I Love Her; Her Father Hates "Us"

I told her how I feel

What I've kept hidden

What I've thought of her

Who I am and have been

Who I will become

She cares so for me

She encourages me.

She loves the funny banters

Even our crazy arguments.

Maybe she truly loves me. 

We have nothing but joy

except her father's hatred. 

Hatred for my "people".

We've hurt him, he says

We're evil, he insists

How can we live our lives

Waiting for his approval. 

How can we proceed

When he cares not for me

with such hate in his heart

Traditions and culture

is all they know and follow

But what good is tradition

If it causes heart ache

If it destroys love. 

This poem is intended to draw people's attention to the problems in our society. The idea of racism or tribalism or even hatred for people within your tribe and country. I really do not get why someone would have so much hatred for a whole group of people, thousands or millions at once. 

I know the heart can handle a lot but how can one heart handle so much hatred? 

It is easy to hate and to love too but hatred keeps you sad,  angry whenever you remember the person or people it is directed to. Love makes you light up each time you see the people you love.  So why do people choose to always be sad and miserable instead of choosing happiness?

Is there any gain in hating other people? I don't think so! 

Another thing that bothers me so much is the idea of parents'  approval before marriage which can be so frustrating some times. Some keep their kids from getting married because of tribal differences or hatred between them and a certain community. 

Sometimes,  they would tell you people from village A do not marry from village B. That centuries ago,  certain disagreement happened between said villages and since then,  there has been a rule that marriages shouldn't happen between people from both. What the hell does that even mean? 

They bring their old traditions and ideologies which shouldn't even have any place in our modern society into play. For places like Nigeria where the culture is not to go into any marriage without the parents' approval and "blessings", this is just troublesome. 

I just wish life wasn't so complex some times. 

We just have to stop the hatred. More love in our hearts!