Poem to Celebrate International Workers’ Day

     

By Oluwabamigbe Remi AJAYI

A Retiree from Igogo Ekiti

ooluwabamigbe@gmail.com.

Stanza I – The Call of May Day
May Day is here again,
A day of solidarity,
A day when workers stand united,
Across every divide.
A moment to honor struggles,
Sacrifices and resilience,
Of men and women whose labour
Sustains the world.

Stanza II – Remembering the Struggle
We celebrate the sweat on the labourer’s brow,
The dignity in honest toil.
We remember our fallen comrades,
Who paid the ultimate price,
Demanding fair wages,
And safer working conditions.
From Chicago and the Haymarket Affair,
To the Aba Women's Riot in Nigeria,
The spirit of resistance lives on.
Labour unions and associations stand tall
The Nigeria Labour Congress,
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria,
Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria,
Pensioners, market women, artisans
All as one body, united.

Stanza III – Resilience in Hardship
We celebrate not only victories,
But hardships endured and overcome,
Suffering seen, faced, and conquered.
When fair wages were denied,
When survival seemed uncertain,
From zero allocations,
To half-salary regimes,
Workers still stood firm,
Holding on to dignity.

Stanza IV – Strength in Survival
We honor the strength to survive,
Amid economic hardship and repression.
The courage of women rising,
Against tyranny and injustice.
The quiet resilience in community,
In ajo, in esusu,
Where hands join hands,
And hope is sustained together.

Stanza V – A Movement, Not Just a Day
May Day is more than celebration,
It is a movement for justice.
A stand against draconian laws,
A united voice, a common purpose.
Through rallies, parades, and speeches,
We raise our demands
For fairness, dignity, and equity,
In the world of work.
For the worker still in service,
And the retiree who deserves rest with honor.