One Ghana, One Voice

Ode to Nkrumah - Reggie Kyere

2008-07-26T06:36:00.002Z

I met him! Yes, I bumped into Nkrumah
in my history book.
We sat down for coffee around the corner.
He had his black,
I went for my usual white and
down I gulped it with a mild cough.
I got myself an autograph.
He was one fine black brother.
Fathia's love, no wonder.

Back at junior high,
my history teacher, Mr. Humble Pie,
asked "Who was Nkrumah?"
"He was a black man,
most coloured of them all," I answered,
"He flashed his manhood when
others had turned eunuch,
when fear kicked them
flying over the couch."

A traitor to the white,
he pinched against them the
art they helped him master,
education.

Son of Nkroful, most anointed of them all.
He pinched them with self rule, now!
His compatriot roared,how!
They knew not his mission
'cause he was milles away from their vision.

A patriot, most charismatic of them all.
His tears and sweats ousted the intruder
for the Ghanaian to regain power.
He bequeathed unto my ancestors the name "freeborn."
With this ode his name I adorn.

"Ode to Nkrumah" is part four of our four-part series of poems on Kwame Nkrumah. Previous postings from the series can be read in our Archives.

Author Profile - Reggie Kyere

2008-07-26T06:28:00.000Z

Biography:

Kyere Ofori Reginald was born in 1987 in Kumasi, Ashanti Region. He has an elder sister and a younger brother, and recently completed Philips Secondary Commercial School in Kumasi.

Five Questions with Reggie Kyere:

1. What inspired you to write about Nkrumah? What about Nkrumah makes him an interesting subject for poetic study?

My admiration of great men inspired me. He is a cheetah in a colony of leopards when it comes to today's African leaders.

2. How do you think Nkrumah has been, and will be, remembered by history? How do you think he should be remembered?

He's had schools and others named after him, has portrait on Cedi notes, etc. I think there should be a day like "Nkrumah Day". I also believe he should receive coinage.

3. What role do you think poetry can have in shaping our understanding of history?

Our history can be read and sung to us through poetry like a lullaby.

4. What do you think Nkrumah would say of the state of Ghana today?

Not bad. We have a long way to go, we just need the proper mindset.

5. Do you think that it's possible for someone like Nkrumah to rise to a position of leadership in Ghana today?

They all come into office looking and sounding like Nkrumah. Nobody knows what happens to them. Hopefully we will get someone like Nkrumah again.

Contact Reggie:

reggiekyere(at)@yahoo.com

the mission - Cosmas Mairosi

2008-07-19T06:00:00.002Z

liberate africa!
amalgamate africa!
civilise africa!

your voice boomed
echoes pervading oppressed africa

the walls of colonialism crumbled
you authored a new dawn for africa

liberate africa!
amalgamate africa!
civilise africa!

the voice echoes in our hearts
we still cherish the dream nkrumah

but the bullet still speaks louder than the ballot
the blood of kinsmen continue to stain our hands

more of us have seen the light
your song shall never die on our lips

liberate africa!
amalgamate africa!
civilise africa!

"the mission" is part three of our four-part series of poems on Kwame Nkrumah. Our final installment will be posted next week.

Author Profile - Cosmas Mairosi

2008-07-19T05:59:00.004Z

Biography:

Cosmas Mairosi was born on February 8th, 1977 in Mudzi, Zimbabwe. He grew up in the rural area of Rusape in Manicaland province. He is a qualified primary schoolteacher by profession, holds a diploma in Education (distinction in English). Cosmas is a performance poet, writer, and arts trainer in children's performing arts.

Cosmas' poems have won numerous awards, and his poems and short stories have been published in Writers Scroll, Teacher's Voice and New Voices Magazine. One of his poems is featured in the international anthology 'CHE IN VERSE', published by Aflame Books.

Five Questions with Cosmas Mairosi:

1. What inspired you to write about Nkrumah? What about Nkrumah makes him an interesting subject for poetic study?

Nkrumah is one of the greatest leaders from the African continent that deserves legendary acclaim. Whenever I teach my pupils about Africa, Africa day, O.A.U./A.U., I feel a certain pride for the man and his vision for Africa. Poetry is the only way I can express my gratitude and pay tribute to the man.

2. How do you think Nkrumah has been, and will be, remembered by history? How do you think he should be remembered?

Nkrumah will always be remembered for his vision for Africa. True leaders take a holistic approach. In liberating Ghana, Nkrumah did not see it as an end, but a beginning. He saw Ghana as part of Africa. His vision for the whole continent. As a poet I do feel an anthology on him is best.

3. What role do you think poetry can have in shaping our understanding of history?

Poetry can express the true nobility to objects, heroes and historical events. It can vividly bring events back to life and define perspectives. It makes old bones shake in the grave.

4. What do you think Nkrumah would say of the state of Africa today?

Keep trying, you will win.

5. Do you think that it's possible for someone like Nkrumah to rise to a position of leadership in Ghana, or elsewhere in Africa, today?

Africa still needs another Nkrumah. He might have had faults but his vision was true and holy.

Contact Cosmas:

cmairosi(at)yahoo.com

Osagyefo - Benjamin Nardolilli

2008-07-12T05:34:00.002Z

- for Kwame Nkrumah

He thought he could squeeze cocoa pods
And turn them into gold,
Plentiful in his land, he knew
What was really needed,
Roads and places taking people to
Hospitals and schools, around puddles
Massed behind dams.
They handed him the Kente cloth,
He wore it with his pocket watch,
It was a new hour,
For the old Dark Continent to finally shine.

The ones who brought him to the top,
He did not forget, instead he spread his love
And took all the people in,
His verandah boys faded
Under his dreams: shadows of pyramids,
Rails passing from Cape to Cairo
Never stopping for duties or passports,
And the lion cubs of Judah, grown strong
Flowing down the Congo past
A statue standing tall,
Its finger pointed
Up at the sky, to the sun,
Shining like a black star.

A singe of jealousy spread,
Igniting a scent of betrayal
That hung in the tropical air
When he went abroad to dine
With Kaiser and the Kommissar,
Finding his Cleopatra in the Suez.
Upon his return there was anger
At the gash driven through the heartland,
Filled with water, designed
To purge the Volta of volts, anger
Rising in laughter on the porches in Accra,
Inside the buses at Kumasi,
Between bites of bitter cassava.

The moon was rising once again,
The eclipse of the black star began.
In the darkness came the police,
Without warrant, preventive detention
On their lips, blind loyalty filling their stomachs.
In the darkness prices fell and the crops
Were left to rot, or else taken away
To strange markets dominated by Creole,
In the darkness millions stood in circles
Falling on top of one another,
Destined to buy a pack of sugar.

In those lines was his end,
They were too fine to be fought
Too loose to be built upon,
They were coiled at his feet,
Lines of people leading nowhere, like
Lines shuffling through the prison yards
Everyone, waiting for a moment on the telephone
To reach a wire to the outside
And let everyone know they had not vanished.

His beginning had been in bars,
In the shadows they cast upon his face
And on the floor when he paced,
Digging a hole into the soft soil
Of the Gold Coast, thinking
About a new name for himself
That he would take and place atop his head,
Should he ever be allowed to hold
The keys, that grew rusty in those days
Squeezed between sweaty white fingers.

"Osagyefo" is part two of our four-part series of poems on Kwame Nkrumah. Our third installment will be posted next week.

Author Profile - Benjamin Nardolilli

2008-07-12T05:24:00.004Z

Biography:

Benjamin Nardolilli is a twenty-two year old writer currently attending New York University, where he studies creative writing, history, and philosophy. He has had poetry published in the Houston Literary Review, Perigee Magazine, Canopic Jar, Lachryma: Modern Songs of Lament, and the Delmarva Review.

Five Questions with Benjamin Nardolilli:

1. How long have you been writing poetry?

I have been writing poetry for about three years now. I started during my first year of college but it took a while for me to write anything worth showing anyone else and even longer to write anything publishable.

2. Who are your favorite poets? Which poets have most inspired and informed your work?

My favorite poets are Eliot, Whitman, Pound, Paul Celan, Allen Ginsberg, The Greek Tragedians, and bits and pieces of Shakespeare. I would say that my poetry is mostly informed by them, "Osagyefo" was probably inspired by a mix of Eliot and Pound, but also as much from the way many rock musicians such as Bob Dylan have referenced historical and current events in their work.

3. When did your awareness of Nkrumah, and understanding of his role in Ghanaian and World history, first emerge?

I was pretty much ill-informed about Nkrumah until my junior year (3rd year) of college when I took a course on Ghana at New York University. I knew Ghana had lead the way in African decolonization, but why it had been Ghana and how, I did not know. But during that class I learned how Nkrumah became a leader for Ghana, and then Africa, and eventually for the non-aligned/"third" world. The final grade involved writing a paper comparing Nkrumah and Nyerere's versions of African socialism, which brought me into contact with his thought and not just his political life. As part of my research, I was able to use an original pamphlet from the 1960s that my professor Richard Hull had brought over from Ghana when he was studying there at the time.

4. What inspired you to write about Nkrumah? What about Nkrumah makes him an interesting subject for poetic study?

I feel what makes him an interesting subject for poetic study is the tragedy of his life. He was a smart, ambitious, and dedicated person, who applied his strengths to win independence for his people from Britain. He had a vision that was beyond his time and was already studying neo-colonialism before colonialism was officially done. Nkrumah sought an independent path to prosperity and freedom. However despite his grand dreams and his work as a liberator, he fell victim to paranoia and became deaf to problems at home as he tried to become a world leader. He died, not in his own country, or even his continent, much maligned by the Ghanaian people who probably felt betrayed by a man they had put such high hopes in.

5. How do you think Nkrumah has been, and will be, remembered by history? How do you think he should be remembered?

He will always be remembered as the father of Ghana's independence. That much is certain. And as Africa moves gradually to increasing interdependence, he will be celebrated too, for his Pan-Africanism. His context in the Cold War may not be publicly celebrated. His reputation has certainly improved since his death and the problems of his rule will most likely be seen in the context of their times, especially since there were far worse leaders in other countries.

Contact Benjamin:

ben209(at)nyu.edu
Website: http://mirrorsponge.blogspot.com/

To Nkrumah - Prince Mensah

2008-07-05T17:38:00.001Z

Kwame, you taught us well
That our hearts must swell
With pride over our skin,
Our color, our kin.

Kwame, you wanted us as one
But winds fought your plan,
Winds of yesterday that cease not
To assail today's effort.

Kwame, son of the Sabbath,
Your wisdom is bath
In which we soothe harrowing pain,
Inflicted on us by world in disdain.

Kwame, your words gave courage
To the timid, to engage
In dialogues with blind ignorance,
With strength and endurance.

Kwame, we cannot easily forget,
Lest we will regret,
The power you ignited in black man
That he too is Man.

Nkrumah, we celebrate you in song and poesy,
In action, drama and policy.

You are king uncrowned, black Julius Caesar,
Betrayed on Ides of March by razor
Sharp doubt in your great dreams.
Our unity now screams
In songs of chaos, Cold War blues.

To this world, our concerns are refuse
But we shall continue to state our worth,
Relentless to our very death
That being black is to be great:
Such truth cannot be in debate.

Your words shine like golden bracelets
On Africans in torn blankets.

Author Profile - Prince Mensah

2008-07-05T17:37:00.002Z

Biography:

Prince Mensah was born in August 1977 in Accra, Ghana. He attended Adisadel College, Extra Mural Academy, African-American HIV University and Mediation Training Institute. His works have been published in One Ghana, One Voice, Munyori Journal, UNESCO's Other Voices International Project, and the Dublin Writer's Workshop. He lives in Maryland, USA with his wife, Charisse. Prince is open to visiting colleges and universities in the USA to promote Ghanaian poetry and culture. Feel free to contact him about opportunities to market African poetry.

Prince is the head of North American promotions for One Ghana, One Voice.

Five questions with Prince Mensah:

1. What inspired you to write about Nkrumah? What about Nkrumah makes him an interesting subject for poetic study?

I had the honor to study Kwame Nkrumah from two perspectives. The first was as a school boy learning history and the second as a man who appreciates true greatness.

Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's story is one of personal determination. You cannot help but to notice the distinctiveness of such a great African. He was a noble man who believed in the quintessential value of independence from all things foreign. Nkrumah believed in the equality and respect that was due to all men and disdained the hypocrisy of a racist world. He was not afraid to state the truth for the record. He was black and proud of it. He saw it as no shame to stand before the world and speak about his convictions. He saw the British as co-equals, not colonists. He realized that we did not have to kowtow to imperialist agendas.

His thinking was way outside the box for the average Ghanaian at the time and was fundamental to the brisk pace at which we attained independence. I think Nkrumah was misunderstood by his own people and misrepresented by those who disliked his style. It is barely said but Kwame Nkrumah was one of the galvanizing forces for the Civil Rights Movement in the USA. He made Ghana a hub of black intellectualism, mooting the idea of a United States of Africa. This was his romantic side, the dreamer within. He was one who did not see problems but possibilities.

I think he was way beyond his time in vision. He is like a tragic hero in a Shakespearean play. A Julius Caesar in a world of Brutuses. A Macbeth with the best of intentions. You cannot help but to love a man with such drive and determination to do what had never been attempted before. In many ways, Nkrumah gives you the sense of a Toussaint L’Overture: black, proud and ready to fight for his honor. His life calls for poetry of beautiful words and analysis by minds. He was the epitome of wisdom, wit and work, unrelenting in the pursuit of his dreams.

2. How do you think Nkrumah has been, and will be, remembered by history? How do you think he should be remembered?

Kwame Nkrumah has been remembered for his charm and charisma. He has also been accused of great brutality. In varying analysis of his life and work, there has been the tendency to cast him as an over-ambitious politician. He was larger-than-life and every attempt was made to cut him to size. He made enemies on his path to power, as every great person did. He made mistakes, as every great person did. He was an original thinker, as every great person was. I think Nkrumah’s plight in Ghanaian history can be equated to a great prophet who has no honor in his own land.

While other leaders have been sanitized by sympathetic historians, Nkrumah’s legacy is rendered in half-truths and exaggerations. I hope Ghanaians realize the global impact of Nkrumah’s legacy, because he inspired a lot of people worldwide. As our nation’s first president, his birthday should be a national holiday. Libraries should be named after him. He deserves more than a passing mention.

It is sad to note how Africa treats her intelligent children who want to overhaul old, decaying systems. It chews them and spits them out. You have a lot of African intellectuals living outside their countries of origin because they have not been allowed to apply what they know. The brain drain is caused not only by economic and geo-political reasons but also from a cultural redundancy that is averse to anything dynamic change. Kwame Nkrumah and Kofi Abrefa Busia are examples of that sad trend in Ghana. Great men, badly treated by the countries they loved.

3. What do you think Nkrumah would say of the state of Ghana today?

He will be glad to know that Ghana now owns 100% of Valco: that our country is serious about becoming a main stakeholder in the technology business. I think his biggest regret will be the inability of respective governments to close the gap between the rich and poor Ghanaian. Another aspect that will sadden Nkrumah will be the misplaced priorities of the average African. Instead of putting education as the number one personal priority, folks are opting for short-cuts such as drug dealing and thievery. Nkrumah will lament the blind imitation of all things Western. He will be disgusted to hear that black people call themselves ‘nigger’ and laugh about it. He will be disappointed to realize that we have failed to utilize our independence by retaining our dependence on those who colonized and enslaved us.

4. Do you think that it's possible for someone like Nkrumah to rise to a position of leadership in Ghana today?

Nkrumah, from all accounts, was an electrifying orator. He knew how to represent his country to the fullest. I think such a politician is a rare gift to any generation. In Ghana, the highly educated politicians do not exude the oratorical skills of Nkrumah. The populist politicians in Ghana do not have the finesse that Nkrumah had. In short, Nkrumah was the best of both worlds. He could speak on everybody’s level. Nkrumah was the sixties version of Barack Obama. For such a politician to emerge in Ghana will take an electorate that appreciates the golden qualities of a unique leader.

I think it is possible for someone of Nkrumah’s caliber to emerge. My fear is that he or she might be too threatening to the status quo and you know what happens afterwards - coup d’états. But the thought of that should not stop a man or woman of destiny to arise. Ghana needs a leader that will stir her to long term changes.

5. I was struck by the line "Cold War blues" - a song many in Africa , and around the world, are still singing. That being said, many Westerners aren't aware of the geo-politics involved in Nkrumah's ousting. What do you think can be done to better inform Westerners, especially those of your adopted country, the United States, of the historical legacy their foreign policies have produced in Ghana and elsewhere?

Nkrumah was overthrown in a CIA plot. You can read the book, "In Search of Enemies: A CIA Story", by John Stockwell. Similar tactics were used in the brutal assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of Congo.

Even though he was American-educated, Nkrumah’s politics were not good news to the United States. His preparedness to defy colonialism and imperialism made him an enemy with capitalism. The Cold War was fought in many African nations that had nothing to do with the power struggles between USA and USSR. Nations such as Ghana, Angola and Zimbabwe lost some of their best sons to the international chess games of power. The US government has permanent interests, not permanent friends. If the interests change, their friendships change as well. The USA’s interests in Ghana, at the time, were more commercial than political. To consolidate their hold in the West African region, they collaborated with the Ghana Armed Forces and Police to overthrow Nkrumah while he was away on peace-keeping in Hanoi. Nkrumah never returned to his homeland and died in exile in Conakry, Mali.

"Cold war blues" is simply a state of socio-political malady in a country, caused by lasting effects of the ideological struggle between the Western world and the Communist nations. Many countries in the emerging world are still suffering from Cold War blues because Western countries supported dictators that subscribed to capitalism. The West aided and abetted miscreants in power to ravish their nations. Most civil wars in Africa are national catharsis from Cold War blues. Many African countries are poor because the super powers sabotaged every attempt by their founding fathers to find practical solutions to their countries’ problem.

It must be stated that not all nations can thrive on capitalism. There has to be a balance. African countries, especially, are built on communal, close-knit cultures when both individual effort and collective responsibility go hand-in-hand. To prescribe capitalism to such a backdrop is unpractical and forced. Over and over again, capitalism has been represented by its great ambassador, Greed. Greed is not really welcomed in many African cultures.

Africa was, and is, a laboratory for world politics and ideologies. Its people were, and are, guinea pigs for the Western world. It is disheartening because every decision made about Africa has never involved Africans. From slavery to the partitioning of Africa and colonialism, everything has been done by the imperialist.

There was, and is, no respect for what the native people wanted. Westerners have to understand this when talking about Africa because we have been dealt with a cocktail of intrigue, infamy and intolerance. Some of the problems are self-wrought. Others were orchestrated by the symphonies of racist arrogance. With this information age, there is no excuse to live in ignorance about these facts. A lot of evil has been done but a lot more good can come out of it.

Contact Prince:

Email: pryncemensah(at)yahoo.com
Website: http://www.freewebs.com/pryncemensah/

Train to Ethiopia - Reggie Kyere

2008-06-28T01:19:00.002Z

Excuse me ma'am, wanna catch me a train to Ethiopia.
Some dreadlocked fella said it's the land of no coloured swine,
but those who are black, honest and fine.

Wanna catch me a train to Ethiopia,
Heard on its street Malcolm, Kwame and others ply,
their eyes falling on new leaders acting sly.

Wanna catch me a train to Ethiopia.
There, I shall rest my black bones among my own breed,
for from where I came, men are blinded by evil and greed.

Author Profile - Reggie Kyere

2008-06-28T01:10:00.001Z

Biography:

Kyere Ofori Reginald was born in 1987 in Kumasi, Ashanti Region. He has an elder sister and a younger brother, and recently completed Philips Secondary Commercial School in Kumasi.

Five Questions with Reggie Kyere:

1. Why do you think the image of Ethiopia sticks so firmly in the minds of many Africans? How much of the connection do you believe to be based out of Rastafarianism?

I think it is mostly based on Rastafarianism from my own point of view. I also believe Rastafarians are the proudest black people you can ever find.

2. When you speak of Ethiopia in your poem, are you references the real country, or the mythological idea, of Ethiopia?

I speak of the Ethiopia where the black person was proud of his race, where black leaders cared more for the masses than their bellies. I speak of the Ethiopia where the black person stood for his rights and against every form of oppression.

3. We here at OGOV know that you are working hard to make contact with other writers in Kumasi. Have you had any success?

Not yet. Still searching.

4. In your last profile, you pointed to Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes, both African-Americans, as your primary sources of inspiration. What drew you to America-based and not Africa-based writers? How much of the poetry you were taught in school was African, and how much European and North-American?

Let's say, African-American poetry really got me to like poetry. I was introduced to mainly African poetry at school, a few at the primary level and others at my final year at senior high. I presume it was just for examination purposes. African or African-American, we are all black.

5. Last time we chatted, you mentioned the lack of poetry books (and interested readers) in Kumasi. Is there anywhere in town where you can reliably access poetry books?

I guess the regional library.

Contact Reggie:

reggiekyere(at)@yahoo.com

but i have beaten the drum for you... - Martin Egblewogbe

2008-06-21T02:18:00.002Z

here's
wishing for a happy ending

it would end well if it could

but it can't
because
that's the way
it is

so lie to yourself about brightness and fragrance
lie to yourselves about goodness and light:

the night is greater
soon you will know

here's
your life:
flashing by in a series of flashbacks
can you grab them can you preserve
them

here's the now
already gone

here's you
and
you
with you

you may entertain misery
or
entertain yourself with misery

it all goes one way
it could be a sad or a happy way
but it is just the way
it is

here's
your apology
sorry you were not warned
beforehand

but you could not be warned
beforehand

in any case
what good would it have done

but
here's your apology

i guess you feel better now
now that i have beaten the drum
for you.

Author Profile - Martin Egblewogbe

2008-06-21T01:34:00.004Z

Biography:

Martin Egblewogbe currently lives in Accra, Ghana. He holds an MPhil in Physics and is starting a PhD while teaching at the University of Ghana.

For several years he hosted/produced the literary programme "Open Air Theatre" on Radio Univers in Accra, and organised "Just Imagine", a series of poetry recitals from 2003 - 2006. He has also participated in several public book readings in Accra.

Martin's writing has been featured in The Weekly Spectator and The Mirror, and his works can be found in a number of collections, including An Anthology of Contemporary Ghanaian Poems. He has won prizes for a number of short stories and spoken word performances.

Apart from Physics and writing, Martin is interested in Philosophy, Still Photography, and Computers (software, hardware).

Five Questions with Martin Egblewogbe:

1. How long have you been writing poetry?

I think I was writing what looked like poetry when I was eleven years old - this would be around 1986.

2. Who are your favorite poets? Which poets have most inspired and informed your work?

Christopher Okigbo. He, more than any other poet, is the one to whose works I return over and over again. In addition, the works of Beckett and Kafka have always provided inspiration.

3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?

I must confess to primarily selfish motive - I write mainly to keep myself company, so to speak - and also, just to express myself. However, if other people come across my poetry and enjoy it, good.

4. You are the editor of The Ghanaian Book Review. What inspired you to start this project? Can you tell us a bit more about it?

The Ghanaian Book Review is an online portal for Ghanaian artists and writers. It will, when fully up to speed, feature a database of books published in Ghana, authored by Ghanaians, or concerning Ghana. I envisage a community of writers growing around this online resource, sharing their thoughts and their writing online.

I created the Ghanaian Book Review because I wanted Ghanaian writing to have a greater presence on the worldwide web, and to increase the online visibility of Ghanaian literary output. In addition, I thought it was a good way to break down the isolation of young Ghanaian writers.

5. The Ghanaian Book Review features a page on the poetry scene in Accra. Listing these events is a very important step in developing the city's poetry community. What do you think we need to see next in the development of poetry in Ghana?

A number of poetry recitals and poetry performance events have been organised in Accra, but many of them have petered out mainly due, I believe, to a lack of interest.

However, such public events are just what is needed. Unlike other forms of writing, people might have a difficulty connecting to written poetry, but readings and performance events bring the genre to life, making it more widely appreciated. Such events also allow for increased interaction between writers and readers.

Those who continue to organise such programmes must receive as much support as each of us can give.

Contact Martin:

m.egblewogbe(at)gmail.com

Marketplace - Emma Akuffo

2008-06-14T08:30:00.001Z

At dawn, the masses assemble,
their movements propelled by the rising sun
towards the dirt floor of roadside forges
where the earth has been ferociously shaken.

A kente of vernacular sounds weave men
drawn thoughtlessly from the tribal cauldron,
overlooking diversity, dissonance, and contradiction in culture.
Their flaws and strengths interact in a symbiotic ritual,
a division of labour to fertilise the medieval practice
Where the buying and selling of consumer goods is made easy.

The women cajole in high-pitched voices,
beckoning and haggling for buyers to sample their wares.
Others sit inquisitively like caged hens waiting to be sold.
Their children leap in the stalls as if they grew from them.

You would be surprised what a Ga woman can carry on her person,
adjusting to fit, inelegantly, the sleeping infant on her back
- her sixth; pushed upwards by a calloused left hand
whilst the right secures the excess baggage on her head.

And her life is like that, an incredible juggling act.
She makes a salad of it amidst broken dreams of her dirt floor days,
so she does not beg for bread or cloth to bury her dead.

Distinguished aromas ascend from the stalls -
some are like the colours, bold, delectable, beautiful.
Others are nondescript murkinesses of sweat, toil and tears,
turning the gears behind the scenery of forced encounters between strangers,
exchanging their life currency like a commodity
in return for a fulfilling lunch (breakfast and dinner),
for companionship, for whirlwind romances, for true warmth.

Trying hard not to be cedi foolish and pesewa wise
with borrowed seconds that merge into a goatskin parchment
record of brightnesses and darknesses
reflecting random customs, rituals and superstitions
that portray attitudes towards the world, God, and the cosmos.

Existence is wielded like a broadsword through thrilling and desolate moments,
stopping just before the shadows are cast by tree branches
causing the masses to retreat into the thin air from which they appeared,
their movements dissipated by the setting sun.

And life is like that.

Author Profile - Emma Akuffo

2008-06-14T08:25:00.002Z

Biography:

The daughter of a Ghanaian diplomat, Emma Akuffo was born in Russia in 1965. Her childhood years were spent in a number of countries including India, Italy and Ghana, finally settling in Britain with her parents, two brothers and two sisters, at the ripe old age of 11.

Emma holds a PhD in biochemistry and works as a Research Scientist. She lives in England with her husband and two children. When she is not pushing back the frontiers of medical science or engaged in a mad rush after her children, she enjoys cycling into the sunset, swimming in moonlit waters and creative writing, particularly from an inspirational perspective.

A number of Emma’s poems have been included in anthologies from Dogma Publications and Forward Press. Her work is also featured at, amongst other places, brightlightmultimedia.com.

Emma’s poem ‘Love spoke’ was awarded a diploma in the UK section of the Scottish International Open Poetry Competition, 2004.

Emma is currently leading a project to anthologise poems previously published here on One Ghana, One Voice.

Five Questions with Emma Akuffo:

1. Was this description of market life in Ghana based on a particular market? A particular town/city?

'Marketplace' is not really based on a particular market, but experiences pooled from all sorts. I went to Tema market last year when I was in Ghana and drove past Accra market several times so I guess they are most vivid in my mind. Unfortunately I did not get the chance to visit the mother of all markets - Makola but I heard lots about it (good and bad)!

2. At what age(s) did you live in Ghana and experience market life? How do you think this influenced your impressions of the market?

From the age of about six, I remember market trips with my grandma in my hometown, Akropong in the eastern region where I spent most of my long vac (summer holidays). I remember the smells, the vibrant colours, the lively banter and how my grandma haggled the price of meat, plantains, yams and vegetables so we could enjoy the most delicious meals!

3. Descriptions of market life have been a common theme - perhaps the most common - of poems featured on One Ghana, One Voice. Why do you think this is? What hold does the marketplace scene have on the poet?

Perhaps the answer lies in the essence that I try to capture in my poem 'Marketplace.' Life itself is a marketplace where we all depend on each other to survive. We each make our respective entrances into this world and leave our mark genetically through our offspring, economically through our jobs or business affairs or culturally through effecting our communities, and then we vanish into seemingly nothingness and the marketplace goes on... Shakespeare coined the phrase 'all the world is a stage' and I say 'all the world's a marketplace'.

4. Can you give our readers an update on the progress of the OGOV anthology project you have been working on. Is there anything our readers can do to assist you?

Ohhh dear...that's the hardest one to answer. Hmm...the anthology exists only on my computer and as 'my list of 'things to do' grows exponentially daily, I never seem to have the time to complete it. However it is a project that is very close to my heart and will get done sooner rather than later. I feel it could do with a few more poems as it is only 72 pages long, and printed double sided will make a very thin book. I'd like to bulk up to about 100 pages so I'd like readers to send in some more poems please!

5. More generally, what writing projects have you been engaged with lately?

My writing seems to have taken a nose dive at the moment as other more pressing issues have taken over but my last project was an anthology of prose and poetry written by myself and two other dear friends of mine, entitled 'Perfume - The Story of a Saviour' featuring 12 women from The Bible. It's awesome!

Contact Emma:

emmaakuffo(at)aol.com

Home - Emmanuel Sigauke

2008-06-07T23:36:00.001Z

Mototi
prominent
V
confluence
of
two
rivers
that
agreed
to
roll
this
beast
to
the
seas.

Author Profile - Emmanuel Sigauke

2008-06-07T23:08:00.003Z

Biography:

Emmanuel Sigauke was born in Zimbabwe, where he started writing at the age of thirteen. After graduating from the University of Zimbabwe with a BA in English, he moved to California, where he completed graduate studies. He teaches English at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, where he is an editor for the Cosumnes River Journal.

"Home" was first published at Chisiya Echoes.

Five Questions with Emmanuel Sigauke:

1. "Home" is almost a "word sonnet" - a poem of 14 lines in which every line contains only one word. Were you familiar with that form when writing this poem? If not, what drew you to writing a poem with only one word per line?

I knew about word sonnets, but I hadn't made the connection between them and "Home". It's safe to say that the poem dictated its own form, and I'm happy about it. My goal was to make each word stand alone in a sort of empowered position. Currently, I am reading poets like William Carlos Williams, Derek Walcott, Dambudzo Marechera, Dennis Schmitz, and the San Francisco surrealist poet Chad Sweeney. The more I read, the more I become aware of the importance of craft. I believe that freeing the word can be one of the most important characteristics of poetry as an art.

2. Speaking of your "Home", can you update us on how the political upheaval in Zimbabwe has affected Mototi?

Like most of the villages in Zimbabwe, Mototi is experiencing high levels of poverty. Recent droughts have weakened the subsistence of the village, and instead of it being the supplier of grain and produce to nearby towns, it's increasingly depending on the little the towns have to offer. As to the full impact of the political upheaval, I can just guess what's likely to be happening. Mototi usually has little political conflict; a recipient of government food assistance for many years, it used to be the stronghold of the ruling party and would not let any opposition establish itself. I haven't heard of inter-party strife: the most important need for the village is food and the most basic acquisitions. My focus, as is that of other Zimbabweans in the diaspora, is to make sure my family is taken care of. My writing, of course, shows that Mototi is always on my mind.

3. It seems every time we profile a poem of yours you have started a new literary project, the latest being "Mototi Litscape". Could you tell our readers a bit about this project?

Mototi Litscape actually started at the same time as Munyori Poetry Journal, but I never promoted it. I intend to use it as an expansion of the work I am doing with Munyori, to present it as a multi-genre journal for writers from all over Africa. The fact that writers haven't discovered it on their own makes me question the feasibility of the project. I am increasingly discovering that these internet-based projects don't run as planned, but I certainly love the talent that Munyori has managed to attract. Not all literary projects are created equal.

On a more positive note, when Mototi Litscape finally takes off, when I register and promote it, it might turn into a small press. Since there is a need for more publishers of African writing, I have given myself the challenge to start working towards that role.

4. Is it difficult to keep so many projects on the go? How do you manage your time between these projects, your working life, your writing life, and your personal life?

Managing these projects, I have found out, is easy. You concentrate on those that are doing well and ignore ones that are struggling. Given my busy life, I sometimes cannot manage all of them at once, so I wait for a time like now - Summer. I am not as busy anymore, which means I can take another look at Mototi Litscape and say, "Okay what do you want me to do with you?"

I am fortunate in that my work life is connected to my writing. I just finished teaching a fiction-writing course, and along the way I have renewed my interest in short story writing (I have a story coming out in the summer issue of SNReview). My college is also very active in the poetry scene, being the home of several poets. We have a poetry series and we publish a literary journal, which I help edit. So at work I exist as a writer in one capacity or another.

Personal life? I have plenty of that, and it's always the one triggering things to write about. Having believed I am a writer since I turned thirteen, I don't know how to separate the writer from, say, the man pumping gas, calling relatives in Mototi, or shopping at Safeway. But, as I said, I prioritize some projects over others, and when necessary, I use what corporate America taught very well: multi-tasking.

5. To steal a question you ask poets at your Munyori Poetry Journal, what writing projects are you involved in currently?

When I started writing I did everything: I wrote plays when I was a teacher at Glen View High in Harare; I wrote things I called novels; I wrote poetry and short stories; and I even attempted to write an English grammar textbook once (and I am close to doing this again). This summer I am going to perfect the craft of short story writing. I will continue to edit my poetry, but I am currently in a state of satisfaction since my poetry collection, Forever Let Me Go, is coming out at the end of June. I like the short story because there are a lot of competitions which pay well, so you can say I am writing short stories for the wrong reasons. Remember, I said I want to start a literary press eventually. Winning a good prize may bring me closer to doing this. Look at Binyavanga Wainaina of Kenya, who started Kwani? after the Caine Prize. Those prizes validate you and give you the right exposure, and targeting a prize because I want to fund a literary press helps me keep focused (on the art and the money).

Also, I was recently accepted into the Sacramento Poetry Center Board, where I host poetry readings every second Monday, and I contribute book reviews to their publication Poetry Now. Working with the SPC has shown me that Sacramento has a lot going on in the writing, especially poetry, scene. I am attending book launches and writing workshops. Somehow, this involvement will benefit Mototi and help bring an aspect of African writing to Northern California.

The new issue of Munyori Poetry Journal will be out on June 15. I like the range of talent and variety of poets in the issue, which features an international mix of writers from Zimbabwe, India, Cote d’Ivoire, the United States and other countries. The interview with Louie Crew of Poetry Publishers Who Accept Electronic Submissions is worth reading. I plan to include a book review page, the first installment of which will feature Quinton Duval's Among the Summer Pines, published by Rattlesnake Press of Sacramento.

Oh, I am reading too. Poetry--lot's of poetry. I mentioned some writers earlier, but I also finally purchased a copy of Harold Bloom's The Best Poems of the English Language: from Chaucer through Frost. I like Bloom's confidence in himself as a "colossus among critics"; he has done great service to English & American Literature. That he ignores other literatures is just as inspiring, as it serves to show that you can't always expect others to promote your literature. So I am also reading Dambudzo Marechera, Charles Mungoshi, Yvonne Vera and other African writers to find ways of presenting analyses of their best works.

Contact Emmanuel:

Email: Sigauke(at)crc.losrios.edu
Websites: chisiya echoes: new zimbabwe poetry
Munyori Poetry Journal

Freedom - Cosmas Mairosi

2008-05-31T19:10:00.000Z

I saw freedom written on terrestrial walls,
freedom written in children's blood,
freedom oozing from decaying bodies.

I heard freedom's anthems sung by decapitated souls
and mothers gathering the severed limbs of their toddlers.
I saw fathers' hopes going up in flames at the height of
civilian demonstrations and political protests.

Freedom distorted in the jumbled hysteria of wailing widows.
Freedom frozen in the mouths of bantering dictators.
Freedom summarized in endless fear and pain.

I saw freedom end in political turmoil and economic slavery,
babies abandoned by dollar-seeking mothers,
democracies failing to remove dictators from the throne
and the people growing used to such oppression.

I saw all this slander and bloodshed and
said, "Freedom is here, Mother!"
but then, demented like drowning shadows,
all the free turned on me and said,
"We have reaped nothing
of what we have sown."

Author Profile - Cosmas Mairosi

2008-05-31T19:09:00.002Z

Biography:

Cosmas Mairosi was born on February 8th, 1977 in Mudzi, Zimbabwe. He grew up in the rural area of Rusape in Manicaland province. He is am a qualified primary schoolteacher by profession, holds a diploma in Education (distinction in English). Cosmas is a performance poet, writer, and arts trainer in children's performing arts.

Cosmas' poems have won numerous awards, and his poems and short stories have been published in Writers Scroll, Teacher's Voice and New Voices Magazine. One of his poems is featured in the international anthology 'CHE IN VERSE', published by Aflame Books.

Five Questions with Cosmas Mairosi:

1. How long have you been writing poetry?

Since I was at secondary school, form 3, in 1992. So fifteen years to be exact.

2. Who are your favourite poets? Which poets have most inspired and informed your work?

I love refined poetry. I sometimes come across very good poems I tend to like but might not remember their authors. I like 'Ozymandias' and 'Ode to a Nightingale' but the poets that come to the fore on my list are Alfred Tennyson, Wilfred Owen, Chenjerai Hove, Albert Nyathi, Mzwakhe Mbuli and Thomas Hardy.

Owen and Hardy have had the most impact on my written work, while Nyathi and Mbuli have influenced my performance work. I like Owen for the pity in his poetry which he expressed at the expense of skill and craft.

3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?

In the beginning was the word... and the word was poetry. Poetry is life. Poetry is reality. I hope to make people appreciate that poetry is an integral part of their lives. I also hope to change people's lives for the better and also contribute to the perfection of the trade.

4. Are you involved in any sort of writing communities? Are you connected with other poets in your community?

I am the vice chairman of the National Executive Committee of the Budding Writers Association of Zimbabwe(BWAZ). I was the Special Affairs Coordinator during the African Drums Poetry Festival in December 2007 which was attended by poets from Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia. I am also a member of the Zimbabwe Poets for Human Rights Association, Global Arts Trust and Zimbabwe Readers Association. I work with writers at grassroots and advanced level. I meet other poets regularly at arts and writers events such as workshops, poetry slams, and writing festivals.

5. What do you think is the role of poetry, and literature in general, in the politics of Africa?

Writers are there to chide and to cheer. The politics in Africa has caused many wrong turns and a lot of suffering. It is the role of literature to shed light on where we have gone wrong and to point the way out.

Contact Cosmas:

cmairosi(at)yahoo.com

A Voice From Within - Reginald Asangba Taluah

2008-05-24T18:46:00.004Z

There was a great trembling
The earth shook
The mountains quivered
And the passing wind waned

In a small hut made of mud
And roofed with thatch
There I lay
On the graveled sand
Born to a peasant family

I came with pain
But I am here to gain
While you were fed with Lactogen and Cerelac
I fed on the wisdom of my mother's breast milk
And I am hear to speak wisdom
Nothing but wit

I cried and cried loud
The deaf heard me
The blind saw my plight
The crippled walked close
And the dumb were moved
But to no avail

You pitiless nations
Mercy they say is easy to give
For it keeps coming
But you refuse to give
And in my longing
I long

A nation lost in tolerance
Blindfolded to virtue
Chaos upon the least provocation
With no brother's keeper

I hear guns fire from far and near
I hear the earthquaking of people as they run
But I do no see the adversary they fight
And baffle at the sight

Brother killing brother
That is my fright
They massacre and ransack
But I remain keen

After the ravaging, who suffers?
After the ravaging, who hungers?
Then do I see the ugly face of war
Having to build what was destroyed anew

Leaders turn against each other
Striving for leadership
Wanting to be served and not to serve
But when I want to oppose the wrong
They keep my mouth shut
Awaiting my reprisal
But I fear no reprisal

For how it pains
How it pains, brother
To live in this world of chains
With no gains
While the wicked and greedy
Care not for the needy
In pain we try
But in vain we cry
Brother, it's painful
Friend, it's ungrateful.

Author Profile - Reginald Asangba Taluah

2008-05-24T18:13:00.009Z

Biography:

Reginald Asangba Taluah is the first child of three. Born on the 14th of April, 1984 in Tamale, he hails from Navrongo in the Upper East Region of Ghana. He had his secondary education at Notre Dame Minor Seminary in Navrongo, and received his B.A degree in English and Sociology in 2007. He is currently a Teaching Assistant at the Department of English-University of Ghana.

Reginald took up writing in his secondary days; writing poems, articles, and short stories for the “Notre Dame News Letter”. With a perennial interest in poetry he is one of the strong voices in performance poetry. Reginald believes in truth and that it is through the arts that truth is well told. Kofi Awoonor is his influential father figure; with Kofi Anyidoho and Atukwei Okai among others being a great influence in his writing career.

Five Questions with Reginald Asangba Taluah:

1. You use rhyming in interesting ways, sometimes hardly at all, while sometimes, as at the end of this poem, almost constantly (including internal rhyme). What motivates you to choose when to rhyme and when not to rhyme? What effects are you hoping to produce?

Kwame Nkrumah of blessed memory is quoted to have said “Practice without thought is blind: Thought without practice is empty.” Trying to capture what it feels like experiencing a self-destruction, I dared to experiment with a personal poem in perhaps a dramatic monologue that develops from narrative to lyricism to embody qualities like moving language, rhythm, tension and imagery.

Seeking to create a doorway through which others can come through a thought provoking experience, rhyme sort of sets poetry apart from ordinary conversation and brings it closer to music to make it sound special and memorable to stimulate and captivate the audience.

With regards to its effects, a good poem that is sparked by sound imagery would only be better if sounds of words in tango with meaning serve to please the mind and ear in euphony. It gives it a musical quality and thus makes it easy to memorize.

2. What impact do you think the arrival of products like Lactogen and Cerelac had on the Ghanaian population?

In a way, Lactogen and Cerelac set some Ghanaians on a higher pedestal in terms of status. Since Lactogen and Cerelac are artificial foods, I do not in any way see them as a good catalyst to the development of an individual as compared to the natural breast milk that more thoughtful individuals are fed on. I can’t give any scientific explanation for this; but I know and do have glaring examples.

3. Do you think that Ghanaians, who have seem comparatively little national strife when compared to their African neighbours, have a unique perspective on African conflict? If so, how?

Perhaps I should say yes. Being witnesses to the atrocities caused by conflict in other neighbouring countries in a way serves as a deterrent to Ghanaians. The assertions and praises rained on Ghanaians as being “peaceful” is also the driving force for Ghanaians not to tarnish the already good image they have attained.

4. We spoke over a year ago about the state of poetry at Legon. At that point you were optimistic. What is your opinion now? Has anything changed? If so, for better or for worse?

My optimism on the state of poetry is not what I had expected. Though things have changed for the better, they are moving at a snail's pace. I might be expecting a rapid change but I don't believe that cheering and hope alone attain the intended changes.

5. How about poetry in Accra in general? Have you seen any positive developments? If not, what do you think a first step forward might be?

Finding grounds where works of poetry are admired is almost always a challenge for the poet. Newspapers and magazines have appeared profusely in the city of Accra, but they turn to being more sensational than subtle. There are developments alright but not at the expected pace. The more symposiums, conferences and competitions organised, the better the development.

Contact Reginald:

cantankerousdj(at)yahoo.co.uk

Accra - Prince Mensah

2008-05-18T05:04:00.002Z

My heavy baggage is carried
by a teen kayayo, [i]
aged by her adventures in big city,
severed from family,
lost in a vortex,
spurned by simple economics.
She carries my possession like a cross on her back,
smiling for finding funds to survive.

My contemplation is tainted by a worried
mother yelling for lost child,
pushing through crowd and din,
oblivious to complaints.

Pickpockets lookout for Johnny-Just-Comes,
naïve business folk from the hinterland.
The streets are mean with survival dressed
as con men and lotto prophets.

Frustrated market women rain
insults, vulgar and plenty,
as smells of fried fish and kenkey [ii]
soothe nostalgic nostrils.

My ears are jarred by honks of tro-tro vans, [iii]
impatient drivers in charge.
Their egotistical mates collecting
fares from exhausted passengers.
Man and vehicle combat for space
in this Tetris game.

The sun shines with intense fury
on sweaty brows and faded hope.
Beauty hides behind hard labor,
confidence is lost with missing teeth.
Dreams are what we really own -
we expect them to come true.

I pause to sip iced kenkey drink
with some bofrot. [iv]
Some kid watches me, wishing he was me.
His hungry eyes analyze the motions
of my happy mouth.
His predicament steals my appetite -
I share my lunch with him.

I walk the beach by Independence Square,
wondering about our dependence
on those from whom we gained freedom
during our struggles in the fifties.
I stand before Nkrumah's mausoleum,
venue of the old Polo grounds.
His old words are drowned in the new cries
of a deceived continent.

I walk this Accra breeze from grey sea
with waves of tears that fall
on the shores of our motherland
duped by the greed of her children.
We are rich by all standards, by nature,
wisdom, intelligence and people.

Flashy buildings house expatriate firms
which overlook native commerce
conducted by gutter and lungu-lungu, [v]
the halitosis of corruption.
But conditions do not coerce attitude.

Smiles are easy to form on weary faces -
Fama Nyame, Fama Nyame, Fama Nyame! [vi]
We shrug away our troubles and move on.

[i] A porter
[ii] Corn meal
[iii] Local transportation, normally dilapidated vans
[iv] Local version of an American doughnut
[v] Hausa word for alleys
[vi] "Give it to God, Give it to God, Give it to God!"

Author Profile - Prince Mensah

2008-05-18T04:38:00.003Z

Biography:

Prince Mensah was born in August 1977 in Accra, Ghana. He attended Adisadel College, Extra Mural Academy, African-American HIV University and Mediation Training Institute. His works have been published in One Ghana, One Voice, Munyori Journal, UNESCO's Other Voices International Project, and the Dublin Writer's Workshop. He lives in Maryland, USA with his wife, Charisse. Prince is open to visiting colleges and universities in the USA to promote Ghanaian poetry and culture. Feel free to contact him about opportunities to market African poetry.

Prince is the head of North American promotions for One Ghana, One Voice.

Five questions with Prince Mensah:

1. Were the events described in "Accra" experienced in one day or visit, or were they a compilation of years of experiences?

“Accra” was written in bits and pieces, using various circumstances and time frames. I tried to play time-traveler in the poem, commuting back and forth through future, present and past. I deliberately chose not to rhyme because I sought to illustrate the level of catharsis I experience when writing about such issues. Everyone has a love affair with their country. Most experiences are bitter-sweet. I picked Accra, because as the capital city, it is the mosaic of experiences endured by every Ghanaian.

2. You often use words that non-Ghanaian readers might not understand. That being said, you often take great care to include translations of the key Akan, Ewe, and now Hausa, words that you use in your poems. In this sense, you seem to be balancing the needs and interests of both Ghanaian "insiders" and "outsiders" in your work. Do you have an intended reader in mind for your poems? If so, are you considerate of them while you are writing, or do such considerations come to you after the poem is complete?

According to a report on languages, an indigenous language dies every fortnight. Check the Scoop Magazine and National Geographic. I shudder at the fact that in a few years, the languages I spoke frequently would lose their means of expression, because no one knows how to write them, read them or publish them. I remember my school days in Ghana when English Language was the official language (still is) and the indigenous languages were labeled as ‘vernacular’. That allowed the smothering of any attempt to literalize native language into lingua franca, usable in international settings. I was not pleased with the marginalization of our native tongues. To me, that was a string of colonialism. But let’s not digress.

Like the way French, Greek, Spanish and Latin words have made their way into English, I intend to make several words in my native language familiar with my readers. I want my reader to read the word as it is spoken in its original setting. I am also writing to the Ghanaian, using local words they are all too familiar with. Apart from reading the poem, I want my reader to immerse him/herself in the culture I write about. People are eager to learn new things, new words and new realities. I have always believed there is a poetic essence of African life, left untapped by its literary children.

Writers like Achebe gave their readers an unadulterated taste of life as an African. I think we dilute our writing with too much pandering to what we think our reader wants. The truth is our readers want us to be original, to push them to new thoughts. I think African poets, ethnic poets for that matter, are being irresponsible with an overdependence on English. We must encourage the poets to write whole poems in their native languages, alongside English translations. Remember, there is a huge market on grants for literary translations. It does not hurt to be original.

3. The question "What would Nkrumah think of Ghana if he saw it now?" is an interesting one, one I'm sure many have asked themselves over the years. You teased at an answer in the poem - would you care to elaborate on your opinion here?

Kwame Nkrumah has always been presented as a radical. He had, as Martin Luther King said, ‘the fierce urgency of now’. He was misunderstood by his people and his frustrations drove him to undertake measures that aided his downfall. In hindsight, Nkrumah’s thesis was that we had to own what was ours, warts and all. I personally think the marriage of African independence with socialism was the biggest mistake of our founding fathers.

In his article in the East African Journal (July, 1965), "Problems facing our Socialism", Barack Obama’s father wrote that “the applicability of planning within the embryo of African Socialism, while essentially an economic matter, cannot be divorced from the politico-socio-cultural context in which we find ourselves and as such we should not ignore these factors.” African countries are set up differently from western countries. We already have a certain level of socialism in the communal nature of our societies. The viable solution is to introduce a certain strain of capitalism that works in concert with the existing social structure.

I think Nkrumah would not be pleased with the lethargy of our progress as a country. He would demand an overhaul of basic social infrastructures such as school systems, hospitals and businesses.

4. You seem to share the blame for Ghana's struggles amongst both the politicians and the people, especially on the "Fa ma Nyame syndrome" that cripples the country. In what ways can we break this negative cycle?

To be blunt, the Fa Ma Nyame syndrome is the reason why Ghana is not in a civil war. We have all the ingredients for chaos but the average Ghanaian prefers his/her peace of mind above everything else.

In this regard, the question is whether our politicians are taking us for granted or that we are all lost in a socio-economic wilderness. I am also to blame. Every Ghanaian is. Blame is an equal opportunity employer. Our politicians have not been truthful with the people, as it is everywhere. But in Africa, it reaches critical mass, when the army (a totally undesired alternative) interrupts national politics.

A new kind of politics has to be introduced where accountability and probity are independent institutions that audit officials. Most of our leaders were trained in great Western institutions but the failure to apply lessons learnt makes the people wonder. Education must be a priority. Employment must be another priority. Social justice must also be reinforced as a national concept. The endemic nonchalance has to be replaced by a spirited involvement in national politics.

5. You recently joined the OGOV team, and are helping to lead our promotions in the USA. A large portion of our readership is US based - what help could you use from interested American readers?

Please tell us what issues you need and want to hear about. I think this is not only a poetry site, but a place to start a lot of soul-searching. We can only start as poets, but knowledge must be spread through other means. I believe many of the poets featured on this site will be pleased to answer questions about culture and history. Push us on, readers. We want to do better.

Contact Prince:

Email: pryncemensah(at)yahoo.com
Website: http://www.freewebs.com/pryncemensah/

My Mother's Heart - Reggie Kyere

2008-05-10T19:27:00.004Z

My father shot my mother!
In the heart.
Never woke from the trauma.
Her shroud seamed by betrayal.

My mother's heart, all the thread
on Athene's spindle could not
make up the stitches she had on.

Like a cub, roaring up,
out of the colony
dreams will soon be king of the jungle.
Carefree, she loved freely.

In my mother's bosom, there,
her remains sit.
Dry, barren, cannot love,
never will.

What good is the heart
if it cannot love?
Bleed pain, I guess.

Some women love once,
they confess.

Author Profile - Reggie Kyere

2008-05-10T19:12:00.002Z

Biography:

Kyere Ofori Reginald was born in 1987 in Kumasi, Ashanti Region. He has an elder sister and a younger brother, and recently completed Philips Secondary Commercial School in Kumasi.

Five Questions with Reggie Kyere:

1. How long have you been writing poetry?

I really got into writing poetry this year, about four months ago. I'm a real amateur.

2. Who are your favourite poets? Which poets have most inspired and informed your work?

I love Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes. The first poem that got me to like poetry was Hughes' "Mother to Son". I'm only starting writing, but these two are my initial influences.

3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?

To show the youth the beauty in poetry - I call it "soul food". And also to address the feelings and challenges of Africans.

4. Are you involved in any sort of writing communities? Are you connected with other poets in your community?

Other poets? I don't see them. I really don't know about any writing communities, though I'd love to get involved with one if it does exist. The people around me don't like poetry, they would rather buy video clips than buy poetry books. I don't really blame them. The poetry society in Ghana and the Ghanaian education service have failed to promote it.

5. What do you think can be done to strengthen the writing community in Ghana?

Heightening the interest in poetry at the grassroots: at the junior high schools, then the senior high schools. The harm has already been done, we should focus on bringing poetry back to life.

Contact Reggie:

reggiekyere(at)@yahoo.com

Politics on the Pavement - Vida Ayitah

2008-05-04T02:06:00.000Z

Their backs are scorched,
darkened by the sun falling on them.
Their hands are bruised
so badly they refrain from shaking hands.
When they get home,
afraid even to hug their little ones and
touch their wives in bed,
they are too tired, in fact,
to even enjoy their evening meal.
But there they are
barebacked, sweaty, toiling under the
mid-day sun,
digging this long trench at the roadside.
Someone said new telephone wires would be passing through
all the way to that new tall building in the far distance
home to the foreign nationals coming to
dwell in their country,
eat their food,
look at their women,
refine their gold and take their resources to
enrich other countries.
So they dig this long, seemingly endless trench for
the telephone wires,
earning three Ghana Cedis a day
the worth of their toils, their dreams.
And nobody says a thing about the promises of
that last politician who stood on the podium
delivering speeches that said this and that
of how the young men would be taken off the streets into factories
of how shovels would be replaced by power-drills
and of how this country would be home
to its citizens,
offering better chances to everybody:
affordable education, health, food, jobs and shade from
the midday sun.
But nobody says a thing,
so they break their backs digging the pavement,
making way for the telephone wires
all the way to that new building in the far distance,
home to foreigners who know very little about
Ghana and her common people whose dreams were killed by
the politicians on the podium
saying this and that
promising everything.