If it does not serve your purpose,
It does not deserve your time
For life is not a casual drift,But a march toward a chosen climb.
Arise, children of the diaspora,
Sons and daughters of the soil,
Your legacy is not chained to despair,
Nor your heritage lost in toil.
From the drumbeats of the savanna,
To the streets where freedom cries,
You carry the wisdom of old Africa,
And the fire that never dies.
To the Rejected, to the Anxious:
Do not bow to fleeting shadows,
Nor kneel before the court of fear.
The ancestors whisper through the winds:
“You are the seed of nations here.”
Remember the proverbs of the elders:
“A river swells not by refusing its source.”
So reclaim the waters of your courage,
Chart the tides, steer your course.
To the burdened hearts, depressed and weary,
Do not mistake the night for fate.
Even in darkness, stars are born;
Even in struggle, you create.
To the Race Unbroken:
Oh, Africa! The cradle of beginnings,
Do not let the world define your worth.
For you are not a continent of sorrow,
But the architects of rebirth.
Hold fast to your sacred traditions,
The wisdom of elders and griots’ lore.
Remember, “A tree cannot forget its roots,”
Yet its branches seek the heavens more.
The chains of slavery may be history,
But chains of doubt still must be undone.
For we are not merely survivors;
We are architects of a rising sun.
To the Dreamers and Builders:
Lift your eyes to the horizon wide,
For the mountain’s summit waits.
Purpose demands the sweat of vision,
And discipline unlocks its gates.
From the Harlem Renaissance to Sankofa’s wings,
From jazz notes to the marketplace hum,
Let your talents roar like a lion’s call—
A symphony of all you’ve become.
“The future is not given, it is earned,”
So wield your mind like a sharpened spear.
With each thought, each word, each action bold,
You turn uncertainty into a frontier.
The Purposeful Life:
If it does not feed the spirit,
If it does not nourish the soul,
Why linger in its shadowed corners?
Why barter for a lesser goal?
You are sculptors of your destiny,
Born not to follow but to lead.
Stand firm, audacious and unyielding,
For purpose is life’s deepest creed.
Let the rhythm of your heart be steady,
Let the drumbeat of resolve resound.
For those who walk with purpose mighty,
Shall see their dreams take holy ground.
So rise, oh race of eternal flame!
Burn bright, relentless, undeterred.
For if it does not serve your purpose,
It cannot speak your sacred word.
By : Jide Adesina
Extract from Tales of Destiny December, 2024
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