In the halls of higher learning, a journey has begun,
Three years, now five, battles fought and won.
Through the twists of fate, COVID’s cruel game,
Strikes and struggles, yet I rise, all the same.
University, they said, would be a breeze,
But exhaustion and drain lurk beneath the trees.
Times of triumph smiles after exams so magnific,
Yet anxiety, sickness, the fire emoji’s command.
OAU, a humbling ground, a challenging climb,
Penultimate year, tears flowed like rhyme.
Crying to friends, whining in fear,
Calling my mother, her comforting ear.
In the haze of uncertainty, I barely cooked,
Special friends stepped in, and my spirit they hooked.
With shaky hands, navigating the exam’s trail,
Dropping the pen, relief beyond the veil.
Talking to Allah, a friend so divine,
Heart-to-heart, laughter, tears in line.
Two rakahs to say, “I’m hungry, please,”
Lazy me, expecting divine recipes.
The final year looms, my desired end,
Yet fear grips, uncertainty my friend.
If I falter, my parents bear the cost,
86k echoes, a daunting exhaust.
Will I make it? Extra year’s ghost,
Perceptions looming, a heavy host.
Scared, nervous, confusion’s blend,
Longing for the torment to transcend.
I wish someone had forewarned the strife,
In the final year’s reality, the challenges are rife.
Yet deep within, a resilience stirs,
For Allah’s favours, none it defers.
As the curtain falls, I’ll return to share,
The tale of triumph or the weight of despair.
Crying and laughing, emotions entwined,
Praising Allah, for His favours, undefined.
