke of does not stand true for my sisters and brothers
Listen to those who speak of how the worst has yet to come
How struggle was in the air for many, not just a mere some
Now we have this tension between our tribes; it is not that hard to mention
When we see examples every day through our own micro-dimensions
Some children were raised to receive and reciprocate these said notions
This does nothing to assure our personal safeties or ease down our emotions
Therefore, it is up for the rest of us to stop, think, and reduce all of this commotion
Before we continue to drive our own to the brink of complete erosion
No doubt the war has left us worn, torn, and scarred inside and out
The fact stands that millions died from violence and drought
Now with many of those millions being Igbo, my life comes at a cross
Thinking the sacrifices that were cost and too many lives lost
I apply the fact that I’m Igbo to fuel my own ego
And pray to God every day to brush off those demons that be so evil
As well as soar up high to the sky like an eagle
These feelings I have pinch hard yet subtle like the end of a needle
These implications have created such deep reservations among our own kind
Look around you, my friends, this was all made within His time,
But with enough hope for peace and prosperity, we can only strive for things to be fine
And reach for that level to not rewind, but redefine…
Therefore, how is it, my brothers and sisters, how we continue to strive?
How is it that we just look ahead and continue to thrive?
To stay on our drive and go to great lengths to survive
To go past our expirations when we should no longer be considered alive?
It is all because we are refined, right down to our very prime
We Nigerians are always strong and always on our grind
For the longest time, we have lived time after time
Evolution is our asset, getting better like me with every rhyme
Failure is not an option, never something we aim to contemplate
Nor do we want any of this nonsense, violence, or hate
That we are facing back home, as well as over here
Yet with the Lord at our side, we shall walk to never live in fear
We stand tall, bold, focused, and determined until the very end
Despite those who attempt to deceive us and only aspire to pretend
Sometimes, our people may face uncertain setbacks
In the end, it takes love, labor, and God to keep us back on track
From our ancestors to our parents, they all tell us that “the sky’s the limit”
For this is the Lord’s world, therefore let us be thankful to live in it
This right here is our opportunity to rise and shine
So bright that all our naysayers and haters may go on blind
Right now, if we were to be arrested, let success be our collective crime…
That, my friends, is how you and I re-define Nigeria “refined”