Those that never returned,
Captured by the spirits of the underworld,
Held hostage by the mystic powers,
There were warned but were recalcitrant,
It was a hallowed day,
The day the spirits of the river communed,
They had angered the spirits,
They were lawful captives,
The spirits refused to be appeased,
It was a day of memorial,
A tale that ran through generations,
It became a saying,
The river has hands on hallowed days.
Thompson Emate is a graduate of the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. He has a deep love for nature and the arts. He lives in Lagos, Nigeria.