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22:58
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One Ghana, One Voice
the harmattan (d r y and c o l d) came in
couplets— fine unrimed red d us t
no matter how tightweshutthewindows
you cannot keep it out
b l u r r e d the trees the ho us es
the past— its long fluorescent lights
thin apparition— the desert came in
sifted down through mosquito nets
) t.here is no without ) no within the Sahara
breathing as if it w e r e memory (s l o w
and d i f f i c u l t) arriving on the north east winds
sinking even through the fabric of my d reams
old dust made new on our living sur f a c e s
in the morning the black table top turned canvas
where my dad left us secret m e s s a g e s
where my sister and I awoke to the wor(l)d
drew and rhymed with child fingertips
before my mom shined it clean for breakfast
"old dust made new" is the second of our series of poems on the
Harmattan. New entries will be posted each week, and collected
here.
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22:52
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One Ghana, One Voice
Biography:
Daniela Bouneva Elza has lived on three continents and crossed numerous geographic and cultural borders. Writing has been a faithful companion no matter what country or language she found herself in. To date she has released more than 120 poems into the world. She just completed her full length poetry manuscript and is also working toward the completion of her doctorate in Philosophy of Education. She lives with her family in Vancouver and blogs at [strangeplaces.livingcode.org]
Five Questions with Daniela Elza:
1. What great images you conjure up in "old dust made new"! More generally, though, how did you receive the harmattan each year in Northern Nigeria? With excitement? Relief? Frustration?
It was part of life. People wore hats and scarves in the early mornings. I wore a coat over my short sleeve uniform on the way to school. I was curious about how the haze made the familiar less familiar, the strange halo around the moon at night. The Harmattan was mostly a mystery to me. How it would steal into the house. Every morning a new presence, one that arrived from far away. The smell of the dust was most memorable. I clearly remember having difficulty breathing, not being able to go to sleep. It was so strong. My mom made me and my sister little gauze masks that she dampened and put on us at bed time. There was an ointment called Robb that I would rub on my temples, forehead, even under my nose, and the smell of eucalyptus and camphor helped. My favourite part in Rob's harmattan poem "Under the Harmattan Sky" was where he said we "write no poems." Interesting. Poems for me are very closely related to breath, so that sense came through for me. Looking back though my childhood lens, "mystery" is what best describes the Harmattan for me. Now even more so when on last week’s poem one of the readers mentioned the Harmattan did not come this year.
2. Your poems use space very intentionally. The size of the space between each word, and each letter of each word, seems very intentioned. What drew you to writing in this way? Did you have any other writers as points of inspiration in developing this style?
The words in my poems started to pull apart years ago. It was like coming to a place and feeling at home. I recognized it as my form. It has helped me address rubs and struggles with language and how we are in language. How we inhabit it. The form became an outward expression of this journey. It spoke to me, I learned from it. These spaces are breath, are missing memories, are blanks in our knowledge. They are reminders that our world is not seamless and ordered. There are silences we cannot ignore. I can go further: my order is not your order. We also get lazy and complacent with habitual arrangements of words. A word apart from others can take you on its own journey at the same time as it is part of the community of other word.
An important aspect of the spaces is inviting the reader to come in, take part in this co-creation. As readers, we have a tremendous responsibility reading and interpreting another’s words.
Language is like a net with which we try to catch the slippery fish of experience. It is the fish I am after. Yet, language is seductive. We can end up just playing with the net, be mesmerized by it. So this form for me always reminds me of the permeable membrane that exists between word and world.
I am inspired by people who take risks with language, test its limits and what it can achieve. I am humbled by the fact that no matter how hard we try we cannot put it all in the words. I am curious where the breaking point is. The fine line between the discomfort of chaos and the comfort of order. Or, perhaps for some, it is the other way around: the comfort of chaos and the discomfort of order.
3. These aforementioned spaces in words seem to function in two ways: they enact the words (i.e. "s l   o   w") and they create or isolate new words (i.e. the "us" in "d   us   t" and "ho   us   es"). Then there are some words that are subtly stretched for reasons that are less clear (i.e. "w e r e"). What leads you to playing with the spacing of particular words and not others? Do you feel it intuitively or do you think/map it out very cognitively?
The next logical step was the letters pulling apart. For different reasons. Like in "slow" it is the pace, or it could be for emphasis, or to invite the eye to linger with letter combinations. My latest exploration is highlighting words within words. For instance, in houses and dust, what struck me was that they contain us. We also get blurred by the dust. I see it as a way of adding an extra layer of images/ideas, subtexts, meta-content. I could easily be in danger of overdoing it. But, hey, if I do not overdo it, how else will I know I have gone too far? In the case of "w e r e": I saw we’re in it. And wondered if the reader will see "we’re memory" at the same time as "dust" and "desert" being memory. For me this poem is very much about memory, haunting us like the dust. How it renews itself, and us. Or, perhaps, "w e r e" is one instance of pushing too far. This is a new poem. I have to be patient, trust the balance will be established over time. I hope in each poem the technique responds to the content and continues to be an exploration, instead of a set form or path.
We spend so much time arguing around and about words. So many battles today are fought on the level of words (political, academic, ideological, religious). Yet, the words only fragment something whole (a thought/feeling) that is trying to come through. So I fragment the words. Meaning is in the words, but also not in them. Are we in control of the words or are they in control of us? Language is a slippery slope and can be treacherous. At the same time it can present us with many gifts.
4. Both of your poems featured thus far on OGOV have been written in couplets. Is this a general style of yours, a particular style you prefer for your African poems, or merely a coincidence?
They both took that shape, but may not have. This one was more premeditated than "Savannah Rain, West Africa" since it begins with the cold and the dust coming in couplets. That set the tone for me. This also goes back to the previous question: of how much is intuitive and how much is planned. Can we separate the two? I like to premeditate some. Yet, once the poem is loose on the page I am also prepared to flow with it, see where it leads. Gaston Bachelard in his book The Poetics of Reverie says: “The word lives syllable by syllable in danger of internal reveries.” If I cannot learn something from writing a poem, I am not interested in writing it. Perhaps an analogy might be: the teacher who knows when to abandon the lesson plan and follow the opportunity that a classroom serendipitously presents her. It is a fine balance between structure and flow. I am happy to embrace that in my practice. Some serendipity may grab my attention and then I can work that in the structure.
Now, for the reader the premeditated might appear coincidental. What was coincidental may be so seamless and graceful that it appears premeditated. For instance, the lack of punctuation was premeditated. I imagined how in the haze such little signposts will disappear first. However, if I had not said this you can come up with your own explanation/s (and you will) irrespective of what I intended, or did not intend. We are just that kind of creature. And that could lead to new serendipities and creations.
If I planned everything out before hand I am unlikely to venture into unknown territory. The sense of play and discovery is lost. And there is so much negotiation to do between word and world, and it could be done in an infinite number of ways. To quote Bachelard again: “What a lot of minor conflicts we must resolve upon returning from vagabond reverie to reasonable vocabulary!” In the complex laboratory of reverie and writing it is difficult to distinguish all these aspects.
For me writing is organic. It flows and changes and I let myself be at the mercy of what wants to come through. Of what possibilities are inherent in that moment of writing. Most of the time I find that a lot more interesting from what I planned. Again Bachelard nicely puts it: “For a dreamer, a dreamer of words, they are all swollen with insanities.” It is a constant back and forth between what the words want me to say and what I want to say with the words. In that process, I believe, both the word and the writer are enriched.
5. What new things have happened in your life/writing in the year since our readers first met you and your writing?
2009 was a busy year. It started with writing collaborated poems, four of which got published in Mutating the Signature issue of qarrtsiluni. Along with that in February my first poem went up here on OGOV with an interview. There were a couple more interviews last year, one with The Peak, and one with The Cascade. Press 1, BluePrintReview, Matrix, Vallum and ditch, poetry that matters gave a home to another 12 poems. The anthology A Verse Map of Vancouver housed another two. I won an Honourable Mention at the SIWC Poetry Contest. The highlight was the 4 Poets book in which Mother Tongue Publishing showcased the work of four emerging British Columbian poets. I had a lot of fun launching it. I must have read at least 25 times last year all together.
In the summer I completed my comprehensive exams in Philosophy of Education and in the Fall presented at the 2nd Symposium on Poetic Inquiry (Prince Edward Island). I had a chapter published in the book Poetic Inquiry: Vibrant Voices in the Social Sciences(comprising of 12 poems). Finally, I completed my first full length manuscript. This spring I will be the feature poet in The New Orphic Review, and I had my first micro story accepted for the BluePrintReview. As of January, I took on the volunteer position of Vancouver/Lower Mainland Representative for the Federation of BC Writers. Phew. It feels like a lot. But it is what I enjoy doing.
Contact Daniela:
Email: daniela(at)livingcode.org
Website: [strangeplaces.livingcode.org]
Author Photo © Frank Lee
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0:02
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One Ghana, One Voice
The village was subdued by a sudden attack of abnormalities,
As the weather drove a wedge between sons of the same mother.
We wondered why it happened same time, every year as we browsed
Through concordances of our superstitions
Slapping blame on whatever peccadilloes we had committed
In complete disregard for the wages of our sins.
This was our state of mind until the old woman uttered words of wisdom,
Words to secure our freedom from naiveté and cluelessness
About this season of tortured skin and tempestuous tempers.
So we listened, we learned, we understood
This cantankerous saga between our hearts and the Harmattan:
We had dealt with what we could do nothing about and we lost.
But harm is harmless when arms are together and men would rather
Understand than undermine each other since the weather
Is no excuse for what we do to each other,
For seasons change but life goes on in the village.
"A Harmattan Matter" is the first of our series of poems on the
Harmattan. New entries will be posted each week, and collected
here.
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0:01
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One Ghana, One Voice
Biography:
Born in Ghana, Prince Mensah has twenty-five stage plays to his credit. Some of them have been acted at the Accra Arts Center and at several locations in Accra. His articles and stories have been published in the STEP magazine, P & P, Ghanadot.com and The Free Press. His poetry has been published in the Munyori Journal, UNESCO's Other Voices International Project, The Muse Literary Magazine and the Dublin Writer's Workshop.
Prince Mensah has published seventeen books of poetry. They are Memoirs of A Native Son, I Shall, I Will, I Can (Poetry Inspired by Barack Obama), Afrocentric, ecclesiastes, State of An Abstract Mind, The Griot Metropolitan, The Land of Broken Mirrors, Coronation, Enough is Enough, World War-Free, in praise of the calabash, Prophylaxis, Via Dolorosa, Tabula Rasa, Eclectic, Situational Hazard and Chronology.
Prince is a Consultant in Workplace Mediation, an HIV/AID Treatment Advocate and an Eligible Translator/Interpreter in Twi & Fante for the Judicial Consortium of 40 American States. He lives in the United States with his wife, Charisse.
Prince is the head of North American promotions for One Ghana, One Voice.
Five questions with Prince Mensah:
1. As a child, what was your reaction to the coming of the Harmattan? Has that changed now that you are an adult?
As a child, I dreaded the Harmattan because it made my life miserable. I had itchy skin and could not play soccer, because I was running out of breath every time. Day time in Harmattan was always a period of respiratory torture. However, night time was splendid because the wind was cool and calming. This gave Harmattan a ying-yang effect to it.
As an adult, I have come to understand the Harmattan and how it affects mood and skin. I have now grasped the nature of this interesting West African season because of the marriage of good and bad elements – the cruelty of the wind at day and its calming effects at night. I see that the lessons to life are hidden in nature.
2. Living in the U.S. now, do you miss the Harmattan season at all? And how does it compare to an American winter?
Yes, I miss Harmattan nights – those nights of soothing, playful breeze that gave me the comfort to sleep well. You know, people usually stay up late during the Harmattan season because it occurs around major religious festivities for Muslims and Christians. Eid-al-Fitr and Christmas are both celebrated during Harmattan.
As compared to American winters, like the one we just experienced in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area, Harmattan feels like summer. At least, homeless people can sleep in Harmattan but you do not want to be caught outside in a snow blizzard.
3. Is there any way you can compare Harmattan to life?
Harmattan is life. Life has good and bad sides. Yet we love life and try to do the best we can with it. Harmattan creates angry folks at day but inspires lovers at night. Same season, differing results. There is something to be learned from that.
4. As a poet, what do you think is the best way to get people in Ghana more interested in talking and writing about the nuances of living in Ghana?
Ghanaians love a good show. However, poetry and prose have been neglected because of an artistic and social over-dependence on drama. In Ghana, poetry is not the most lucrative artistic venture and you write poetry because your mind keeps getting flooded with beautiful descriptions of simple things. Prose can be difficult because you have a thousand editors trying to tell you what to do. Writing drama has more potential than the first two because it has the chance to be performed or adapted into a screenplay. The balance is wanting because the three arms of literature work hand in hand. This situation is most unfortunate.
I hope the high schools and universities will find a way to enable students to become original scribes of their own experiences through poetry and prose. I have always held the belief that after 50 years of independence, our beloved country should be able to market her literature to the world. Not only through movies. Not only through music. But through written accounts by the sons and daughters of the motherland.
5. How is life going these days, and how is Mensa Press doing?
Life is interesting, like the Harmattan. Sometimes, it sucks the moisture of hope from one’s existence. Sometimes, it soothes the deepest ache. All these make us all the wiser.
Mensa Press is looking forward to a big year, in terms of promoting Ghanaian and global poetry. We have Foster Toppar’s "By The Rivers of Our Dreams" in the works. We have received spectacular entries of our five soon-to-be published anthologies – "Defiled Sacredness," "The War Against War," "Visions of the Motherland," "We Come From One Place" and "Whispers in the Whirlwind."
We are still asking for more entries because we have not reached the minimum yet. If you have a poet friend, please tell them about this opportunity to market their poetry to the world. I can promise that the poetry we have received so far oozes with originality and we cannot wait to publish the books later on this year. Our website should be functional soon and we seek to become the outlet for original poetry and prose from Ghana.
Contact Prince:
Email: pryncemensah(at)yahoo.com
Website: [www.freewebs.com]
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10:25
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One Ghana, One Voice
As naked as he stands in the sun
He prays in his heart his wills
To the God who weaves his daily meals
On plates from his merciful barn.
Oh! What baffles his little mind,
Not even the seas can sink it
Though he swims to remain fit
For hours non-stop only to be refined.
This photo taken by some seeker
Unravels the secrets of a caterpillar
Grooming himself into a butterfly
To soothe a world with his unsung lullaby.
A courage so courageous carries capricious
Cedis over indignation for the morrow,
Which the hands shall borrow
For life’s issues that tastes boisterous.
A boy stranded in-between two corners
Coils his fear in other to possess
A love difficult to access
In a world bound by countless strangers.
Photo © 2010 Foster Toppar
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10:13
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One Ghana, One Voice
Biography:
Foster Kudjoe Toppar was born in Accra on August 6th, 1990, where he currently lives. He had his education at Ghanata Secondary School in General Arts, majoring in Literature. He writes poems with the hope to entertain, inspire and comb the lies and the dandruff out of the hairs of our societies. His works and articles have appeared in both print and electronic media. Among them are OGOV, kpokplomaja.com, faithwriters.com and Christian Journal Newspaper.
Five Questions with Foster Toppar:
1. Which came first, the photo or the poem? Did one inspire the other, or did you bring them together after the fact?
The photo came first. I was taking photos of some activities on the beach during the recent Christmas holidays which I spent at Ningo Prampram. This boy walked to me and asked me in Damgbe to take a photo of him which I humbly did. The photo greatly inspired me to write the poem. I’ve always wanted to do something like this so I thought it was a great opportunity to do just that after taking the photo.
2. What drew you to utilize this particular rhyme scheme? Is it a set scheme you saw in another poem, or is it improvised?
I’ve been doing a lot of reading and studying of both African and Western poetry and what I discover every time I study a poem is overwhelming. So in my comparing and contrasting I came along poems with this rhyme scheme, though I did a little tweaking in the 3rd stanza, as you might have noticed.
3. More specifically, what drew you to change the rhyme scheme in the middle stanza? It makes for a refreshing change.
In my quest for originality in my writings I thought it wise to be more creative as any creative writer would want to be. And so after about a year and half or so of studying the poems posted on the site every now and then I decided to improvise this rhyme scheme in the middle stanza. So unlike the usual rhyme pattern of ‘abba’, in the middle stanza I use ‘aabb’. I guess this sum up the reason for my long silence on OGOV.
4. How important are outside editors, critics, etc. to the development of your writing?
Editors, critics, etc. have tremendous impact on what we write or even say. They are quite important to the development of my writing career. Many of them are the experts with a wealth of experiences so it’ll only do me good to draw some inspiration and advice from them. On the other hand, if they are not there it should not prevent me from exposing my talent and creative skills.
5. It's been over a year since we last heard from you. Give us an update on your life in the last year! How is life in Adenta?
A lot has happened... aside from developing my creative talents, attending book launches, literary nights and poetry readings; I’ve also been doing a lot of religious stuffs like composing songs and ministering in my local church every now and then. I believe poetry and music are like Siamese twins. They are inseparable to some extent. In this case either of them draws inspiration from the other so that neither is left out.
Contact Foster:
topparfoster(at)yahoo.com
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1:00
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One Ghana, One Voice
My mind is blank
A tear falls on my bed, my poor eyes
The light is out
A cricket fills the void
Lying a yard away my books
Thankful like sleep to a slave
Lost to hope and aspiration... the owner
In the next room
Someone turns up the TV volume
In the other a boy shouts to be heard
In mine I write about them.
The TV is suddenly turned off
The crickets return
Dying arguments fade to graves
Then silence.....
The cricket gets a companion
A frog croaks... spicing up the melody
A stray cat joins the chorus
Purring for food
In bed I write
My room... the light is out
My mind is blank
I hear a dog in the distance
Barking... telling its master
Sleep well... you are protected
But remember, more food tomorrow
Near my window
A man shouts into his phone
O.K. Bla... Mechia Maame
Afia ne Abena, bye bye
Illustrating where he is from
Silence.....
My mind is blank
The crickets and the frog sing their song
The cut is gone
Silence.....
A plane thunders through the night
As if seeking audience with the rain god
Now the night is cold
Silence.....
My mind is blank
The crickets.....
Someone drags his feet toward my window
Like a contented fool
Its Kwesi... on the phone
Lying to his girl friend... as usual
I’m stressed... my money is in the bank
I don’t have credit... I will call,
The line cuts, and he curses the network operators’
He goes back the same way he came
Thank God, I have my peace again
Silence.....
My mind is blank
The cricks continue
The TV murmurs... someone has turned it on again
I punch on my keys
Sleep beckons
I put down my phone
Waiting I yawn
My mind is blank
The crickets sing
A door shuts in the corridor
I yawn and wait.
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0:45
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One Ghana, One Voice
Biography:
Samuel Adjei Ntow is a final year Business Administration (Marketing option) student of Valley View University. He had his secondary school education at Sekondi College in the Western Region of Ghana, where he grew up. He loves to read and write poetry.
Five Questions with Samuel Adjei Ntow:
1. How long have you been writing poetry?
I have been writing poetry ever since I got introduced to this art in senior secondary school. This happened after the business students, of which I was one, were introduced to literature.
2. Who are your favorite poets? Which poets have most inspired and informed your work?
My favorite poets include Prof. Atukwei Okai, Kwesi Brew, Sylvia Plath, Leopold Senghor and Kofi Anyidoho. Senghor's "Songs for Naett" inspired me to start writing. The imagery in the poem got me hooked even though I had not been in contact with what he was talking about. Kwesi Brew's "The Mesh" also did inspired me to start writing poetry.
3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?
I hope to influence people with the beauty of words and for them to understand and appreciate the power of our thoughts.
4. Is there any poetry-related activity at Valley View these days? If so, what?
There are no poetry related activities here at Valley View University but I have a couple of friends here who love and appreciate poetry, so we meet (not officially) to talk about poetry and what new thing we are writing.
5. When you write, what is the primary audience you have in mind as readers of your poems (yourself, other poets, your friends, Ghanaians, a global audience, etc.)?
Whenever I do write I write with myself as the primary audience. This is because I usually write about what I'm feeling or an experience I am going through. I also believe, though, that there are people out there who somehow identify with my works and these people, be they friends or a global audience, are also a target of mine.
Contact Samuel:
samuelgh.adjei(at)yahoo.com
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0:43
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One Ghana, One Voice
Let the stars lose their grip and fall
Let the sun suspend its light
And make the moon angry and moody
Just to bring lovers’ walk to a sudden halt
Let the rainbow refuse to give its colours
And my love for you will remain unshaken
Let the rain refuse to quench the desert’s thirst
Let the ocean refuse to wave and kiss the shore
Let the strong winds forever continue
To keep the flowers in tremble
And my love for you will remain unshaken
Let the skies tumble
Let Sicily’s Etna spit its fire
Let icebergs melt to overflow the sea
Let meteorites send shivers
Down the world’s spine
And my love for you will remain unshaken
Let butterflies starve flowers of their kiss
Let the harmattan continue to suck grasses pale
Let the land and the river struggle over eldership
Let computers continue to rule the world
My love for you remains unshaken.
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0:21
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One Ghana, One Voice
Biography:
Adjei Agyei-Baah is a 31-year old Ghanaian living in Ghana. He holds a Masters of Business Administration degree in Strategic Management and Consultancy Service from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology School of Business, Kumasi. He is an adjunct lecturer in Management Studies.
Some of Adjei's poems have been published in www.modernghana.com and www.kpokplomaja.com. He accidentally discovered his talent of writing when undertaking a research work on children’s rhymes and was asked by his supervisor create his own poems after selecting already existing rhymes from foreign poets. Some of his award winning poems include Mother Is Supreme (Luv FM Mothers’ Day Poetry Promo, 2008) and Similes of Love (Hello FM Valentine's Day Poetry Competition, 2009).
Five Questions with Adjei Agyei-Baah:
1. Was this poem written for someone in particular? And are you lucky enough to be able to spend Valentine's Day with them?
Yes, this poem was written for my fiancee Benedicta, whi is now my dearest wife. In our relationship she once posed a question as to what could bring our relationship to an end, and I decided to respond with this piece. I am fortunate to be sharing this occasion with her, but the sad thing is that we will not be able to go out since her condition now will not permit that. I don't meant that she is sick but just heavy - I think you know what I mean. It will be a moment of reflection on our sweet old days - the good things that have happened and those that are yet to come, not forgetting those who have impacted on our lives.
2. This is your second "occasional" poem on the site. What do you think of as the "shelf life" of your poems? By that I mean, are you hoping more for your poems to be timeless (to speak to future generations), or for them to have a strong impact here and now, at the moment that you share them with others? Obviously, it would be wonderful if a poem could do both, but if you had to choose one, what would it be?
I have always gone in for poems that would be timeless to make me live when I am dead and besides stay to inspire the generation to come, so that they will not only enjoy it but take lessons from it. I also wish to make them feel that they can write and leave their mark for generations to come, and to use it to express themselves whenever they are in love or want to show love to someone.
3. You mentioned in your last profile that you were about to start a poetry recitation competition for students. Could you give us an update on that project?
We are half way through the project as the audition in the various schools have been done. What is left is waiting on the sponsors who promised us some packages for the students, which they are yet to deliver.
4. What does Valentine's Day mean to you and why is it worth celebrating?
Valentine’s Day to me is a day of showing much love to friends, family, lovers and not forgetting the needy. It is worth celebrating because it gives me and my church the opportunity to gives to the orphanages and organize party for the children there and also to spend time with our friends, family and especially with the one we went to spend the rest of our life with.
5. Do you have a Valentine's Day message for all the lonely hearts out there?
There are seasons for everything, time to be lonely hearted and time to have someone to love and care for you, but the most important thing is to love yourself more and there is a God that loves you much much more than you can imagine.
Contact Adjei:
kwakubaa(at)yahoo.com
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5:38
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One Ghana, One Voice
We never asked them to make the trip
Senseless though it seemed they did
Yes! they came to see but never learned
That we never needed them to survive.
In the jungle where lions roared at day
Where cobras roamed the paths at night
Where the ants barely saw the suns’ light
There we built our great empires
Void of their help, void of their greed.
We never asked them not to learn
Senseless, could they even have learned
Yes! but they sought to teach us their ways
Of slander imbued with hypocrisy
Of malice clothed in kindness.
They sought to kill the oak tree of old
They sought to dethrone the crown bearers
They tried to drink but could never swallow
For they were not invited to the ball.
In their true nature of mischief
They sought to divide the indivisible
They sought to sow where they could not harvest
For this is the land that knows its destined rulers
They tried to build but could not break the ground
They drank the streams of the ancestors with greed
They tasted immortality and wanted to live forever
But the streams of the ancestors knew their duties
Where they could not break, there we buried them.
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2:54
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One Ghana, One Voice
Biography:
Kwadwo Oteng Owusu is the third born of four siblings. He grew up primarily in Kumasi and graduated from Prempeh College and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with a B.Sc. Development Planning degree. Currently he is doing his national service in Mfantseman Municipal Assembly, Central Region and is attached to the World Vision Mfantseman ADP, Saltpond.
Five Questions with Kwadwo Oteng Owusu:
1. How long have you been writing poetry?
I have been writing poems since my secondary schools days (in Prempeh College). It was something I started initially as a pastime to wile away time. I just loved playing with words in my mind and then started to put ideas on paper.
2. Who are your favorite poets? Which poets have most inspired and informed your work?
I love stories and this makes me love poets who are story-tellers. This is why I seem to have a liking for poets of African descent: Kofi Anyidoho, Efua Sutherland, Maya Angelou, etc. Funny enough, the person that inspires me most as a poet is Charles Wesley (the Hymnist). I just love the way he played with words and still managed to keep the original meaning of the gospel in them.
3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?
I hope to stimulate thinking with every poem. I want people to read my poems and be spurred on to read more about the topics I have discussed in them. To me, poetry should educate and better still, lead to further education. If my poems achieve this, I will feel I have contributed to society in that small way.
4. What do you think needs to be done to promote and strengthen poetry in Africa?
Poetry has the ability to develop minds in ways not yet explored. I believe avenues like OGOV should be made more accessible to young people interested in poetry. It is all about demand and supply. Painting as an art thrived in medieval and rennaisance periods because Kings showed interest and appreciated such art forms. Society must show interest and this is why I love what OGOV is doing... creating the demand avenue for the supply to come. I believe poems become alive when recited, and so, such avenues should be made more accessible.
5. How important are outside editors, critics, etc. to the development of your writing?
Editors and critics are to writing as examiners are to students. They play a crucial role in making sure people write good materials. Editors help put writings in good standing. Editors play a similar role as the role played by medications between the Physicians and the Patient - the utmost aim is to treat the patient. It's always good to have someone comment on your writing, good or bad it helps a lot. I think editors and critics are a must have if writing is to develop in Africa.
Contact Kwadwo:
okobenus(at)yahoo.com
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1:06
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One Ghana, One Voice
Wofa Adwo, the man of the house
Wofa Adwo ei
Nkaafa
Nipa eregye den
Wofa Adwo the man of the house
Indeed I am
Surrounded by children of no mean ages
He still lives in the dark ages
Of filth, treachery and food shortages
No plan to manage his family
But he is able to afford wine made of barley
Oh poor them
Mobutu the eldest left home
When he found his rhythm
The father had no idea of him
But he muddled through to a foreign land
Years and little was heard of him
Senghor the youngest has started school
But he walks a mile every day
He is tired, but his desire eggs him on
He is sad when he returns home
To no food, no electricity
And another mile to fetch water
Wofa Adwo ei
Nkaafa
Nipa eregye den
Wofa Adwo the man of the house
Indeed I am
There is a gloomy shade of horror for the mother
She is at the mercy of slaps and beatings
When she demands money for upkeep of the home
The home is starving but Adwo is partying with friends
Wofa Adwo ei
Nkanfa
"Man no be firewood" he says
"I will soon vaporize like camphor
So let me have a good time"
His character due him three of his sons dead
But he cares less
He knows he can marry and bring forth again
The woe of his famiy is no worry
When he is belly full behind closed doors
He walks in flashy shoes and clothes
But his house is wailing
Oh Wofa Adwo
Why this, why bring chaos to your home
Wofa Adwo ei
Nkaafa
Nipa eregye den
Wofa Adwo the man of the house
Indeed I am
By virtue of his position as the Abusuapanin
He visits the shrine and consults the oracles
Even here he has stolen the drinks of the spirits
No wonder his six remaining sons
Gang to kill him
And take over his possessions
But he survives with no knowledge
Of the attempt made to terminate his life
Wofa Adwo, in his gluttonous element
Sank into the valley of his family's anger
When he stole the artifacts of the family -
He walks now with nothing
The new Abusuapanin, Peter Dafa
Has said he will inspect
And will take back all the lost family possessions.
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1:01
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One Ghana, One Voice
Biography:
Nana Agyemang Ofosu, born on February 3rd, 1985 in Kumasi, Ghana, is a young poet. He holds a degree in civil engineering from Kwame Nkrumah University of science and technology and is currently honoring his national service at the Department of Urban Roads, Kumasi. As a student of science, he accidentally discovered his interest in poetry when he made a bad comment about a poetry piece of his younger brother. He is a member of an open mic poetry team in Kumasi and also a founding member of Unified Talents, the organizers of Open Mic Poetry.
Five Questions with Nana Agyemang Ofosu:
1. What inspired you to write this poem?
The African approach towards politics really inspired me to write. I, having witnessed political take overs in the current dispensation of democratic governance in Ghana has made me aware of the behaviours of leaders in Africa. And more importantly the Ghanaian family system is no different from politics.
2.Why did you choose to include the refrain in the poem?
This was added for spoken word purpose just to include something comic when I do recite it someday. The very statement "Wofa Adwo ei, Nkaafa, Nipa eregye den" is an old saying of one of my grannies who used to serve in the shrine and the attitude is one similar to the character described in this work. It also brings the poem to life should anyone read it.
3. In June you spoke with us about your upcoming Open Mic Poetry project organized by your group Unified Talents. Do you have any updates on how that project is doing?
The program visited some schools and witnessed massive performances from students. Unfortunately the final event could not be organized due to lack of funds and support. Still, we were able to visit schools and had excellent preliminaries which to us was encouraging. It is hoped that poetry will go down well to the populace, and enjoy the support it deserves. We are still forging ahead to ensure that a final event is organized to give young talents in the senior high schools an opportunity to express themselves through poetry.
4. Can you tell us a bit more about Unified Talents in general?
Unified Talents is a group made up of young minds like myself bringing into life the dreams we have and poetry is a segment of what we do. We are working hard to break grounds to make our seed of greatness germinate, because that is the purpose we believe we are here.
5. Do your colleagues at the Department of Urban Roads know that you write poetry? If so, what do they say about it?
It's surprising how people sometimes cast doubts about one's abilities. People did not believe I could write good stuff, but now they have come to accept that I am talented and have a good taste for creative writing, especially poetry. But one thing is important: when you find what makes you happy never give in to the derogatory remarks of people. I have suffered these before and they can sometimes discourage you.
Contact Nana:
bunitslove(at)yahoo.com, unifiedtalents(at)hotmail.com
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7:40
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One Ghana, One Voice
Beauty’s true constituents lie
beyond the limits of aesthetics
and far above defined symmetry
it takes its originality from virtue
that is peerless and above pettiness
show me what is truly beautiful
and I will show you a pious beauty
distilled in an African pot of honey
tanned in tasseled primordial kiln
on the shores where the sun shines
true beauty is in the deepest recess
of the prehistoric arboreal canopy
that is wild, unseen and untainted
by man’s restless fingers that sour
hives nurtured by nature in secret
once I saw a pious beauty laid waste
on the banks of an old swallow creek
where in a flurry orchids crisscross lilies
O! my skin may be too proud to blush
but my heart bled for a mangled goddess
when will our insane prodding fingers
cease to wither buds before they bloom?
pluck hatchlings from nature’s nursery
before they plum and learn to fly free?
detoxify the atmosphere before we choke?
perhaps until we set the sun at dawn
before it rises to silence our heartbeats.
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3:41
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One Ghana, One Voice
Biography:
Dela Black Bobobee is a Ghanaian writer. He was educated in Ghana and Nigeria. He holds a B.A (Hon’s) English, and a Masters of International Law and Diplomacy (MILD), both from the University of Lagos. He is currently studying for an MBA degree in Management.
His works have received much commendations, recognition and had won him several awards. His hobbies are writing, studying foreign languages, and cinematography. He is a Life Member of the prolific Theatre 15 (University of Lagos), Abuja Literary Society (ALS), and the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN).
Five Questions with Dela Bobobee:
1. How long have you been writing poetry?
I started writing poetry when I was in Form One in what was then Middle School in Ghana. That was in 1978 when I was about 13 years old. It is all coming back to me now. I remember that I usually walked away from the raucous crowd at school during break time to a tiny forest behind our school. It was a very quiet spot I personally named the "Tranquil Woods." That incidentally became the title of the first serious poem that I wrote. I silently observed the quiet nature of the surroundings in contrast to the noisy background of the nearby school. I observed and listened to the wind passing through the stirring leaves on the trees and how it gently swayed the colourful birds on the branches which bowed listlessly in obeisance to the wind’s invisible passage. I would be very glad to showcase that particular poem some day for you to see what those powerful feelings evoked in me at that tender age, and the impact of the lucid descriptive power that was generated. That was a long time ago. I started writing more serious poems much later in life and published many in literary journals in the University and on many sites and blogs on the internet. To me, poetry is the rhythm of life itself, its symmetry is intrinsically manifested in our five senses: visual, auditory, tactile, kinetic and gustatory imageries. There is poetry in the rhythmic sound of the broom sweeping the bare floor at dawn in a colourful rhythmic pattern, there is rhythm in the sound of the pestle and mortar that is generated when pounding fufu, and the spurting sound of hot soup smouldering on the earthenware hearth fireside. There is also a silent rhythm in our heartbeats as we write our thoughts on paper for others to ponder over and argue about.
2. Who are your favorite poets? Which poets have most inspired and informed your work?
There used to be a publication called “Talent For Tomorrow” which published poems selected from submissions from Teacher Training Colleges in Ghana. I read these collections with relish, and the gnawing hunger for more verse created a vacuum in me that compelled me to put my own words on paper. My favourite poets are Dennis Brutus, George Kofi Awoonor Williams, Wole Soyinka, William Shakespeare, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson and a few other African poets.
The writers do not matter, what matters most is the message the poetry has for humanity. But to be frank, my greatest inspiration and influence comes from the poetic King David, and the poetic nature of the Psalms he wrote. In those days, while young guys were busily searching dictionaries for sugar-coated words and highly exaggerated vocabulary in their bid to bamboozle and woe prospective girlfriends, I was seeking for help elsewhere. I remember writing a poetic love letter to a girl I met in Accra Girls’ High School while on holidays, not with the aid of a dictionary but by borrowing poetic stanzas from the book of Psalms. May God forgive me, but I couldn’t help the ardent poetic flow of the verses that spill out naturally with deeply fervent and powerful emotional feelings. I guess that is where poetry originates from. From the deep recesses of the soul.
3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?
A poet is a wordsmith with prophetic visions of pent-up emotions alloyed in the subliminal vaults that is made explicit on the grim tufts of reality. To me, a poet has four darts in his arrow; to say what happens in the world, to critique what happens, to imagine new things, and to create a charming entity. Above all these things, I want my poetry not to only criticise but to also proffer solutions to the myriad problems facing humanity today. I have started a poetic movement called "Millennium School of Poetry," which is an attempt to paint a representative picture of what poetry should reflect mostly in the present unique circumstances of the world. It deals with critical global issues and draws heavily from the colour reflection of our present society. I have also carved a niche for myself in Healing Poetry and it is yielding amazing results. My poetry revisits the past, the present and the future to fashion out a just path of introspective in order to forestall any silly and ugly human recurrence of woes. I want my poetry to be a reviewer of mores, to proffer solutions through witty tasselled verses purged in the crucible of conscience through iconoclastic lens of unbiased aesthetics. My poetry will live in the heart of humanity. I have already started seeing encouraging results.
4. How has living in Nigeria affected your view of your homeland?
Yes, that is a very interesting question. My living in Nigeria has greatly affected my view of my homeland in many diverse ways.
I was born and bred in Ghana but was educated in Ghana and Nigeria, and so I guess I have an ample basis for comparisons to assess my candid view of my homeland. Presently, most Nigerians have a lot of admiration for Ghana’s steady economic, social and academic progress. Nigerians are now always berating their country and comparing it to Ghana, which they treat in glowing terms. “Oh just look at the wonderful works that small Ghana is doing politically.” They are agitating for Nigeria authorities to learn a lot of lessons from the Ghanaian electoral process. Nigerians are relocating to Ghana on a daily basis. What they say lures them to Ghana, among other things, are political stability, safety of life and property, good governance, uninterrupted power supply, investment friendly economy and the hospitality and friendliness of Ghanaians. There is a shopping bag here in Nigeria they used to call “Ghana Must Go” which was apparently coined during the mass deportation of foreigners from Nigeria. But nowadays, I hear some Nigerians calling it “Ghana Must Stay”! When I hear foreigners speak of Ghana in pleasant terms like this, it makes me very proud and it evokes much deeper patriotism in me for my homeland.
That is why I feel very bad when I read the bad articles some of our own Ghanaians are writing on the internet about unjustified and less constructive criticism aimed at generating hateful tribal sentiments and political brouhaha. There should be no such thing as power politics and power blocs in the Ghanaian polity, but unfortunately, that is what I see every day. When you see others seeing your own homeland in such positive lights you would certainly know better how to direct your vituperations constructively and find more progressive avenues to show your genuine patriotism. That is what I like about One Ghana, One Voice and what motivated me to join you brilliant chaps.
The blend of elements of Ghana and Nigeria in me was at first seen in a steady flow of both internal and external conflicts. I stubbornly refused to compromise my “Ghanaian Queens English” to speak Nigerian English. Everywhere I go, once I open my mouth to speak all heads would turn in my direction with unconcealed admiration. “Are you a Ghanaian?” My answer is naturally always “Yes, I am.” When I speak, I hear Nigerians say, “Phone!”, pronounced “Fonne”, from the stub of phone-tics. But when I realized that the English language itself is like an orange and the various regional dialects are the different strands of the same whole, I no longer bother that much and now consider it as a means to be heard and understood in a borrowed language. In a diglossia language contact situation we see regionalism in British English, American English, Ghanaian English, Nigeria English, Irish English, Scottish English, Indian English, Singaporean, Jamaican etc. But I tell you, we are all one, and our uniqueness lies not in our disparity but in our unity in diversity.
5. Could you tell us more about the Abuja Literary Society? What influence has being a member had on your life and writing?
Indeed Nigeria has a very long historical list of talented literary brains. Starting from the old school African Writers’ Series publication editor Chinua Achebe, we know how many Nigerian writers who have contributed to immensely to African literature. There is still a very vibrant breed of new generation writers sprouting everywhere in Nigeria. I joined the Abuja Literary Society (ALS) in 2006. The ALS is the brainchild of some a very brilliant Nigerian literary artists. There is no how my joining this group of talented writers would not influence my life and my writing. My first degree in the University of Lagos was English but apart from my academic knowledge, my joining the ALS has greatly enriched my writing and general perception of creative writing in general. It is even more interesting to know that ALS has started plans to form a Ghanaian version of ALS right here in Accra to be called Accra Literary Society Ghana Chapter. It is very funny to notice the coincidence in the similarity of the acronym, ALS. Mr. Victor Anoluefo (the Quill Master), who is also a personal friend of mine told me this when he found out I am a Ghanaian. He is a very versatile individual.
The ALS was formed in August 1999 by Victor Anoluefo (the Quill Master), Ken Ike-Okere (Slam Master) and Dr. Ike Anya (now based in Lagos). It is a forum whereby those with creative talents come together to express their creativity. From one reading in a month, the Abuja Literary Society engages in six readings a month. Ordinarily, it was an open-microphone reading, but now they have diversified into different readings. Among others, the third Friday of every month is dedicated to short stories and the first Saturday of the month is dedicated to its Book Club. It has a host of activities that include Abuja poetry slam, lectures on various topics delivered by well resourced persons, and reading sessions. After each reading, the writers would discuss the suitability or otherwise of the writer’s themes, diction, mechanical accuracy, form, imagery and other literary technique. In most cases, the authors accepted the criticisms in good fate. Certainly the impact of the critical reading no doubt has a very positive impact on the writing of members who have read their works. The association lives up to its responsibility to generate and sustain literary culture in Abuja. ALS and other writers' associations like the Abuja chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) are rapidly shaping Abuja into a global creative city.
My joining ALS has greatly influenced if not my writing then my general perception of art in general.
Contact Dela:
delab(at)mtnnigeria.net
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1:03
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One Ghana, One Voice
It shivers and shakes
quivers and quakes
squeaking, creaking, shrieking.
It tumbles and rumbles,
albeit mumbles and grumbles
from passengers on thistles and brambles
with whose lives it gambles.
Going on safari,
short cut through an alley –
it takes them on a Dakar Rally.
Driver and mate
are subject to hate;
“We are late!”
is the ubiquitous state.
The mate, short of change
precariously balanced, dangling strange
engages in heated verbal exchange
with tempers rising in range.
At each stop
bodies flip-flop like hip-hop,
weary waiters wallop
to join jiggly jalopy’s lop.
Clothed in pealing paint and rust
seats coated with dust
serrated sills slicing soft skins
ripping clothes off in ribbons.
Clad on its back, spread
‘The Lord is my Shepherd’
or other words of faith to be read
by fellows with little sense in the head.
Prayers silently sail against a breakdown
right in the middle of town,
engaging demons in divine duel
lest there is sudden shortage of fuel.
Clutching valuables from that thief
nearing home, they sigh in relief
intending to make the exit brief,
shout with passion and strong belief
Bus stop!
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1:02
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One Ghana, One Voice
Biography:
Kwadwo Kwarteng is a young contemporary Ghanaian writer who thinks of poetry as a masterpiece of knowledge painted in different shades of words on a canvas.
He is resident in Ghana and currently works with THE MBAASEM FOUNDATION which seeks to raise awareness on women's issues and support women writers.
Five Questions with Kwadwo Kwarteng:
1. You have a sharp sense of rhythm and rhyme. How did you develop this? Did you read particular poets who inspired you in this regard?
I can't account for my sense of rhythm and rhyme. None of my favourite poets uses this style of writing. Sometimes, I find the words; other times the words find me.
2. Do you read your poems out loud as you edit them? If so, how do you think that affects their development?
No, I don't read my poems out loud as I edit them. I only read them out loud when they're done. What helps me to develop my poems is the rhythm in my typing. I prefer to type my poems straight from my mind to my PC using a word-processor. That way, I see it as it takes form and edit it to my style.
3. Similarly, do you intend for your poems, primarily, to be read on the page, or to be performed?
I leave my poems to my readers to decide how they inteprete it, feel it and relate to it.
4. You definitely sound like a TRƆTRƆ veteran. Do you have any good stories from your travels?
Now that's a good question. One I'd like to share... It happened on my way to the office one Saturday. I had to take two different TRƆTRƆs to get to work (hectic, but necessary). As I got to my final stop and prepared to alight, I felt a sudden tug on my shirt and a shredding sound. No one had to tell me what had happened. In reflex action, I froze and slowly shrank back to my seat. Then I turned to see how bad the damage was. The lower end of the back of my shirt was caught in one of the hinges of the seat (the one closest to the door in front of the mate, if you know the sitting arrangement of Benz 207 TRƆTRƆs). I quietly unhooked what was left of it from the seat and alighted without saying a word. I haven't been able to wear that shirt since.
5. Do you have any new poems or projects that you are working on which our readers may be interested in?
I write as I have new experiences and am inspired by them, so there will be more where that came from.
Contact Kwadwo:
kwadwokwarteng(at)gmail.com
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1:15
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One Ghana, One Voice
In the friendly dark, I wheel
as a bird checks in flight
to glide down streams
and planes of slanting air
so I turn, worn by work
and the dull teeth of care
to find your face, your throat
and the soft dark of your hair;
flesh lies snugged in sheets
the brain, wrapped close in folds
of the still-blanketing night,
awaits the easy balm of dreams,
but my heart soars and wheels
hurtling through the friendly dark
to find your mouth and your heart
and nest quietly there.
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1:14
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One Ghana, One Voice
On December 26th of last year the great South African poet, activist and former political prisoner, Dennis Brutus, died. He was 85. We decided to dedicate a week to his memory. What follows is not a biography or obituary (that can be read
here), but instead the personal responses of two of our regular contributors,
Jabulani Mzinyathi and
Prince Mensah, to the news of Brutus' passing.
Jabulani Mzinyathi's Tribute:
in one of my poems, 'erasing my memories', i wrote as follows:
how can i forget dennis brutus
choose to forget ruth first
choose to forget umkhonto we sizwe
separate me from that struggle
that african struggle for freedom
i was trying to show that there are many heroes of the bigger african struggle. dennis brutus was one of them. i remember meeting him at the zimbabwe international book fair in harare way back in 1993. i had as usual attended the z.i.b.f in order to meet my kith and kin in the writing fraternity.
it was great to meet the grizzled poet. i did not unfortunately have an opportunity to sit down and talk at length with this hero! it was however quite inspiring to meet a great poet in person and hear him speak with a certain directness and simplicity. i detected a streak of humility in him.
i am the least qualified to sing praises to this anti-apartheid activist but let me share with the readers one of his poems which is in the book fair book in a day. this book was published on 6 august 1993 by the z.i.b.f trust.
the poem quoted in extenso reads:
See the garbage heaps of our time
are corpses:
the bodies will be buried
by bulldozers pushing mounds
of bank notes:
Greed pollutes our planet.
Corruption extirpates
our humanity.
if this does not sum up our general state of affairs in very simple terms then i do not know what will. in these few lines there really is the expression of profound thoughts by a poet with a prophetic vision. readers be the judges!
in closing, it is only befitting to send off a poet with a poem:
in the beginning was the word
in the end will be the word
for you used words to confront
confronting the truncheons
confronting the racist jack boots
for yous was righteous indignation
posterity will treasure the words
the struggle is not yet over
'greed pollutes our planet'
there are the old and new foes
your words will be our compass
did you leave poetic attacks on xenophobia
the reversal of the gains of struggle
you must have shed a tear or two
somewhere on the pages must be the tear drops
the activist in you did not die
the activist in you secured immortality
Prince Mensah's Tribute:
To Dennis Brutus
The one who stabbed caesars of apartheid
With words sharper than swords, is dead –
This prison could hold him no more –
No longer shall sorrow rule.
Yes! Yes, the minions of myopia tried
Filling us with death and dread
But we did not obey their crazy law –
They forced us to lose our cool!
We rose because we got sick and tired,
We faced the guns we once feared –
The anger was real, the poetry was raw,
It took the goons back to school –
Back to the college of common conscience,
To the fact that oppression cannot win
Where the love of justice is the ambiance
Of our heart and soul, of our will and being.
O’ Brutus! Not the one who killed Caesar
But the one who seized senseless
Institutionalized racism in
Our own land South Africa
By the horns and said, Enough!
O’ Dennis, we have called but no answer
Has come from your once-restless
Hands or the defiance that drove us to win,
To rise and heal the canker,
To prevail against the tough
Intransigence of the brute abuser –
Praises for you are endless,
Our gratitude is in the dance and din
You hear as winds speak waka
In the land of sacred stuff
Where you are now an honored citizen,
Where no one riles at you because of race
And the many things on the horizon
Are colors of a world we all embrace.
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23:09
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One Ghana, One Voice
Per
OGOV tradition, a new year means a new template. We hope you enjoy it, and if not, don't worry: it will be replaced in 12 months!
Thanks to
Mariska Taylor-Darko (pictured here) for providing the header photo (more of Mariska's photos and poems can be seen on
her blog). If you'd like to submit photos for consideration for next year's header, please check our
Submissions Guidelines.
Here's to a great 2010!
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8:36
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One Ghana, One Voice
Happy New Year, all!
2009 was another successful year for One Ghana, One Voice. We published 52 issues, featuring 56 poems by 31 poets from Ghana and around the world. In addition, we ran three
Special Series and a Roundtable Discussion entitled "
What makes good poetry and who decides it?".
Our readership grew steadily in 2009 and contributions via our comment sections more than doubled, from 225 comments in 2008 to 508 in 2009. We also added the "Followers" system in the sidebar, allowing readers to subscribe to our weekly postings (as well as show that they are fans). We started with a handful of participants and have ended the year with 68 "Followers" - not too shabby!
For a further review of OGOV's news for 2010, check out our
News and Notices page.
Ok, enough preamble: here are the results of your voting for favourite poems of the year! Here's hoping 2010 yields as bountiful a harvest:
Readers' Picks:
Apology to Witches by
Darko Antwi (Issue 3.41, October 10th - 16th, 2009)
Comments on Apology to Witches:
"I chose this poem because it holds a stock of lesson for every African to read. Many times we have lashed out at Europeans for being the sources of our woes. Though they can't be left out entirely, much havoc have caused by we ourselves and the writer explicitly reveals that. He pinpoints some instances where societies have come in to decide the fate of African and makes it quite satirical, compelling readers to reorganise their thoughts and assess themselves before the cast the first stone.
In a nut shell, I chose this poem because it's not meant for relaxation, but instead is meant to cause to people to change their ways in order to see the change that they long been looking for." - Adjei Agyei-Baah
"A critic and a constant on OGOV, Darko has almost single-handedly resurrected the power of analysis on OGOV. With this poem, he goes straight into the issue of projection, of blaming others for the consequences of our actions. Darko fearlessly presents the subject with the splendid couplet:
Nobody did us
We did ourselves" - Prince Mensah
Savannah Rain, West Africa by
Daniela Elza (Issue 3.6, February 7th - 13th, 2009)
Comments on Savannah Rain, West Africa:
"Cinematic. Great pacing. Carries itself in 11 couplets, until the very last line. Harnesses the suddenness of a tropical storm, then slows it down so the reader can experience it as if through a stop-motion lens. It is about the Savannah's most precious and treasured element - water - and how its action shapes everything else." - L.S. Mensah
"Brilliant. Brilliant. And I want to say this again." - Martin Egblewogbe
For my Husband, an Educated Fool by
Nana Yeboaa (Issue 3.23, June 6th - 12th, 2009)
Comments on For my Husband, an Educated Fool:
"Nana Yeboaa just said what so many women would like to say but can't... " - Mariska Taylor-Darko
"I like this poem because it channels the frustrations of women who are caught up in the constant redefinitions of love within and outside a race. It is about the travails in the exposure of familiarity to a terrain of new options. There is a theme akin to the central one in "Things Fall Apart" - the center cannot hold because a new reality has risen on horizons of heritage." - Prince Mensah
Zimbabwe by
Prince Mensah (Issue 3.44, October 31st - November 6th, 2009)
Comments on Zimbabwe:
""Zimbabwe" is a beautifully crafted poem in which Prince explores the ideas of place-naming, identity, and boundaries. He does this with a melodic voice, carrying the reader through the politics of Zimbabwe with seeming effortlessness." - Marta Taylor
"The struggle continues, a bold moving poem Prince." - Ivor W. Hartmann
Staff Picks:
Why Birds Sing by
L.S. Mensah (Issue 3.37, September 12 - 18th, 2009)
Comments on Why Birds Sing:
"L.S. is a treasure. She writes with such probing ability that just one read of her poem is an injustice to the love of poetry. She commands attention from her readers with her style and manages to present language in a bouquet of beautiful images - here's a prophecy: L S will become one of Ghana's top poets. Mark this on the wall." - Prince Mensah
""Why Birds Sing" is my favourite poem published on OGOV in 2009. L.S. Mensah's attention to form and to sound is admirable. Like Edith Faalong in 2008, L.S. has arrived in full form. We can only hope that 2010 will bring us new poets of similar talent - and of course more work from L.S.!" - Rob Taylor
Pantoum #4 by
Van G. Garrett / Fui Koshi (Issue 3.35, September 1st - 4th, 2009)
Comment on Pantoum #4:
""Pantoum #4" is from Van's "Snaps of Ghana" series, which ran on OGOV throughout August and into early September. "Snaps of Ghana", featuring Van's photographs and poems from his travels throughout Ghana, was the first time we focused an entire month on the work of one poet, and was a great success. With or without the rest of the series for support, "Pantoum #4" is a strong poem, utilizing its form to reinforce its themes of relaxation and contemplation." - Rob Taylor
Interregnum by
L.S. Mensah (Issue 3.45, November 7th - 13th, 2009)
Comment on Interregnum:
"What an apt poem! The beauty of being is on display in this poem. This is juxtaposed with the bleak sense of emptiness with laughter-morsels with Brother Silence. L.S. Mensah just gave Zimbabweans a gift, a still picture of existence, a reportage on reality. This poem showcases a poet who is observant of the past, present and future in a single passing moment." - Prince Mensah
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One Ghana, One Voice
Remember to get your votes in for your favourite OGOV poem of 2009! Votes need to be in by end-of-day Friday. All the details can be found
here.
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One Ghana, One Voice
O’ little town of Bethlehem where
Black and white and brown live -
Above is the star that draws best minds
From east, west, south and north –
They come to see the infant-king,
To bring him gifts and take back home
Stories of divine epiphany –
But I, on anachronistic plane, leave
Here to there, to witness, to receive
At first-hand, news from shepherds
Still dazed from seeing angels –
They run into town, like their herds,
Shouting loudly, ringing bells,
Announcing mysteries about a Messiah -
I see Black Madonna and
Ebony Jesus – not the Mary and Jesus
In overhyped Hollywood movies,
Not the Scofield-inspired baby
Or the Caucasianized infant –
This is a baby whose ancestresses were
Ruth from Moab and Rahab
Of Jericho – so in Jim Crow terms,
A drop of black blood makes
A person black before the law……
So Jesus was a black boy who grew into
Jesus the black man.
I see Him running through streets
Of Aswan, by burned-down libraries
Of Alexandria with black and brown
Friends from Ghanayem –
Living as Egyptian as he could be.
Wise beyond His years, Son of God, Son
Of Man, living under death threats
From kings, this Jesus knew how to live
In a classist, racist, schist world
Of man-made rules and regulations ….
He came to earth to turn it into
A place fit for a real man –
For reality is not what make-believe is -
Not Santa Claus or his green elves,
Not lights, light music and laughter –
But in the way each person receives
Another, the manner one serves
One’s purposes and the factor
That joy is not exclusive to a group of people –
Since the twenty-fifth is not the only purple
Day in cold December,
Remember -
If Jesus was not black, how could he blend in
With children of black Egypt?
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One Ghana, One Voice
Biography:
Born in Ghana, Prince Mensah has twenty-five stage plays to his credit. Some of them have been acted at the Accra Arts Center and at several locations in Accra. His articles and stories have been published in the STEP magazine, P & P, Ghanadot.com and The Free Press. His poetry has been published in the Munyori Journal, UNESCO's Other Voices International Project, The Muse Literary Magazine and the Dublin Writer's Workshop.
Prince Mensah has published seventeen books of poetry. They are Memoirs of A Native Son, I Shall, I Will, I Can (Poetry Inspired by Barack Obama), Afrocentric, ecclesiastes, State of An Abstract Mind, The Griot Metropolitan, The Land of Broken Mirrors, Coronation, Enough is Enough, World War-Free, in praise of the calabash, Prophylaxis, Via Dolorosa, Tabula Rasa, Eclectic, Situational Hazard and Chronology.
Prince is a Consultant in Workplace Mediation, an HIV/AID Treatment Advocate and an Eligible Translator/Interpreter in Twi & Fante for the Judicial Consortium of 40 American States. He lives in the United States with his wife, Charisse.
Prince is an Associate Editor for One Ghana, One Voice.
Contact Prince:
Email: pryncemensah(at)yahoo.com
Website: [www.freewebs.com]
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /siphoning our raw materials stillbr /while in abject poverty we wallowbr /taking away our gold, diamonds and platinumbr /while we adorn our bodies with fake jewellerybr / br /propagating their anglophone ideasbr /spreading their francophone thinkingbr /somewhere lusophone ideas held supremebr /african philosophies on the dung heapbr / br /the poisoned and stunted present cropbr /choosing to forget marcus mosiah garveybr /choosing to forget kwame nkrumahbr /choosing to remove reggae from airwavesbr / br /that dream should now bear fruitbr /these chasms have to be bridgedbr /the senseless bickering should now endbr /africa with mud and spittle get your sight/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-6300078481940811675?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquotea onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SMwOolOohII/AAAAAAAAAkM/7CscDv7hYF0/s1600-h/jb_mag.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SMwOolOohII/AAAAAAAAAkM/7CscDv7hYF0/s200/jb_mag.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245583756330828930" //aJabulani Mzinyathi was born in 1965 in Ascot, Gweru, Zimbabwe. He calls himself a poet-prophet-philosopher. His pan-African ideals and the teachings of Rastafari greatly inspire him. He is also driven by an immense sense of justice.br /br /His works have been published in numerous magazines in Zimbabwe and elsewhere. You may read his works at: a href="http://jabulanimzinyathi.blogspot.com" target="_blank"http://jabulanimzinyathi.blogspot.com/a./blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with Jabulani Mzinyathi:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. How can we ensure that African philosophies are returned from the "dung heap"? Can poetry help? If so, how?br /br /emafrican philosophies have to be returned from the 'dung heap' by africans. in essence i am echoing what bob marley said in one of his timeless songs. he says 'emancipate yourselves from mental slavery none but ourselves can free our minds.' we africans should dispel myths about us. our stories should be told everywhere including the internet. we are low on pride! it is about time we sing our own songs. we do not to continually say according to Plato when we can say according to our elders. wise sayings in africa were not attributed to individuals but elders. the rest of the world must learn this!br /br /poetry can help indeed. there we should capture our past, present and future. poetry has always been a vehicle to pass on messages to the present and the future too.it is for this reason that this poem talks of some great africans. our people will be jolted to sit up and take note of where we have been and where we want to be. there are lots of our unsung heroes while we hold in high esteem david 'deadstone' [livingstone] and others who discovered what we already knew./embr /br /br /2. Do you write primarily for your poems to be read on the page or aloud?br /br /emwhen the word is on the page i call it 'dead on the page' i however write poetry for performance and also for the solitary reader in the comfort of his home or while on a bus or train journey./embr /br /br /3. When you write, who is the primary audience you are considering? Zimbabweans? Africans? Anyone?br /br /emi am a zimbabwean, an african and also a world citizen! i write for anyone. i however have a background that i cannot easily escape. my ultimate goal though is to communicate with the world.what a lofty ideal! if i reach out and touch the world i will have achieved my ultimate goal. as human beings we have lots of shared experiences whether we are yellow, brown, black or white or whatever we call ourselves./embr /br /br /4. Why do you choose to write all in lower case letters?br /br /emi write in lower case and not capital letters. ah, i am not a capitalist so i cannot use capital letters! i use lower case letters in order to shatter conventions. i am a rebel!/embr /br /br /5. Are you currently working on any poems or projects that our readers might be interested in?br /br /emof course my spirit is indefatigable. i am like a beast of burden. i am working on a collection entitled emyearning voices/em. i also am still posting some works on my blogspot: a href="http://jabulanimzinyathi.blogspot.com" target="_blank"jabulanimzinyathi.blogspot.com/a. there are other works available on the internet. readers can simply enter "jabulani mzinyathi" and do a web search. i have been working now for some time on some prose pieces entitled 'turning point.'/em/blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact Jabulani:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;"jmzinyathi1(at)yahoo.co.uk/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-1633186839170756980?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /I wish I could write better than this.br /I wish I could write poetrybr /that sounds like a lullaby,br /a sweet, sweet soothing melodybr /that will make all ears smile br /for a while and say, br /in their minds, br /"This beats all by a mile."br /br /I wish I could write better than this. br /I wish I could use a poetry tool, br /make it so coolbr /that no ears "boo."br /br /I wish I could write a lyric,br /a narrative or drama,br /I wish I could communicate my feelingsbr /of love, grief, happiness and despairbr /in my poetry so jaws will drop.br /br /Oh God!br /br /I wish I could use connotative words, br /I wish I could use words beyond their denotations,br /like “A flower represents delicacy,”br /“Starry skies suggest something which has to look up.” br /br /I wish I could write better than this.br /I wish I could write a line as sweet as the taste of wine.br /I wish I could write a stanza that will make me feel like I have won a bonanza.br /A stanza that would turn ‘less’ into ‘more’ and still be concise. br /I wish I could write a rhyme that flows as nice as a fountain. br /br /That will be so nice readers would read br /and loose track of time br /a rhyme with all its repetition like:br /“I have written a lyric br /I leave it to the critics br /to critique br /and make the lyricbr /one to mimic.” br /br /I wish I could use a simile better thanbr /“blood dripped heavily down his headbr /as a rose petal that withered”br /I wish I could use a personification better thanbr /“rough wind, that moans loud, br /grief too sad for song.”br /br /I wish I could use a symbol to represent something other than itself,br /like “The Phoenix and its life cycle represents the ups and downs in human life”br /Oh how I would love to write an excellent poem.br /I want write a poem better than that./blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-8222367246502042674?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquotea href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SlBIrevwGzI/AAAAAAAABHA/Dktu_A7aRJ8/s1600-h/georgoe1.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 168px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SlBIrevwGzI/AAAAAAAABHA/Dktu_A7aRJ8/s200/georgoe1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354859868768443186" //aGeorge lives in Accra, and is a graduate of the University of Ghana with a BA(Maths/Economics). He is currently working with one of the Government Agencies in Ghana, and is pursuing a Master's degree in International Development Policy. He reads and sometimes does some writing during his free periods./blockquotebr /br /br /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with George Amoah:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. How long have you been writing poetry?br /br /It's been a hobby since secondary school but I took it seriously, so to speak, at university, even though it was not something public.br /br /br /2. Who are your favourite poets? Which poets have most inspired and informed your writing?br /br /I wish I could mention a name but the truth is I love good poetry especially from Ghanaians and Africans (Nigerians mostly) and some Western poetry, too.br /br /br /3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?br /br /To help inspire and also help propagate the art of poetry. Also to in my own way help people realise themselves through my poetry.br /br /br /4. "Woes of a Poet" references the phoenix, the central image of your last poem featured on emOne Ghana, One Voice/em, "a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/2009/07/phoenix-george-amoah.html"The Phoenix/a," which produced a good deal of discussion. Was "Woes of a Poet" written in response to that experience?br /br /No, I actually wrote it before my first poem was published, but what I noticed about poets, and myself as a person, is that we always want to be perfect in whatever we do and so worry a lot about what we do. So even though its particular, once again like my first poem its reality is in everyday life.br /br /br /5. How important are outside editors, critics, etc. to the development of your writing?br /br /You have no idea how much I cherish editors, critics, etc. because without them no one can ever be a better person./blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact George:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;"papadexte(at)yahoo.com/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-2650231356706198632?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
We aren't providing a new poem this week. Instead, we hope that you will review a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/2007/03/archives.html"our archives/a and vote for your favourite poem of 2009! Whether you are an active contributor or occasional reader of OGOV, we'd like to hear from you!br /br /Please take a look through a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/2007/03/archives.html"our archives/a and send your vote, along with a short message about why the poem is your pick, to span style="font-style:italic;"oneghanaonevoice(at)gmail.com/span, subject line: Favourite Poem 2009. br /br /Want to lobby for a poem? Feel free to use the comment section below this post. But be sure to vote via email as well, as only those votes will be tallied!br /br /The deadline for votes is January 1st, 2009. Results will be posted on January 2nd, 2010.br /br /You can review the last two years' winners a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/search/label/Poems%20of%20the%20Year"here/a.br /br /br /p.s. Poems posted throughout December will be up for consideration as well - if something great comes out after you've already voted, we'll allow you to revote.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-5896451268986082145?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'pobject height='350' width='425'param value='http://youtube.com/v/zEGshiNX4Jk' name='movie'/embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/zEGshiNX4Jk'//object/p/div/embedblockquotebr /Still inside the station waiting on the freedom trainbr /Its inspector came to check on our tickets if we had paidbr /Finally my people shall be home amongst their relatives and peersbr /They could hardly wait to see the city’s horizon slowly disappear into the distancebr /It was one train with many classes the luxurious was the first,br /Then came the middle class citizens and then the economy- that is the worstbr /Not because of its occupants but mainly their conditionsbr /Where they were packed like animals, sweating like the steam engines!br /“All aboard!” that was freedoms last callbr /The destination was democracy, equality for all, but a fewbr /The few being the masses in the lastbr /That were disposable to benefit the upper classbr /“Tickets! Tickets please! Amai you did not pay!br /Do you think you are going to get a free ride on the freedom train?”br /He can clearly see she is sick and in need of urgent assistancebr /“Amai, I am not a doctor, all I want from you is your ticket!’br /So another passenger dies for she could not affordbr /The medication for her ailments, so she succumbed to her soresbr /Across the masses gathered was a hovering of painbr /Another one of us departed from the freedom trainbr /Mountains rolled and valleys passed the few that had the viewbr /Aboard this runaway train of passengers without a crew, but the inspectorbr /They huddled praying justice would prevailbr /But lived within the laws of physics, so they were destined to derailbr /A pregnant mother squirmed as her water broke in panickbr /Hope was her unborn daughter but her birth was none but tragicbr /She only saw the light of day minutes before the crashbr /Sucked back into a darkness with radiance everlastingbr /Everyday the death toll rises from the freedom trains wreckagebr /That never saw democracy but destined us to heavenbr /Through a passage of pain and tribulation attachedbr /That only seems to affect those of us stuck in economy classbr /If only the inspector started checking on the driversbr /There wouldn’t be this ugly scene of checking on survivorsbr /18 April 1980 was the day we left the stationbr /Aboard the freedom train, but still haven’t reached our destinationbr /… Freedom!/blockquotebr /br /br /span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"span style="font-size:85%;""Freedom Train" is part five of our five-part series of poems by Ghanaians on Zimbabwe (though this one is by a Zimbabwean!). To read previous contributions, click a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/search/label/Zimbabwe%20Series"here/a./span /spandiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-4269728150545498607?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquotea href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SxDsg6zqp9I/AAAAAAAABZg/qvCM3-2Ksc8/s1600/IMG_1742.JPG"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SxDsg6zqp9I/AAAAAAAABZg/qvCM3-2Ksc8/s200/IMG_1742.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409083202757896146" //aOutspoken is an underground emcee and spoken-word artist from Zimbabwe. He is one half of the hip-hop duo emDialectric Blue /emwith rhyme partner Upmost a.k.a my bruthaz keepa. Known as Outspoken Alpha Intellect (pronounced Eye-ntellect) he is an activist in social movements advocating for the empowerment of the masses. He is also the front runner to the band emOutspoken and the Essence/em.br /br /He has shared stages with greats such as Pops Mohammed, Kwani Experiance, Likwid Flo, Tamika Harper (Georgia me), Imani Woomera, Comrade Fatso and Chabvondoka, Cajus, Bianca Williams, Kabomo, and Soul Dada, just to name a few! Outspoken has toured South Africa and the east coast of the United States. 2009 saw him and his band traveling to Swaziland to perform at emThe Bush Fire Festival/em and most recently to Durban as the closing act of the emPoetry Africa /emfestival finale. /blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with Outspoken:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. How long have you been writing poetry? br /br /emI can say that I started writing when I was still in junior school, but actually started performing poetry professionally in 2003/4./embr /br /br /2. Who are your favorite poets? Which poets have most informed and inspired your work? br /br /emTo be honest with you, I started writing as a form of protesting the education system that force fed us information that we didn't want to know and even graded and segregated us through that system. My inspiration then spawned from the downtrodden and oppressed, it was and is influenced by the everyday struggle that we have to face, not by beautiful words or good English. If anything, it is a protest against "the norm" and the trendy. I chose not to read and retrace the footsteps of other poets and rather walk my own. If these paths meet, then I have reason to believe that the many different journeys were inspired to one destination. I do however spend time with great poets by the names of a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chirikure_Chirikure" target="_blank"Chirikure Chirikure/a and a href="http://international.poetryinternationalweb.org/piw_cms/cms/cms_module/index.php?obj_id=5758" target="_blank"Julius Chingono/a, and most of my friends are into creative writing!/embr /br /br /3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?br /br /emWhen I started writing I had no agenda, and to date hold no agenda except to ignite discussion or debate upon relevant issues, showing how another point of view exists! I seek for the future and the present to realise that life is not to be dictated by Hollywood blockbusters, magazine pictures and tel-lie-vision programming! If anything it should serve as brain-cleansing to our current state of brainwashing./embr /br /br /4. Do you see hope of the Freedom Train arriving at the station any time soon?br /br /emI don't know why we went on board the Freedom Train to begin with, given how it was known to operate in other countries! Looking at how it is running in South Africa at the moment, one sees the truth of the illusion which is their current state of democracy. The problem with train rides is that they are not to flexible when it comes to direction! Either you are coming or going, but you are stuck on the same tracks, forced to submit to the classes that you can afford, economy class being the most over populated and over burdened while also being the constant that keeps the train running since its always guaranteed to be packed. Another very sad reality is that the station hasn't even been built! Looking at our templates for democracy and freedom anywhere and everywhere on this earth. America to Zimbabwe, it is a situation of politicians taking the peoples power and profiteering from it. We are all gagged, it is only a scenario of who is more gagged than the other, our situation is better than most countries because our oppression is so apparent that you are aware of it. Those that live in the McDonald's illusion and coca-killer reality have a lot to learn about what oppression really is. /embr /br /br /5. Do you think that poetry and spoken word can help speed the arrival of the Freedom Train? If so, how?br /br /emYes, awareness. Once you are aware you are able to act, in fact you have the choice to act or not, given you situation. It is through your brain registering a sharp pain from your thigh that you can act on the ant that has taken your flesh as its breakfast. First there was the word, now it is on those that choose to act upon it to shape and reshape their existence, not to have a freedom that imposes or infringes upon another, but one that works in a beautiful symbiosis with all attached to it. We all want freedom, but at this point in life we also have to ask this very vital question. "what makes me deserve my freedom?". Let's look outside of the freedom train because lest we forget, it is just a mobile prison until you reach your destination... if you reach your destination./embr //blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact Outspoken:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;"alphaintellect(at)gmail.com/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-7801066581708634860?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /Nobody dies at Zimbabwe baybr /so if we have come here in Bulawayobr /through a travel bookbr /I have nothing to complainbr /when Marechera's black insider housebr /is nearer to us than before,br /let these children sing baobob booksbr /and no night is sweeter than on harmonica,br /your Rhodesia is your end, for another housebr /of hungerbr /you laugh.br /br /Too late for the setting of the sun and the rollingbr /of the worldbr /black daphnes are exhibited in hangingbr /pictures across many galleriesbr /for low voices bubbling below the back stagebr /and lengthening the shore of Africa,br /your seaward silence becomes my Greek standbr /in Mandelbrot's fractal dimension. br //blockquotebr /br /br /span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"span style="font-size:85%;""To my Zimbawean friend" is part four of our five-part series of poems by Ghanaians on Zimbabwe. To read all contributions to the series so far, click a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/search/label/Zimbabwe%20Series"here/a./span /spandiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-3190120535889820202?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquotea href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Swc0cyaESNI/AAAAAAAABZY/yexnE9kpE6U/s1600/pic4.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 188px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Swc0cyaESNI/AAAAAAAABZY/yexnE9kpE6U/s200/pic4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406347546853656786" //a Jacob Kobina Ayiah Mensah has spent most of his adult life at Winneba. He was for a short time an assistant editor of a daily newspaper, and has been a long time mathematics and science teacher. He has practised poetry and art his entire life. His poetry has been accepted and appeared in international literary magazines and journals in Australia, UK, Scotland, Japan, and other countries. He is currently the editor of a weekly newspaper, emFocusview/em, which has a poetry page to promote traditional, modern, and contemporary poetry writing, reading and performing in Ghana./blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with Jacob:/spanbr /br /blockquotebr /1. How long have you been writing poetry?br /br /emI have been writing poetry for the past 19 years./embr /br /br /2. Who are your favorite poets? Which poets have most informed and inspired your work?br /br /emMy favorite poets are a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Donne" target="_Blank"John Donne/a, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Browning" target="_blank"Robert Browning/a, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Carlos_Williams" target="_blank"William Carlos Williams/a, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ee_cummings" target="_blank"e.e. cummings/a, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_O%27Hara" target="_blank"Frank O'Hara/a, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Brodsky" target="_blank"Joseph Brodsky/a, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Brutus" target="_blank"Dennis Brutus/a, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taban_Lo_Liyong" target="_blank"Taban Lo Liyong/a, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syl_Cheney-Coker" target="_blank"Syl Cheney-Coker/a... and recently, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobayashi_Issa" target="_blank"Issa/a, and a href="http://www.worldhaiku.net/poetry/jp/b.natsuishi.htm" target="_blank"Ban'ya Natsuishi/a. All of them have informed and inspired my work through their individualism and bringing poetry to the most art form./embr /br /br /3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?br /br /emTo perform with Native Americans, Australian Aborigines, and Romas./embr /br /br /4. Growing up, what was your vision of Zimbabwe?br /br /emZimbabwe was and is still a beautiful country filled with vibrant writers who hold the tension, hold the energy./embr /br /br /5. What is your vision of Zimbabwe now? Has it changed from your vision growing up? If so, how?br /br /emZimbabwe has a future because Zimbabweans have willpower, the beauty and truth, needed to live full life. The writers, including a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Mungoshi" target="_blank"Charles Mungoshi/a (I love his short stories collection,/em The Setting Sun and the Rolling of the Worldem) Solomon Mutswairo, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chirikure_Chirikure" target="_blank"Chirikure Chirikure/a, and others the forefront who candle the country's aspiration. Even the memories of a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dambudzo_Marechera" target="_blank"Dambudzo Marechera/a live on. My vision for that country is stronger and brighter than before. I have described my vision of Zimbabwe in a short poem inspired by haiku:br /br /The unbroken linebr /of shadows--br /scattered stone plants/em/blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact Jacob:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;"pveronese60(at)gmail.com/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-7823343525221513859?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /I remember when I heard it,br /When they discussed it on those talking boxes,br /When I saw it on those visual boxes.br /When it dominated the sermons,br /When even my old man said it before dying.br /They said itbr /Yes, they said it.br /That, it's happened in the east,br /In the north, south and west.br /Even when the Napoleons gathered,br /They went on and on with it.br /That he's done it there,br /And that it comes with the wind.br /And then,br /Alas, the day arrived,br /grew and retired.br /I listened, watched, waited and waited some more.br /Where was it?br /Yes, where was it?br /br /Oh I remember when they talked about Zimbabwe,br /How beautiful and prosperous an economy it wasbr /And how elections had turned it into a quagmire,br /And that it was coming Mama's way.br /But I thought elections were about ballots,br /My siblings thought so too.br /So those who played the drumsbr /Saw dancers who wanted a different tunebr /A tune so un-Zimbabwe-like./blockquotebr /br /br /span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"span style="font-size:85%;""The Wrong Dance" is part three of our five-part series of poems by Ghanaians on Zimbabwe. To read all contributions to the series so far, click a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/search/label/Zimbabwe%20Series"here/a./span /spandiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-7780988606976441990?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquotea href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Sv4LRKyFZtI/AAAAAAAABZI/h0ozx6pG6oA/s1600-h/odu.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Sv4LRKyFZtI/AAAAAAAABZI/h0ozx6pG6oA/s200/odu.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403768992471279314" //aIsaac Oduro-Kwarteng is a fresh graduate from the University of Ghana, where he pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and Economics. He enjoys writing short poems and short stories. A proud Vandal and Amanfoo, he looks forward to the time when his poetry skills would be developed to the point where he could be published. He is currently a Teaching Assistant at the Mathematics Department of the University of Ghana./blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with Isaac:/spanbr /br /blockquotebr /1. How long have you been writing poetry?br /br /emI have been writing short stories since primary school. I however started writing poems around 2002 back in Prempeh College for our magazine 'The Stool.'/embr /br /br /2. Who are your favorite poets? Which poets have most informed and inspired your work?br /br /emI have always been fascinated by a good poem. I like poems that rhyme and at the same time carry on with the main theme. I enjoy the works of a variety of poets. Interestingly, a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/2008/09/author-profile-edith-faalong.html"Edith Faalong/a, my course mate at school, has always struck me as a contemporary 'Queen Midas' of poems - everything she puts down is a masterpiece. I like the works of a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Angelou" target="_blank"Maya Angelou/a, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Carlos_Williams" target="_blank"William Carlos Williams/a and a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica_Kincaid" target="_blank"Jamaica Kincaid/a./embr /br /br /3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?br /br /emTo enlighten people, to entertain and to educate. I like to write a poem for every situation and aspect of the human life./embr /br /br /4. Growing up, what was your vision of Zimbabwe?br /br /emI am quite young and frankly speaking, Zimbabwe didn't catch my attention at a very tender age neither. But my little research about Zimbabwe showed that it was an economic force in Africa in the 1980's and 1990's, a country of a very promising future./embr /br /br /5. What is your vision of Zimbabwe now? Has it changed from your vision growing up? If so, how?br /br /emZimbabwe is a quagmire of a country now. It is a different picture of how it used to be in the recent past. It really is sad to watch what is going on in that country. It shows how political instability, the greed for political power and unwise economic decisions could plunder a rather promising economy into a bad one. It's a lesson for other African countries too./embr //blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact Isaac:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;"odu.kwat(at)yahoo.com/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-5036689801474789033?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /span style="font-size:85%;"emI knew exactly what you were going through. It's just that I didn't have the right to discuss your problems… hold on just a little bit longer now./embr /- Lucky Dube, Hold On/spanbr /br /br /In the ruins of Great Zimbabwe span style="font-size:85%;"em[1]/em/span, swallowsbr /Return with mud. Mute – they make a millionbr /Journeys to build their nests where mossesbr /Face true north. Brother Silence muzzledbr /Their tongues with mortis of rigor.br /br /Between Zambezi and Limpopo, the pastbr /And its appurtenances tattoo the plateau,br /And Great Zimbabwe hugs her granites;br /Each to the other, no need for mortar.br /See, O see how she slopes to an almost cornice,br /Apex of a gone civilization:br /br /Belligerent – solemn – stoic –br /br /Bivouacked against every minimbr /Of rain, every quaver of wind.br /Some say her tonguelessness begun,br /When strange footsteps strayed into her caves,br /Forgetting to knock. Whatever the cause,br /br /It unsettles. Who knows, who knows why the sunbr /Propagates the seer’s gaze with solar-pollen?br /The palm wine tapper's calabash is not for the juicebr /Of coconuts, nor the divining bowl for hand dipping.br /br /Even the River of Crocodiles limps with silt.br /Tell me Limpopo, how did Brother Silence castbr /His spell over your catchment? But the river elbows me:br /br /I have work to do.br /I'm only a middle-agedbr /River, shifting sandbanksbr /For my tenant sand martins.br /Inquisitor, let me pass.br /br /Who will bear the blame gourd when Greatbr /Zimbabwe is jettisoned into history’s marginalia?br /br /Perhaps a tour guide, a survivor, mightbr /Bring his charges, point where the Great Enclosure once stood,br /Where emMwari span style="font-size:85%;"[2]/span/em once spoke, before the outbreak of non-sound.br /br /Perhaps they’ll bask in the familiar comfortbr /Of old monuments; now and then catch a moment,br /Now and then, with the contrails of their breath, cup the numb quiet.br /br /Perhaps, they'll stare into its pools, as if the stare, whenbr /Stretched to the thinness of sand strafing the gutbr /Of an hourglass, might unpick some mysterium, stitchedbr /To the loin cloth of Great Zimbabwe's skeletons.br /br /O, I wonder if they’ll wonder, whether oldbr /Monuments, like words, possess their ownbr /Etymologies, which untended, shed their clarities.br /br /Let it not be said we hibernated in the baldbr /Shade of acacias, when our neighbours' fieldsbr /Caught fire, from renegade lightning storms.br /May it not be mentioned we sharedbr /Laughter-morsels with Brother Silence,br /Even as he sharpened his sicklebr /Against his brother’s windpipe.br /br /I am a stranger troubadour, from anotherbr /Corner of our savannah, who, having comebr /This far between rainbow and earth's paw,br /Disembarked my tongue.br /br /I must go now.br /The peddler of parables should notbr /Hear the bearded owl’s ululation.br /br /Let me go now.br /This is a song with many voices.br /Let someone hum the refrain.br //blockquotebr /emspan style="font-size:85%;"[1] Great Zimbabwe is a complex of Iron Age ruins of a civilisation that flourished in modern day Zimbabwe, after which the country is named. The name Zimbabwe comes variously from the Shona words: dzimba woye (venerated houses) or dzimba dza mabwe (houses of stone).br /[2] The Shona Creator God/span/embr /br /br /br /span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"span style="font-size:85%;""Interregnum" is part two of our five-part series of poems by Ghanaians on Zimbabwe. To read all contributions to the series so far, click a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/search/label/Zimbabwe%20Series"here/a./span /spandiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-131597184140672927?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquoteL. S. Mensah was born and raised in Accra, and been living in the UK for the past four years or so. Recently her work has appeared in the annual emBarnet Poetry Anthology/em./blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with L. S. Mensah:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. What inspired you to write about Zimbabwe? Was the writing of your poem a response to our submission call, or was the poem already written?br /br /emI started this in response to the submission call, though it took me time to find the hook. Since Great Zimbabwe itself has always found expression in much Zimbabwean writing, I thought I'll explore it too. /embr /br / br /2. Growing up, what was your image of Zimbabwe? Has that changed?br / br /emMy image of Zimbabwe was tied to Bob Marley's "Survival," which had songs like 'So Much Trouble in the World' 'Africa Unite', and of course 'Zimbabwe.' Even if one did not understand the songs, that iconic cover, with the red, yellow, green and black of the flags of all these African countries, conveyed the idea of a people with a common destiny. Maybe that is still true./embr /br /emIn Zimbabwe, the change started almost immediately after Independence. It was barely noticed outside of the country itself when Mugabe turned his wrath on Joshua Nkomo's base in Matabeleland, thus effectively playing tribal politics. The Revolution is truly devouring its own./embr /br / br /3. How do you think we, as outsiders, can help with the current political struggles in Zimbabwe? Should we be involved?br / br /emI don't think one's origins matter when speaking out against oppressive regimes. Just keeping the plight of ordinary Zimbabweans in the public eye is a good place to start. Somehow African governments are more careful about their reputation abroad since that's where the Aid money comes from (though not in Mugabe's case). He is doing very well impoverishing his own people while setting himself up as a victim of the West./embr /br /br /4. What impact do you think our writing about Zimbabwe can have on the current's current political/economic state, if any?br / br /emWilfred Owen had this to say: All a poet can do today is warn. That is why the true Poets must be truthful.br / br /But even Owen's assertion is only the beginning, for what kind of truth do we even begin to tell? Who decides what is truth and what isn't? Our various subjectivities will find their way into whatever it is we have to say. Still, if that generates debate, then that's good.br / br /At the very least our writing can help keep the issue alive in the public sphere. /embr /br / br /5. What lessons can Zimbabwe learn from Ghana's history? What lessons can Ghana learn from Zimbabwe?br / br /emI prefer to take the long view: Africa has always had its tyrants - right from the Pharoahs. What that says about our prospects for getting rid of the modern ones, I can't say. However, it is also important to note that they are slowly, but very slowly, beginning to disappear.br /br /Like Zimbabweans, Ghanaians have their monuments too. Still it is not enough just to mull over our sometimes rich black past. Look again at those monuments, and you begin to see the seeds of our difficult present. The reason our monuments have fallen silent is not because we fail to explore them in our writing, but that when we do, we often prefer to stick with the glory bit. br /br /I think the problem all over Africa, we tend to see our leaders, not as people we put in power, and therefore accountable to us, but as fathers of the nation. This gets worse when those leaders have come through the Independence Movement. They start to believe that their sacrifices gives them the right to rule forever.br /br /Mugabe is the classic post independence leader, and as things have become worse, he in turn, has become more brutal, just to stay in power. We know, at least in Ghana, that playing one group against another never helps anyone. There are real grievances but his scorched earth policy is not the way to go. Kristina Rungano, a Zimbabwean poet, offers these lines in her 'After the Rain':/embr /blockquotebr /Tomorrow the tree 'd looked a day more ancientbr /Yet it would still bebr /The same familiar beautiful Zimbabwe.br //blockquotebr /em(The Heinemann Book of African Women's Poetry)/embr //blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact L. S.:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;"nomadafricanus(at)yahoo.co.uk/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-5653287115283711149?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /Zimba Remabweemspan style="font-size:85%;" [1]/spanbr //emBetween the Zambezi and Limpopo,br /Land of Shona legend and lore.br /Our hearts yearn for morebr /Stories from Monomotapabr /About greatness and gold.br /br /Zimba Remabwe,br /They named you Southern Rhodesiabr /As if the earth belongedbr /Not to the ones they wrongedbr /But struggle begun to flow like lavabr /From volcanoes of dissent.br /br /Zimba Remabwe,br /The first born soil of the earth.br /From Harare to Bulawayobr /Every man is a herobr /In battles of identity customizedbr /By politics and economics.br /br /The land did not belong to Rhodes,br /It did not belong to hordesbr /Of stale imperialism.br /The land Zimbabwe belongs to us,br /The ones who bear her struggles,br /Who kiss her lips when we fall./blockquotebr /span style="font-size:85%;"em[1] Big house of stone./em/spanbr /br /br /span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"span style="font-size:85%;""Zimbabwe" is part one of our five-part series of poems by Ghanaians on Zimbabwe./span /spandiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-7781534886678728217?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
strongBiography:/strongbr /blockquotea href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SutMFe-tJ6I/AAAAAAAABYw/YKcMCXaXYkU/s1600-h/Prince+pic+for+OGOV.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 191px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SutMFe-tJ6I/AAAAAAAABYw/YKcMCXaXYkU/s200/Prince+pic+for+OGOV.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398492235432798114" //aBorn in Ghana, Prince Mensah has twenty-five stage plays to his credit. Some of them have been acted at the Accra Arts Center and at several locations in Accra. His articles and stories have been published in the emSTEP magazine/em, emP P/em, emGhanadot.com/em and emThe Free Press/em. His poetry has been published in the emMunyori Journal/em, UNESCO's emOther Voices International Project/em, emThe Muse Literary Magazine /emand the emDublin Writer's Workshop/em.br /br /Prince Mensah has published seventeen books of poetry. They are ema href="http://www.amazon.com/Memoirs-Native-Son-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1606729365/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148949sr=8-1"Memoirs of A Native Son/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shall-Will-Can-Poetry-Inspired/dp/1608367134/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-15"I Shall, I Will, I Can (Poetry Inspired by Barack Obama)/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Afrocentric-Musings-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442174242/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-6"Afrocentric/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/ecclesiastes-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442179503/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-2"ecclesiastes/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/State-Abstract-Mind-Chronicles-Fragmentation/dp/1442181184/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-10"State of An Abstract Mind/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Griot-Metropolitan-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442181141/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-9"The Griot Metropolitan/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Mirrors-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/144218115X/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-11"The Land of Broken Mirrors/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Coronation-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442181125/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-7"Coronation/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Enough-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442195088/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-8"Enough is Enough/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-War-Free-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442191031/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-1"World War-Free/a, in praise of the calabash, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prophylaxis-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442191848/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-12"Prophylaxis/a, Via Dolorosa, Tabula Rasa, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eclectic-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442194979/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246149332sr=8-4"Eclectic/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Situational-Hazard-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442191503/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246149332sr=8-3"Situational Hazard/a/em and ema href="http://www.amazon.com/Chronology-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442191090/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246149332sr=8-13"Chronology/a/em.br /br /Prince is a Consultant in Workplace Mediation, an HIV/AID Treatment Advocate and an Eligible Translator/Interpreter in Twi Fante for the Judicial Consortium of 40 American States. He lives in the United States with his wife, Charisse.br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"Prince is the head of North American promotions for One Ghana, One Voice./span/blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five questions with Prince Mensah:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. What inspired you to write about Zimbabwe? Was the writing of your poem a response to our submission call, or was the poem already written?br /br /emIt was OGOV’s call for submissions that prompted the creation of this poem. After doing some research on Zimbabwe’s glorious past and volatile present, I realized how important it was to stoke the greatness lying latent in this country./embr /br /br /2. How do you think we, as outsiders, can help with the current political struggles in Zimbabwe? Should we be involved?br /br /emI think, as outsiders, we can only hold the mirrors of opinion and reflect back to Zimbabwe what it represents to us. President Mugabe gives me great ambivalence. On one end, I am proud he is taking shots from nobody. On the other hand, I am disappointed that he is not employing all the brilliant Zimbabwean minds to build the country. I don’t think all the answers to Zimbabwe’s troubles are in his head. For the sake of the Zimbabwe that he risked his life for, he must give way to ideas that will move the country forward, not backward. /embr /br /emGhana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah was the biggest African bankroller for Zimbabwean independence. He believed in the Zimbabwean dream. Robert Mugabe’s first wife, Sally, (who is now deceased) was Ghanaian from Cape Coast. He was once a lecturer at University of Ghana. There is an endearing history between Ghana and Zimbabwe, which can be used in several ways to nudge the present government to do the right thing. An epic struggle continues between the old guards who shed their sweat and blood for independence and the modernists who want to open Zimbabwe to more western ideas. In the end, the struggle for power is a Shakespearean tragedy reenacted in varying forms in African countries./embr /br /br /3. What impact do you think our writing about Zimbabwe can have on the current's current political/economic state, if any?br /br /emZimbabweans have the highest literacy rate in Africa so I know that our writings will find their way to discerning minds who can utilize the sentiments expressed in the poems. That being said, if there is a way to post photos from Zimbabwe to accompany the poems, it would be helpful./embr /br /br /4. What lessons can Zimbabwe learn from Ghana's history? What lessons can Ghana learn from Zimbabwe?br /br /emZimbabweans can learn the power of tolerance from Ghana. Trust me; we have had volatile situations that could have ended up in chaos. Yet, there is a cultural underpinning that rejects bloodshed as a way of solving issues. The way of Gandhi is better than the way of guns. In the end, the best person to change Zimbabwe for the better is the Zimbabwean who is ready to make sacrifices and take risks, in order to move the dream forward.br /br /Ghanaians can learn the value of higher education from Zimbabweans. Getting either a Masters Degree or Doctorate is a rite of passage for Zimbabweans. This enables them to excel in and out of their country, enabling them to garner the experience and expertise to contribute to nation building. I do not mean that holding a graduate degree is the panacea to our problems. However, it opens up possibilities for the individual in a country where opportunities are few./embr /br /br /5. Your poem focuses on the history of Zimbabwe. What lessons can we learn from that history to help effect the present?br /br /emAs one of the earliest kingdoms in continental Africa, Zimbabwe stands for enduring cultural heritage and identity. With centuries of military, political and religious development, the psyche of pre-colonial Zimbabwe was a precursor to the anti-colonial sentiment that surged through Africa through 1960s – 1980s. The lessons that can be learned from the past involve the ability to avoid self-destructive traits and to use whatever helps the Zimbabwean dream to be realized. I trust that President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai can work together as fellow Zimbabweans to attack the demons of conflict and power-grabs. In the end, Zimbabwe must not become a victim of vitriol, vanity and vendetta. It deserves better than that./blockquote/embr /br /strongContact Prince:/strongbr /br /blockquoteEmail: empryncemensah(at)yahoo.com/embr /Website: a href="http://www.freewebs.com/pryncemensah/" target="_blank"http://www.freewebs.com/pryncemensah//a/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-6414420999807564453?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /As they search, my future runs.br /What they want, I do not havebr /but things they need, our own blood.br /Why, why, why?!br /br /Never again shall I see the plain,br /the wives, the kids, the birds you name.br /The land is gone, our doom reforms.br /Colour doesn't matter; their shameful blunder.br /br /Our stories so long ago toldbr /by the aging fathers of old.br /The sound of the whip,br /we never forgive.br /We lived righteously in our created glory.br /br /The sins of the whitewashed menbr /became our paths to nature's pen.br /But of the scars we bare,br /I gladly lay them down.br /br /The house on water calls for the Ghanaian drum beat.br /The Zulus retreat so the battle is lost,br /yet there's light for the lost souls,br /the ones who made us known,br /our paths and the search for hope. /blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-8671942338786365649?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquotea href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SuEHIB46JOI/AAAAAAAABYY/QXjVSf1c548/s1600-h/Juanita.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 116px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SuEHIB46JOI/AAAAAAAABYY/QXjVSf1c548/s200/Juanita.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395601663094039778" //aJuanita Tsikata is a 16 year-old Ghanaian and an upcoming poet who prefers to write at night with a torch in hand. She attends St. Johns Catholic School, Year 12 and is pursuing three courses, Biology, History and English. At the moment, she's thinking of further studies in Creative Writing and writing for friends during their "I can't afford a gift" moments. She writes songs and stories as a hobby to pass time and to express herself. Currently she lives with her father in the UK./blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with Juanita:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. How long have you been writing poetry?br /br /emI began writing about three years ago to convey my moods, opinions on life, and personal experiences./embr /br /br /2. Who are your favourite poets? Which poets have most informed and inspired your work?br /br /emI have no favourites but the majority of what I read is from a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efua_Sutherland" target="_blank"Efua Sutherland/a, a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/2008/02/artist-profile-kwesi-brew.html" target="_blank"Kwesi Brew/a and a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ama_Ata_Aidoo" target="_blank"Ama Ata Aidoo/a. I enjoy noting how the poets put their messages across in different voices and styles./embr /br /br /3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?br /br /emI intend to entertain people with the poems as well as bring awareness to the fact that no matter your age or background whatever you put down can transform lives./embr /br /br /4. You are writing at such a young age. What produced in you this early interest in poetry?br /br /emMy mother, all credit goes to her. Two lessons I've never forgotten from her are the inspiration to write selflessly and the ideology on how words influence people and places./embr /br /br /5. What does the average student in your school think of poetry, if they think of it at all?br /br /emUnfortunately, a greater number see poetry as a mess of pointless lines and have not a care in the world for it. There are a handful with the talent and passion, yet they're in hiding for fear of being branded "maximum brained students"./em/blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact Juanita:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;"j_tsikata(at)yahoo.com/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-3961180031682226140?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotepre style="FONT-FAMILY: georgia"br /Hair covered with an indigo scarfbr /Face turned out towards the windowbr /Arms clasped around a slender framebr /A veritable symbol of “don’t touch me”br /br /Pushed onto the corner as if you’ve beenbr /Flattened onto the door like a slice of tatale span style="font-size:85%;"em[1]/em/spanbr /We are the only passengers in the back seat of this taxi cabbr /What calls your attention so intently, through the window?br / Is it the men or womenbr /Moving dexterously peddling their wares among these vehicles?br /Or it is the array of flags lining the sidewalks like a mini United Nations?br /br /Or is it me, your fellow passengerbr /Whose face you don’t want to seebr /Why don’t you lie back, relax and enjoy the ridebr /After all, you have paid for it, haven’t you?/prebr /br /br /span style="font-size:85%;"em[1] Ghanaian finger food shaped like a pancake but made of ripe plantain/em/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-7709041614570789589?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquotea href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Stj70Zi_9pI/AAAAAAAABX4/1apOE2hjlcs/s1600-h/009.JPG"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Stj70Zi_9pI/AAAAAAAABX4/1apOE2hjlcs/s200/009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393337431405622930" //aTheresah P. Ennin is a lecturer from the university of Cape Coast, Ghana, and a Fulbright scholar doing her PhD in African literature and Languages at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has been writing poetry for a while now and has been published in three anthologies by emWoeli Publishing House/em.br //blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with Theresah Ennin:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. How long have you been writing poetry?br /br /emI have been writing poetry since I was 12 years. Everything I see, hear or read is a source of inspiration to me. Most of my poems are personal reflections on issues, sometimes deep, sometimes light hearted./embr /br /br /2. Who are your favourite poets? Which poets have most informed and inspired your work?br /br /emI must say that I do not have any favorite poets, I enjoy different kinds of poetry and can enjoy one or two poems from a poet without them being necessarily my favorite. I enjoy a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Keats"Keats/a, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Butler_Yeats" target="_blank"Yeats/a, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ama_Ata_Aidoo" target="_blank"Aidoo/a, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kofi_Awoonor" target="_blank"Awoonor/a, a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/2008/02/artist-profile-kwesi-brew.html" target="_blank"Brew/a among others./embr /br /br /3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?br /br /emI intend to publish most of my poems especially, the current set I am working on for people to enjoy./embr /br /br /4. How has living away from Ghana effected how you write about your homeland?br /br /emThis current set from which "Woman in a Taxi" comes from is a collection of poems written in exile. My being outside the homeland has added enchantment, quite a lot, to the view, and I find a lot of things to be grateful for back home as well as to be nostalgic about. Secondly, I like taking a step away from what is close up and evaluating what pertains at home to see how best we can make things right, but basically, I now write celebrating what I am because of where I come from./embr /br /br /5. Could you tell our readers a bit more about your PhD research?br /br /emMy PhD research is in African Literature, basically women writers of African descent. I want to examine the portrayal of the female characters as well as issues that are common to all these writers./em /blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact Theresah:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;"emotena(at)yahoo.com/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-2387163007599983684?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
What a triumph! A poem by Prince Mensah from a few months back, to celebrate: a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/2009/07/euphoria-prince-mensah_25.html"emEuphoria/em/a!!!!div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-6596873108330930810?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /emNobody did usbr /We did ourselves/embr /br /The hay of Ethiopia we didn’t makebr /And a spate of tribal wars we madebr /br /emNobody did usbr /We did ourselves/embr /br /Our huge contribution to faint GDPbr /And low annual income per capitabr /br /emNobody did usbr /We did ourselves /embr /br /The Fee-Market ideas we deposebr /And Communist theory we glorifybr /br /emNobody did usbr /We did ourselves/embr /br /The Theobaldia anulata we breedbr /And the larvae of worms we drinkbr / br /emNobody did usbr /We did ourselves/embr /br /But in other earthly nightmares,br /Some biophysical agents did us./blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-93232615645998630?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquotea href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Ss-4HUS4S0I/AAAAAAAABUA/sHrrgSI6Szw/s1600-h/Darko+1.JPG"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 137px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Ss-4HUS4S0I/AAAAAAAABUA/sHrrgSI6Szw/s200/Darko+1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390729714832264002" //aDarko Antwi was born in Kumasi in May 1976. After his secondary education at Bekwai SDA, and National Service at Adiembra Junior Secondary School, he embarked on a five-year teaching career in local kindergarten and primary schools.br / br /Antwi is the brain behind the development of the concept of Miss Akoto Education, for Ahenkro Literature Foundation – an NGO in Ghana. As a co-founder and executive member of Ashanti Writers Association, he served as the Administrative Co-ordinator (2000-02) under the patronage of the elite literary veteran, E. K. Kwarteng and Akosua Gyamfua Fofie.br / br /Two of his eventful titles: emCyberfutriphobia/em and emSlogans of Hope/em have had successful broadcast at native Otec Radio, 1999 and Fox Radio, 2002 respectively. His emWe Blacks/em has also been drafted for an anthology to be published by the a href="http://www.ghanapoetryproject.com/" target="_blank"Ghana Poetry Project/a. br / br /His epic, emNkrabea/em, was adapted in 2006 by the Pan African Festival, as part of performances for their annual Emancipation Day. The 137-line historical account is also having a regular reading feature at Britain’s Black History Month events.br / br /His written tribute to the Pan-Africanist, Marcus Garvey, emAyekoo!/em, is assembled among an archive of memorabilia at the Marcus Garvey Memorial Library, London. In August 2007, during the 120th birthday of Garvey, emAyekoo!/em appeared in emThe Voice/em, Britain’s major black newspaper. br / br /He is now working on District, an electronic magazine for children. /blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with Darko Antwi:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. How long have you been writing poetry?br /br /emI was 18 years when I wrote my first sonnet and a few wretched lines. But I started publication-bound manuscripts in 1998, at 22 years. Counting from the latter age - which I recognise - I have been writing for 11 years./embr /br / br /2. Who are your favourite poets? Which poets have most informed and inspired your work?br /br /emMany. So many of them: a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Donne" target="_blank"Donne/a, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Marvell" target="_blank"Marvell/a, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ee_cummings" target="_blank"E.E Cummings/a, a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_K._Chesterton" target="_blank"G.K. Chesterton/a, etc. But a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Brutus" target="_blank"Dennis Brutus/a stands-out as the most inspiring./embr /br / br /3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?br /br /emI wish my poetry entertains. To make someone laugh or smile about something strictly silly/funny within a line. I may end-up educating or informing, but I prioritise light humour./embr /br /br /4. You've become a regular critic here at emOGOV/em. What do you think is the role of the critic in the development of Ghanaian poetry?br /br /emOnce we have come to understand the importance of literary criticism, it brings home how crucial the role of critics is to the development of Ghanaian poetry. In playing his part, the critic should be a laboratory of litmus tests. Theirs is to accomplish excellence by guarding the arts through sound and expert judgement. Analysing a creative work is something I'll feel so much honoured to do - just as much as I enjoy commenting here. Hoping I'll turn professional if I should have the chance to attend University to offer the right course./embr / br /br /5. How has working overseas affected your perspective on your homeland? How has it affected the way you write about it?br /br /emWorking in practically democratic England has helped me to write a few courtesy poems for some leaders in Ghana who believe in rancour and hostility./em/blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact Darko:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;"darko.antwi@yahoo.co.uk/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-3368525101118800693?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /My Mama said to mebr /Go out and find a manbr /And bring me grandkidsbr /br /I went to the marketplacebr /They sell everythingbr /But no man was for salebr /br /I took the busbr /To the next town; where I heard men were in abundancebr /But alas! Each one was already takenbr /br /So I came home to Mamabr /And said: I didn’t find any manbr /She said I didn’t look hard enoughbr /br /So I went out one nightbr /To the nightclub; where lights go amber and glitzybr /My eyes danced and danced!br /br /So many men!br /I wonder why I never came herebr /Why nobody told me…br /br /So I brought the gentleman homebr /And gave Mama two grandkidsbr /Which indeed made her happybr /br /Mama said to bring her grandkidsbr /She didn’t ask that I find true love... a nice manbr /Who wouldn’t leave after a few yearsbr /br /So many cold nights I’ve known nowbr /So many empty mornings... spent alone in gloombr /Who wants to love a dry, withered old womanbr /Who has two ugly bastards?br /br /Poor Mama, who needed grandkidsbr /And thoughtbr /Thought I met the father in a church! /blockquotebr /br /br /emspan style="font-size:85%;"Old poems at OGOV don't die, but live on in our a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/2007/03/archives.html"archives/a! Every once in a while we will dust one off for our newer readers to enjoy. "Mama" was the second poem ever published on OGOV, on March 31st, 2007./span /emdiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-7910785447297324438?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
strongBiography:/strongbr /br /blockquotea href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Rgw3g1sYCfI/AAAAAAAAAAU/7n5kS8sBQOs/s1600-h/Vida+Ayitah.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Rgw3g1sYCfI/AAAAAAAAAAU/7n5kS8sBQOs/s200/Vida+Ayitah.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5047470319684028914" //aVida was born on July 19th, 1978 in a small farming community in the Volta Region. She has three sisters and one brother. She is currently living and working in Accra. She enjoys music and dancing as much as she does writing./blockquote br /br /br /br /strongFive Questions with Vida Ayitah:/strongbr /br /blockquote1. Who are your favourite poets? Which poets have most inspired you and informed your work?br /br /ema href="http://people.africadatabase.org/en/profile/15816.html" target="_blank"Mr. Kobena Eyi Acquah/a (Ghana), a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erica_Jong" target="_blank"Ms. Erica Jong/a (USA)/em.br /br /br /2. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?br /br /emTo inspire people to get in touch with their inner beings. Poetry is such a sensual and emotional thing. We live each day on emotions and senses and it’s my hope that my work can make people identify something within themselves./embr / br /br /3. What is your opinion on the state of African poetry today?br /br /emWell, I think more markets should be created for African poetry. There are so many unknown poets in Ghana today, for instance, young people with great talents who have no avenues to showcase their work. The beauty of African poetry is that it tells a great deal about the African culture, our hopes and dreams. Reading just one poem is like reading a bit of history. The African mind is rich with the voices of the past./em br / br /br /4. What do you think needs to be done to promote and strengthen poetry in Africa?br /br /emThe following steps can be taken to promote and strengthen poetry in Africa: organize workshops for writers, starting from the local scene, create a platform where writers meet and discuss their work, establish poetry magazines to feature new poets (like /emOne Ghana, One Voiceem) and perhaps a market should me made available to sell and promote our work, thus encouraging us to be more passionate and dedicated to our work./em br /br /br /5. "Mama" can be read as being very critical of the perceived role of women in Ghanaian society. In this sense, do you consider it to be a political poem? br /br /emI never thought that ‘Mama’ could be seen as being political in regards to women in our society. The whole idea of the poem was to put across the fact that maybe our mothers should focus on the happiness and welfare of their children rather than on expanding the family tree. /em/blockquotebr /br /br /strongContact Vida:/strongbr /br /blockquoteemakusefako(at)yahoo.com/em/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-2102082405488367479?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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8:06
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /And so it was.br /And it came to pass.br /And it was peaceful, being with her.br /br /emAnd the smoke of our burning went up and upbr /caught up in whorls and spun aroundbr /by the blades of the fan turning lazilybr /in an endless circle./embr /br /Long legged cross leggedbr /reclining in the sofa: Sonia;br /Across the table with the gleaming topbr /leaning forward in the armchair: I.br /br /We might have been –br /but we werebr /smokingbr /and she told me about her sonbr /looking into the future with great faith.br /br /emAnd the smoke of our burning went up and upbr /caught up in whorls and spun around./embr /br /We might have been –br /but we werebr /drinkingbr /and then we discussedbr /The Church The Law and Finances.br /br /And it came to pass, thatbr /we talked about Impotencebr /becausebr /a flaccid penis at the very entrancebr /was a disturbing matter indeedbr /The powers of Viagra notwithstanding.br /br /emAnd the smoke of our burning went up and upbr /caught up in whorls and spun around./embr /br /We discussed the tyrannybr /of Pain and Death;br /The one opportunity for Powerbr /and Myth, and Society, and Misery.br /Then we said, Let’s lighten up!br /So bottoms went up and ends brightened,br /emand the smoke of our burning went up and upbr /caught up in whorls and spun around./embr /br /And so it was.br /br /We might have been friendsbr /bringing the weekend to an end,br /But we werebr /fellow travellers caught in a time warpbr /emand the smoke of our burning went up and up./embr /br /In a moment of kindness she offered me her ass;br /In a moment of silence I raised my glassbr /emand the smoke of our burning went up and upbr /caught up in whorls and spun around./embr /br /Fellow travellers in this space shipbr /sharing the loneliness of our private emgehenna/em.br /Sonia and I, turning words into thoughtsbr /And thoughts into words:br /br /emAnd the words were caught upbr /by the blades of the fanbr /turning lazily in anbr /endless circle./em/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-1074025337178589597?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquotea href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Sr0yn26JPjI/AAAAAAAABT4/Md4q9ba0jaU/s1600-h/martin_abuja_ben.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 108px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Sr0yn26JPjI/AAAAAAAABT4/Md4q9ba0jaU/s200/martin_abuja_ben.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385516389740658226" //aMartin Egblewogbe currently lives in Accra, Ghana. He holds an MPhil in Physics and is starting a PhD while teaching at the University of Ghana.br /br /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. He currently helps run both a href="http://ghanaianbookreview.com/" target="_blank"The Ghanaian Book Review (Kpoklomaja)/a and the a href="http://www.ghanapoetryproject.com/" target="_blank"Ghana Poetry Project/a. br /br /Martin's writing has been featured in span style="font-style:italic;"The Weekly Spectator/span and span style="font-style:italic;"The Mirror/span, and his works can be found in a number of collections, including span style="font-style:italic;"An Anthology of Contemporary Ghanaian Poems/span. He has won prizes for a number of short stories and spoken word performances. br /br /Apart from Physics and writing, Martin is interested in Philosophy, Still Photography, and Computers (software, hardware)./blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with Martin Egblewogbe:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. This poem features a refrain. What effect were you hoping for this device to have on your reader?br /br /emWell, in this instance, the refrain was to keep reminding the reader of the scene in which the piece is set, both literally and as a metaphor./embr /br /br /2. You sometimes use ellipses (...) and other devices to inform your reader of pauses or hesitations in your poems. You also use line breaks and first-letter capitalization to great effect. How much do you think a reader needs to be informed about when to pause while reading, and how much should they be left to determine when to pause on their own?br /br /emI like for my poems to read smoothly, and this is why these devices are included -- to slow the pace of the poem or to speed it up. The breaks are as much for me the writer, as for me the reader. I just hope, after completing a piece, that a reader is not hindered by the arrangement of the lines. But then again, as I mentioned before, my poems are written with a rather selfish intent -- of sounding good to me./embr /br /br /3. Some of your lines have a great sonic effect, such as "Friends clinking glasses before the bombs came down". Do you read your poems aloud to yourself as you write them? For you, how important is the sound of a poem?br /br /emYes, reading the poems aloud is very important to me -- I do not consider a poem complete until it sounds OK and can be read with a minimum of awkward pauses and "hanging" lines -- however, I think that this is difficult to achieve and I am unsure about my success in this particular poem./embr /br /br /4. Give us an update on a href="http://ghanaianbookreview.com/" target="_blank"kpokplomaja/a. How are things going there and how can our readers contribute?br /br /emThe Ghanaian Book Review is growing rather slowly, but it is running and still features a good number of Ghanaian poets and book reviews. The site receives about 400 hits a day, and this is trending upwards. However, the content is not growing as quickly as one would like./embr /br /br /5. Through your work promoting Ghanaian writing you must have come across a number of new writers that our readers aren't familiar with (or should become more familiar with!). Can you suggest a few people we should look out for?br /br /emThere are a good number of poets who are operating outside our current sphere of friends, too many to list here./em /blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact Martin:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;"m.egblewogbe(at)gmail.com/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-5278759381886901799?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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0:18
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /emKwame/embr /br /Son of Nkroful,br /son of the slave fortsbr /and football in the fields before them.br /Son of the schoolhouse,br /of dusty Axim streets,br /of cannons pointing all directions,br /towards the seabr /towards the village.br /br /emKwamebr /the things that are done/embr /br /A native son crosses the Atlanticbr /to a land deemed more palatablebr /for conquest, for the knowledgebr /you pull from University stacksbr /and place aside the histories of a peoplebr /whose land has already vanished,br /who whisper from beneath the pavementbr /to go.br /br /emKwamebr /the things that are donebr /in your name –/embr /br /Slathered across the newspaper headlines,br /this child of Saturday, son of Nkrofulbr /a criminal, captive -br /the walls of Ussher fortbr /a slave galley, a smallpox blanketbr /wrapped around your throat.br /You wait, as you have been taught,br /as you have practiced,br /while children play in Axim’s fieldsbr /and cannons rust slowly on their mounts.br /br /emKwamebr /the things that are donebr /in your name –br /I mean, the things that are undone/embr /br /Your people lift you up, out,br /proclaim the land theirs,br /its direction yours –br /this child of Saturday,br /this son of the schoolhouse,br /you do not turn to address your peoplebr /but instead instruct the iron men onbr /how to bend without bursting.br /You teach them how to walk again, to run –br /you show them where to go.br /br /emKwamebr /the things that are donebr /in your name –br /I mean, the things that are undonebr /behind the flimsy façade of your name/embr /br /You tore into the earth, it’s true,br /and it trembled, betrayed,br /yet understanding ‘what must be done.’br /Helicopters chattered, gunshipsbr /patrolled the shores.br /Child of Saturday, when you leftbr /that last time, did you know?br /br /emKwamebr /the things that are donebr /in your name –/embr /br /They buried your body in Guinea,br /the son of the slave forts.br /br /emI mean, the things that are undone/embr /br /They returned your body to Nkroful,br /the son of the schoolhouse.br /br /embehind the flimsy façade of your name/embr /br /They trucked your body to the Capitalbr /and placed it beneath a monument of stone.br /br /Son of the slave forts,br /son of the schoolhouse,br /child of Saturday,br /they’ve buried your body in a fortressbr /and stand behind its minarets,br /cannons pointing all directions –br /children below, bouncing victory and defeatbr /in black and white off their feet and foreheadsbr /back and forth across the sprawling pitch./blockquotebr /br /br /br /emspan style="font-size:85%;"Italicized lines are modified from the poem "Borrowed Airs" by Kobena Eyi Acquah. Read more poems on Nkrumah, from our "Nkrumah Series" of July 2008, /span/ema href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/search/label/Nkrumah%20Series"emspan style="font-size:85%;"here/span/em/aemspan style="font-size:85%;"./span/emdiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-1976719742692512476?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
strongBiography:/strongbr /br /blockquotea href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SleZZVo8OgI/AAAAAAAABHI/VaezEnvhBz0/s1600-h/rob+side+small.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 193px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SleZZVo8OgI/AAAAAAAABHI/VaezEnvhBz0/s200/rob+side+small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356918942365137410" //aRob Taylor lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He lived in Accra in 2006-07 with his wife, Marta. His poetry has appeared in over thirty print and online magazines, and he has published two chapbooks, entitled a href="http://roblucastaylor.com/publications.html" target="_blank"emsplattered earth/em and emChild of Saturday/em/a. He is the poetry editor at a href="http://www.redfez.net" target="_blank"Red Fez/a. br /br /emRob is a co-founder and editor of/em One Ghana, One Voice./blockquotebr /br /strongContact Rob:/strongbr /br /blockquoteEmail: emroblucastaylor(at)gmail.com/embr /Websites: a href="http://roblucastaylor.com" target="_blank"emRobLucasTaylor.com/a, a href="http://rollofnickels.blogspot.com" target="_blank"spread it like a roll of nickels/a/blockquote/emdiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-7249389536156259395?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotepre style="font-family: georgia;"strongI/strongbr /br / br /br /The corncrake handedbr /br /Me this proverb:br /br / br /br / A birdbr /br / Is not a pillow.br /br / br /br / br /br /She’d married another crakebr /br /Who built her a fine nest,br /br /Then was thrownbr /br /Out at the break upbr /br / br /br / emCrekbr /br / Crek /embr /br /She croakedbr /br /In the coarse grass:br /br / br /br / Pluck your own feathersbr /br / To make your own eider.br /br / br /br / br /br /strongII/strongbr /br / br /br /The grass finch whispered br /br /In the quiet breeze:br /br / br /br / No one bargainsbr /br / For unripe yamsbr /br / br /br /She’d betrothed her daughterbr /br /To an elderly goldfinch, butbr /br /Was forced to unswallowbr /br /The dowry, when her youngbr /br /Died young.br /br / br /br / br /br / Oh Dependablebr /br / God of Finchesbr /br /She dirged inbr /br /The shrapnel rain br /br / Let all songbirdsbr /br / Know, not to tell br /br / The root cropbr /br / By its climbers.br /br / br /br /strongIII/strongbr /br / br /br /Tramping the shallowsbr /br /In her pylon heelsbr /br /Mrs Flamingo sievedbr /br /Lobster and krillbr /br /With the aside:br /br / br /br / Everyday dem mek yeyebr /br / Mek laughter, sey flamingobr /br / Na stupid bird,br /br / Na bird idioticbr /br / Becos im waka wakabr /br / Like telegraph polebr /br / Wey breeze shake.br /br / Only flamingo sabe dis:br /br / Everyday for bird beautifulsbr /br / One day for we flamingoes.br / br /br /I thought to query br /br /The Mistress Flamingo,br /br /But arrested thoughtbr /br /With counter-thought: br /br /emEven flamingos needbr /br /Their soliloquies./embr /br / br /br / br /br /strongIV/strongbr /br / br /br /The weaverbird intoned,br /br /When he broke a beak,br /br /Cracking the coconut'sbr /br /Décolletage:br /br / br /br / It is the birdbr /br / Of the savannah,br /br / Not the forest,br /br / Who knows milletbr /br / Is edible.br /br / br /br /strongV/strong br /br / br /br /The falcon buttonedbr /br /His middle talonbr /br /Into the heron’s neckbr /br /Hurtled down the sky'sbr /br /Spine like tracerbr /br /Lightning, and murmured: br /br / br /br / A confounding shamebr /br / When no one noticesbr /br / The colour of shadows.br /br / br /br /He would not elucidatebr /br /I did not expostulate./pre/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-3764923498699221169?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquoteL. S. Mensah was born and raised in Accra, and been living in the UK for the past four years or so. Recently her work has appeared in the annual emBarnet Poetry Anthology/em./blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with L. S. Mensah:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. The physical arrangement of this poem on the page is quite striking. What inspired you to arrange it in such a way?br /br /emI think of this poem as performative, and the arrangement a device to separate the birds' dialogue (or call them actors) from the narrator’s observations./embr /br /br /2. What is your intended audience for this poem, if you have one? (African, non-African, Ghanaian, those well versed in poetry, those new to poetry, etc.)br /br /emThough this poem is rooted in an African landscape, it is a comment on the human condition. All one needs to decode this, is (to be a child again), to summon that cultural memory of proverbs, riddles, songs and folktales. That animist world where nature is alive, is familiar to all, whether we’re talking about Kweku Ananse, Brer Rabbit, or Cinderella. /embr /br /br /3. This poem both has interesting aural effects (bird calls, multiple voices) and visual effects (the layout mentioned above). Do you intend primarily for this poem to be read on the page or aloud?br /br /emOne could read this either way. As an aural experience, one would need to rely on say alliteration, assonance etc. br /br /As for the visual effects, they have only become possible as a result of technology. Literacy and printing enables one to shift the text around, to break the old rule on keeping to one side of the A4. br /br /Atukwei Okai comes to mind in the way he sprinkles his words on the page. I’ve always thought his poems remind me of the Wulomo (the head priest of the clans in Accra). As if he’s pouring libation, allowing the words to cascade. They don’t necessarily land in the same place - a feature in any performance of the verbal arts. Here’s what he does in this excerpt from 999 Smiles:/embr /br /pre style="font-family: georgia;"br /Shake br /Till it breaks, the decayed drooping br /Branch br /upon which br / of all br / people br /you today br / have gone br / to sit br /hurling … br / stones … br / at us … br //prebr /br /br /emHere he stretches out one line, as if onto a ledge, then of course he breaks and stacks them up like a step pyramid. It's wonderful./embr /br /br /4. In a discussion back in January, you challenged us to expand our literary horizons from a "regional" perspective (West Africans readings West Africans, South Africans reading South Africas, etc.). Can you suggest a few "outsiders" for our West African readers to take up that will provide them with a different perspective on things?br /br /emThis is rather difficult, since my choices may have to do with my concerns and prejudices. One could start with anthologies such as The Penguin Book of Modern African Poetry (eds. Moore Beier) or Poems of Black Africa (ed. Soyinka) There is also Griots and Town Criers (ed. by Chinweizu), though this last collection includes excerpts of plays and novels as well. Anthologies are great because they introduce one to writers you probably never knew (existed)./embr /br /emFor a more contemporary take, the site a href="http://www.wordswithoutborders.org/" target="_blank"www.wordswithoutborders.org/ais excellent, and has a link to African writing. It’s marvelous (when it works). The site is updated monthly./embr /br /emThe Open University also has a free learning resource site, and any one can log on to a href="http://www.open.ac.uk/" target="_blank"www.open.ac.uk/aand search for ‘Start Writing Fiction’ and ‘Start Writing Poetry.’br /br /The Website a href="http://indianapublicmedia.org/poetsweave/" target="_blank"www.wfiu.org/poetsweave/a also posts a weekly edition of (American) poets reading their work, . These are also available for downloading either as a podcast, or burn to CD (I think). /embr /br /br /5. How has your push to get your work published more widely been going for you? Have you learned any tips for new writers hoping to follow in your footsteps?br /br /emI’m only an unpublished poet, and judging from the way things are going, maybe no one should follow my footsteps.br /br /Still, I encourage new writers to read. First read like a reader. Then read like a writer, to figure out why and how a line or phrase works, and then adapt it into your own work, without being derivative. But also read like a critic. I also encourage them to spend some more time on editing and rewriting. /embr //blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact L. S.:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;"nomadafricanus(at)yahoo.co.uk/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-425949412580350662?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /It is dawn and all is still,br /The smell of settled dust and washed leaves fills the air.br /The sky, once dark and threatening, turns blue.br /The birds sing and chickens cluck over upturned food.br /When the storm came, all was lost,br /Nothing seemed right,br /No movement was heard in the night except the beating of rain on everybr /surface, like drums beating the war cry.br /All night long the rain came down, the once welcomed trickle turned into a nasty storm.br /What was once beautiful turned into a nightmarebr /It was a great storm, a turbulent time that one thought would never endbr /Everything changed the day my heart diedbr /Eyes lost their sparkle,br /Smiles disappeared,br /Laughter stopped,br /Happiness faded into a distance.br /The dull ache stayed permanently just below the wombbr /Now the storm was over,br /The calm that followed was a shock.br /The effects of the storm showed in various ways:br /Things that were up-rooted were things that were washed away.br /Others were destroyedbr /Some so far gone that there was no repair.br /Others like the seeds just floated along, settled and started to flourish.br /The strong became stronger.br /The rays of light touched the heart, melting away all fear,br /The terror that once held one captive disappearedbr /What was the purpose of the storm? We will never know,br /But out of it all came a certain understanding,br /A certain peace, a certain calm, a certain strengthbr /And determination to go on and on and on./blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-698150127999797927?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
strongBiography:/strongbr /br /blockquotea href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Rpu7ffhfElI/AAAAAAAAANQ/ytLXgBHti8g/s1600-h/Phooto+in+Jambo+Magazine_edited.JPG"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Rpu7ffhfElI/AAAAAAAAANQ/ytLXgBHti8g/s200/Phooto+in+Jambo+Magazine_edited.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087866353757393490" //aBorn in Manchester, England in 1956, Mariska attended Holy Child Secondary School in Cape Coast and St. Mary's Secondary School, Mamprobi, Accra. She then returned to the UK and attended Beresford College of English and Commerce, Margate, Kent and later Harrow College of Further Education, Harrow, Middlesex. She has a PhD in Life.br / br /She has two sons, Niinoi and Kwame. She is a motivational speaker, poet, writer, beautician, fire walker and lover of jazz, blues, reggae and old time highlife./blockquotebr /br /strongFive Questions with Mariska Taylor-Darko:/strongbr /br /1. Did this poem come to you immediately during or after a storm, or were the images pulled from memory?br /br /emThe poem actually came after the storm "the loss of my husband". I think it was about two months after the event and these words just came to me./embr /br /br /2. A major theme of this poem is dealing with living in a state of uncertainty and unknowing: "What was the purpose of the storm? We will never know". For you, how much of the process of writing a poem is about becoming comfortable with a state of unknown - being comfortable with not knowing where the poem comes from or where it is going?br /br /emThe poem is a catharsis - a cleansing process. I am sure most will agree that healing comes through different mediums./embr /br /br /3. You participated in Laban Hill's video archive project, a href="http://www.pen.org/ViewBlogPost.php?prmBlogID=838prmProfileID=21017" target="_blank"reading your poem "I Love Ghana"/a. How did you find that experience, and how do you believe we can best use such an archive to promote Ghanaian poetry?br /br /emFirst of all I must say Laban Hill is a very approachable person and I am sure he made many nervous poets relax. The experience was a learning one - How to read in public in all situations - my chair kept swinging the wrong way and we just continued filming. If it is publicised more, and promoted more, other poets around the world will come to appreciate what Ghana has to offer which is a lot. If possible there should be a follow up. The film should not be "archived"!/embr /br /br /4. In a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/2008/12/ogov-roundtable-discussion-4-poetry-and.html"a recent Roundtable Discussion on how poets can contribute to peaceful election/a, you noted: "Poets in Ghana do not have a strong voice yet but what we can do is talk about peace and corruption during recitals." "After the Storm" seems to me to comment on a number of elements of life, including politics, in an allegorical way. This is a strong contrast to last week's poem by Julian Adomako-Gyimah, which deals with its issues very directly. When it comes to Ghanaian poets spreading a messsage about "peace and corruption", which strategy - the more direct or the more metaphorical - do you think is more productive?br /br /emBoth ways are productive. You can touch different people in different ways. Some may find the more direct approach a bit threatening - like disturbing their comfort zone while others who are more militant may love it. Likewise the more sensative ones would like a more subtle indirect approach while hitting the nail on the head./embr /br /br /5. In your last profile, you noted that you were working on "a series of poems on certain negative aspects of tradition". Have you been making progress on this? Have you been finding any resistance from people who don't want you discussing difficult or taboo subjects?br /br /emI have written a couple more but I must say getting some people to talk about certain experiences was hard, more so with the elderly women, and I had to keep reassuring them that i would not mention their names. It is not going to be an easy task. It seems like it is a taboo to talk about about taboos./embr /br /br /strongContact Mariska:/strongbr /br /blockquoteEmail: emmariska.taylor(at)gmail.com/embr /Alternate Email: emarabataylord(at)yahoo.co.uk/embr /Websites: a href="http://africanwomanspoetry.blogspot.com/ "target="_blank"African Woman's Poetry/a, a href="http://www.myspace.com/araba2" target="_blank"Mariska's MySpace Page/a/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-7415225739425644656?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Snfei7UoYeI/AAAAAAAABQo/GnW5QmBCUP0/s1600-h/Sun-touched+Angels.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Snfei7UoYeI/AAAAAAAABQo/GnW5QmBCUP0/s400/Sun-touched+Angels.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366002172656378338" //abr /blockquotebr /in a sun-lit spotbr /children reclinebr /during a midday festivalbr /exuberance has its placebr /br /children reclinebr /tired and optimistic br /exuberance has its placebr /young bones also grow wearybr /br /tired and optimisticbr /and all is wellbr /young bones also grow wearybr /outstretched on the peaceful shorebr /br /and all is wellbr /as music swells on the water-filled scapebr /outstretched on the peaceful shorebr /that sings with sounds unheardbr /br /as music swells on the water-filled scapebr /during a midday festivalbr /that sings with sounds unheardbr /in a sun-lit spot /blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-7453366161586526637?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfdXZKDEtI/AAAAAAAABQg/zaxG8RA6yas/s1600-h/Durbar+Kwansaba.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfdXZKDEtI/AAAAAAAABQg/zaxG8RA6yas/s400/Durbar+Kwansaba.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366000874994995922" //abr /blockquotebr /lively skins stretch across the rim ofbr /a beach rippled with summer drum beatsbr /air-lifted sounds chimed in swift unisonbr /as toes upkick sand and dig groovesbr /where hips pivot and sway with colorsbr /alive like royal pink and green flowersbr /planted by the not so still waters/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-3802207101253871924?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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7:06
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One Ghana, One Voice
a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfdFKfnxfI/AAAAAAAABQY/7yK1whOyDJY/s1600-h/Wisdom.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfdFKfnxfI/AAAAAAAABQY/7yK1whOyDJY/s400/Wisdom.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366000561821304306" //abr /blockquotebr /we listen intently to spinning storiesbr /at the base of a treebr /where spools of the pastbr /create modern-day tapestries /blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-1981268262849578144?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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7:00
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One Ghana, One Voice
a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfcsbsUPuI/AAAAAAAABQQ/nd5zYybT82A/s1600-h/Slave+Castle+Door.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 296px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfcsbsUPuI/AAAAAAAABQQ/nd5zYybT82A/s400/Slave+Castle+Door.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366000136941223650" //abr /blockquotebr /waves have licked this doorbr /its frame rusted at the hingesbr /br /aqua scales peeled backbr /and wood splinteredbr /br /a timeline of slavery’s entrance/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-2510922569011741572?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfcWRMkaBI/AAAAAAAABQI/NrAWw0duNrk/s1600-h/Keta.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfcWRMkaBI/AAAAAAAABQI/NrAWw0duNrk/s400/Keta.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365999756166588434" //abr /blockquotebr /some places hold your attentionbr /like a picture enveloped in a frame:br /simple and complexbr /tree-bent around the brain /blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-7869764470221600168?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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6:57
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One Ghana, One Voice
a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Snfb-EMN7iI/AAAAAAAABQA/-auy9PE8koo/s1600-h/Mt.+Afadjato.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Snfb-EMN7iI/AAAAAAAABQA/-auy9PE8koo/s400/Mt.+Afadjato.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365999340358594082" //abr /blockquotebr /winded at the top of the mountainbr /shirt soaking with accomplishmentbr /my heaving chest and aching legs br /instinctively leap for joy/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-973470173076902499?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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6:55
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One Ghana, One Voice
a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfbkxM2RaI/AAAAAAAABP4/10NtlaFhIDA/s1600-h/The+Strong+Ones.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfbkxM2RaI/AAAAAAAABP4/10NtlaFhIDA/s400/The+Strong+Ones.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365998905764234658" //abr /blockquotebr /there is powerbr /in the numbers of regimented youth br /standing confidently on the front linebr /ready to take on the world br /with firm and tender hands/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-7917114622613079491?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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6:53
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One Ghana, One Voice
a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfbJMJkQNI/AAAAAAAABPw/cOW0kEOl7RQ/s1600-h/A+Born+Leader.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfbJMJkQNI/AAAAAAAABPw/cOW0kEOl7RQ/s400/A+Born+Leader.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365998431961891026" //abr /blockquotebr /something in his eyesbr /that says that he is a quiet warriorbr /a lion that will lead without an uproar /blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-7493177570247878388?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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6:47
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One Ghana, One Voice
a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfZ5-rtVyI/AAAAAAAABPo/6zyEuY9AR1M/s1600-h/Painting-like.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfZ5-rtVyI/AAAAAAAABPo/6zyEuY9AR1M/s400/Painting-like.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365997071137330978" //abr /blockquotebr /in a fishing townbr /boats canvas the landscape like paint on a palette br /dragging nets below and above the blue br /like water fowl searching for prey/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-3162174616825884968?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfZa0doBAI/AAAAAAAABPg/Wy4-AXMzsms/s1600-h/Solace.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfZa0doBAI/AAAAAAAABPg/Wy4-AXMzsms/s400/Solace.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365996535817962498" //abr /blockquotebr /i loved you the first time i searched your mountains br /and felt your deepest plains: breathtakingly beautifulbr /you satisfied and complimented my spiritbr /as i whispered and repeatedly shouted your namebr /in love-laced incantations which pulsated like drumsbr /and crested like the ocean where i sat and enjoyed br /how you spoke to me in refreshing breathsbr /lulling and fanning me under palmsbr /which shaded my ashed-over feet burrowed in sandsbr /warm and limitless like my love for youbr /and your wonderful and ever-growing family /blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-6121417846811671637?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfY1Gb_GqI/AAAAAAAABPY/KaVVmqQdUSA/s1600-h/Coasting.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfY1Gb_GqI/AAAAAAAABPY/KaVVmqQdUSA/s400/Coasting.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365995887807896226" //abr /blockquotebr /i renamed the ocean aya:br /her indomitable spirit moved mebr /as she resounded in my earsbr /like chants bouncing on the coastbr /where those with and without my okra namebr /progressed in my likeness and greeted mebr /dashing nbspnbspnbsp gifts nbspnbspnbsp smiles nbspnbspnbsp handshakesbr /as if we have walked africa’s paths together before/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-3829398086917381015?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfYLf9WSkI/AAAAAAAABPQ/4q1vVzAhxMI/s1600-h/Brick+and+Mortar.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfYLf9WSkI/AAAAAAAABPQ/4q1vVzAhxMI/s400/Brick+and+Mortar.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365995173104208450" //abr /blockquotebr /some places are misleading like castles br /embracing skies like mothersbr /yet holding histories like grudgesbr /unwritten in their bowels/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-8803234101441144552?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfW5VBeNgI/AAAAAAAABPI/1nI2N3pUDzM/s1600-h/Twins.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnfW5VBeNgI/AAAAAAAABPI/1nI2N3pUDzM/s400/Twins.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365993761419441666" //abr /blockquotebr /we call them bookendsbr /or twins because they are sisters in spiritbr /knowing where they are goingbr /br /their past and present straddled on their back/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-6483981295984744736?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnM2xYcz9mI/AAAAAAAABPA/xS5h3n96wYc/s1600-h/Soda+Road.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SnM2xYcz9mI/AAAAAAAABPA/xS5h3n96wYc/s400/Soda+Road.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364691803133179490" //abr /blockquotebr /they told me you were no goodbr /savage-likebr /evil at your essencebr /foaming at the mouth with red eyesbr /br /i told them i would meet you and seebr /if your monstrous breath would strip my skinbr /if your screams and chantsbr /would pierce my brainbr /they laughed br /rolled their eyesbr /br /when i met youbr /i fell in lovebr /br /emthey liedbr /they lied/em/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-1199327855740288279?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
Welcome to emSnaps of Ghana/em, American poet a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/search/label/Van%20G%20Garrett"Van G. Garrett/a's photographic and poetic tribute to Ghana. The photos used in the show were taken by Van during his travels in Ghana in 2008. br /br /emSnaps of Ghana/em was originally published on OGOV serially throughout August 2009. After it's full publication, Van sent us the following note:br /br /blockquoteSeptember 8, 2009br /br /Dear emOne Ghana, One Voice/em and its Supporters:br /br /Thank you for supporting my month-long literary and visual arts exhibit. emSnaps of Ghana: Poetry and Photography/em is my way of highlighting a fraction of the beauty found in Ghana. I read every post and comment that readers submitted, and I appreciate those who took the time out to comment about my work. Additionally, I appreciate those that took a more reflective/reflexive approach.br / br /It is heart-touching to know that my art has inspired others to look at the Continent and the world anew.br /br /Again, I want to thank emOGOV/em and its readers for making my first international show a successful exhibit. I look forward to creating more sincere art that challenges and educates audiences worldwide.br /br /All the very best,br /br /Van G. Garrett / Fui Koshibr /emvanggarrett(at)gmail.com/em/blockquote br /br /We hope you enjoy emSnaps of Ghana/em.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-5913064530345321205?l=oneghanaonevoice.com' alt='' //div
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One Ghana, One Voice
div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'pobject height='350' width='425'param value='http://youtube.com/v/hv1FX05KhOU' name='movie'/embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/hv1FX05KhOU'//object/p/div/embedbr /blockquotebr /emspan style="font-size:85%;"Caused by Three Ghanaian Goals/span/embr /br /Twenty-two men on green pitch,br /Spectators scream at fever pitch.br /Eleven are ours, the other eleven ---br /Well, they look like vixen.br /But they show confidence enoughbr /For us to catch their bluff.br /The commentator is one talkative,br /He keeps us all active.br /Referee whistles --- Let the games begin!br /Supporters beware, negativity is sin.br /br /We guffaw when we see emDangbleshi/ememspan style="font-size:85%;"[1]/span/em, emsaatay/ememspan style="font-size:85%;"[2]/span/em, br /emsuuliya/ememspan style="font-size:85%;"[3]/span/em, --- skills of some great player.br /We kick the ball from our spectator-seats,br /Our hopes haunted by past defeats.br /Of red, of gold, of green, Black Stars,br /We celebrated the good passbr /To our men near opposing goal-keeper.br /A dribble, a feign, a goal so super,br /The nets still vibrate from energy of ball.br /Goal-scorer, proud, standing tallbr /Before grateful nation, drenched with euphoria,br /The heavens are filled with our loud aria.br /emJama/ememspan style="font-size:85%;"[4]/span/em and dancing --- no doubt about our support,br /We are one in this, great is our rapport.br /br /No emkakalika/ememspan style="font-size:85%;"[5]/span/em tricks by referee and his assistants,br /If they try, we will be like driver ants.br /We sing in Ga, in Twi, in Hausa,br /Every tribe has its own stanzabr /Enthusiasm nearly made us missbr /The second goal --- now Ghana is in blissbr /We stomp the earth in emdamba/ememspan style="font-size:85%;"[6]/span/em dance,br /Others walk about in happy trance.br /The whistle is blown for half timebr /Our hopes and hearts begin to rhyme.br /Our opponents are confused by emofun/em and emree/ememspan style="font-size:85%;"[7]/span/em,br /Loyalty to our boys runs wild and free.br /We know too much soccer, we are all coachesbr /To eleven men, directing their matches.br /br /We love this game too much to lose,br /Our boys can give us no excusebr /Another whistle and the game resumesbr /The air is filled with our tunes.br /A dear mistake by opponents, our boys get the ballbr /Opposing defense crumbles, their net gets our ball.br /Ghana --- three --- opponents --- nilbr /Their world rushes to stand still.br /We barely wait until final whistle blows,br /We comfort foes over their woes,br /Straining our voices with shouts of victory,br /Joining nation in history.br /We raise the cup in confetti, balloons and lights,br /Ghana now lives in soccer’s highlights/blockquotebr /br /br /emspan style="font-size:85%;"[1] Dangbleshi is a Ga word for the soccer action of a scissor-kick.br /[2] Saatay is a Ga word for faking and feigning one’s opponent in soccer.br /[3] Suuliya is a Hausa word for the soccer action wherein a player manages to kick a ball through the legs of his opponent.br /[4] Jama is a Ga music genre, characterized by heavy percussion.br /[5] Ga word for cockroach. Also used for the adjective, dirtybr /[6] Damba is a dance in the Northern Region of Ghana. Usually characterized by jumping and stomping.br /[7] Ofun and ree are peculiarly Ghanaian soccer catch-phrases for ‘poor play’ and ‘great play’, respectively. ‘Ofun’ is said when one’s opposing team has the ball. ‘Ree’ is when one’s team has the ball. /span/em/pbr /br /span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"span style="font-size:85%;""Euphoria" is part four of our four-part series of poems on soccer. Previous installments can be viewed from our a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/2007/03/archives.html"Archive/a page./span /spandiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-7831511566251853731?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
strongBiography:/strongbr /blockquotea href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Sl5rWzZzucI/AAAAAAAABLo/WUyrCI0lgU8/s1600-h/Prince+Mensah.JPG"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Sl5rWzZzucI/AAAAAAAABLo/WUyrCI0lgU8/s200/Prince+Mensah.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358838646117218754" //aBorn in Ghana, Prince Mensah has twenty-five stage plays to his credit. Some of them have been acted at the Accra Arts Center and at several locations in Accra. His articles and stories have been published in the emSTEP magazine/em, emP P/em, emGhanadot.com/em and emThe Free Press/em.br /br /Prince Mensah has published seventeen books of poetry. They are ema href="http://www.amazon.com/Memoirs-Native-Son-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1606729365/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148949sr=8-1"Memoirs of A Native Son/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shall-Will-Can-Poetry-Inspired/dp/1608367134/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-15"I Shall, I Will, I Can (Poetry Inspired by Barack Obama)/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Afrocentric-Musings-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442174242/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-6"Afrocentric/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/ecclesiastes-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442179503/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-2"ecclesiastes/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/State-Abstract-Mind-Chronicles-Fragmentation/dp/1442181184/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-10"State of An Abstract Mind/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Griot-Metropolitan-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442181141/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-9"The Griot Metropolitan/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Mirrors-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/144218115X/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-11"The Land of Broken Mirrors/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Coronation-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442181125/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-7"Coronation/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Enough-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442195088/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-8"Enough is Enough/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-War-Free-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442191031/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-1"World War-Free/a, in praise of the calabash, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prophylaxis-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442191848/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246148998sr=8-12"Prophylaxis/a, Via Dolorosa, Tabula Rasa, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eclectic-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442194979/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246149332sr=8-4"Eclectic/a, a href="http://www.amazon.com/Situational-Hazard-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442191503/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246149332sr=8-3"Situational Hazard/a/em and ema href="http://www.amazon.com/Chronology-Prince-Kwasi-Mensah/dp/1442191090/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1246149332sr=8-13"Chronology/a/em.br /br /His poetry was featured on UNESCO’s Other Voices Poetry Project last year. His essay, ‘An African’s Epistle to the Mosquito’ will be featured in Dike Okoro’s Anthology of Emerging Writers in Africa 2009.br /br /Prince is a Consultant in Workplace Mediation, an HIV/AID Treatment Advocate and an Eligible Translator/Interpreter in Twi Fante for the Judicial Consortium of 40 American States. He lives in the United States with his wife, Charisse.br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"Prince is the head of North American promotions for One Ghana, One Voice./span/blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five questions with Prince Mensah:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. You have chosen a very active rhyme scheme for this poem. Which came first, the idea of the poem and its subject, or your attraction to the rhyme scheme? Did the theme of football inspire the frequent rhyming?br /br /emThis poem was written in response to OGOV’s call for poetry on soccer. I realized during this poem’s creation that I could not capture the back-and-forth motion of the ball without using rhyme to illustrate action. Also, there was the need to capture symmetry, which is an essential part of soccer: long passes, dribbles, corner kicks and free kicks. There are also the taunts and playful innuendoes of the fans of both teams. These actions occur concurrently and do create a rhyming sound effect on the field. In effect, one team’s effort to win is echoed in the other team’s will not to suffer defeat. The beautiful thing about the rhyming action between two teams is that it is not redundant. It is reactive (offense), proactive (defense) and active (mid-field and wings) at the same time.br /br /I felt that in this poem, it would be disconcerting to use abstract techniques. It had to be precise and poignant. The poem was created from a fictional football match in which Ghana scored three goals. There was an attempt to capture both the colloquialism and camaraderie found during soccer games. I wrote "Euphoria" while remembering the vocal dexterity of the legendary commentator, Joe Lartey, as he described many a soccer match on my father’s radio player in the 1980s./embr /br / br /br /2. This poem emphasizes the important relationship between football, music and dance. It seems that this connection is stronger in regards to football than with other sports. Likewise, it seems more important in African football than in football on the other continents. Why do you think this is?br /br /emFootball, music and dance are the triumvir activities of the quintessential Ghana lifestyle. On the soccer field, these three forces merge into one electric force that takes on a life of its own. Not among the players but among their fans and spectators. As a Ghanaian, the inculcation of music art forms such as jama into the fabric of the soccer experience has made our soccer identity extremely different from that of other nations. Soccer in Ghana has a cult following. Some people place their love of soccer above their own safety. It is an intense experience which is properly ventilated through song and dance. Like golf, cricket and American football, soccer is another potent portal for networking, identity building and brand marketing. This satisfies both the business and individual needs of the average Ghanaian. It is also important to note that soccer is a healing tool for our fragmented nations./embr /br /br /3. Do you think the love of soccer is a patriotic duty for all Ghanaians, or is it an acquired taste?br /br /emIt is a patriotic duty. See, Ghanaians are peaceful and yet, extremely passionate people. When we love something or someone, we go all out. The names of the members of our Black Stars are household names all over the country and it sure does affect the national psyche when our team suffers defeat. There are a lot of similarities between soccer and other facets of Ghanaian life./embr /br /br /4. Do you think poetry can learn any tricks from football about how to become a major force in African life?br /br /emSoccer is communal and can be played by anyone. So should poetry. I think African writers should try to express themselves in their native languages. The poetry has to be relatable. It cannot be an imposition of a foreign style. It must come from within the culture it is addressing. Like soccer, poetry must entertain. The play of words on the ears, the weaving of riddles and wit into common speech and the ability to connect to the average reader/listener is crucial. For poetry to become as potent as soccer is in Ghana, it has to descend from the ivory tower and be synchronized with the mud huts. It has to step onto the green fields of ethno-cultural expression and play hard till it scores with the general public. Poetry in Ghana should be merged with dramatic essence until it can stand on its own feet to build enough wings to fly.br /br /By example, I have a soon-to-be-published book of poetry, entitled, "My Book of Asante Poetry Volume I," in which I have poems written in Twi and translated into English./embr /br /br /5. On a light note, how good are your soccer skills in comparison to your fine poetry?br /br /emMy soccer skills used to be very good until I run into a merciless defender who came straight for my knees. This happened a decade ago. Since coming to the States, I have not played a soccer game to my satisfaction. Of course, I am still an arm-chair coach, which most Ghanaians are, and I enjoy the games from the safety of my sofa. br /br /However, the better poetry I wrote the less artful in soccer I became. In effect, I traded soccer for poetry. But guess what, I can still dribble with words, free-kick themes, corner-kick concepts and score a good poem. So that is a fair exchange./em /blockquotebr /br /strongContact Prince:/strongbr /br /blockquoteEmail: empryncemensah(at)yahoo.com/embr /Website: a href="http://www.freewebs.com/pryncemensah/" target="_blank"http://www.freewebs.com/pryncemensah//a/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-2235493742638753441?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /cymbal-crashed torsos and heads make musicbr /as a chorus strikes quickly in unisonbr /in blurred jerseys where logos wildly pouncebr /when bodies pivot leap stretch fall runbr /and rapidly collide in high-lifting surgesbr /that crest and hit like fierce wavesbr /felt from the field to the stand/blockquotebr /br /br /span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"span style="font-size:85%;""football kwansaba #2" is part three of our four-part series of poems on soccer. Previous installments can be viewed from our a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/2007/03/archives.html"Archive/a page./span/spandiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-4963188192136596859?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
strongBiography:/strongbr /br /blockquotea onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SZYdM6xS9dI/AAAAAAAAA4I/LTRFwOXFS7E/s1600-h/vangarret.jpg"img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SZYdM6xS9dI/AAAAAAAAA4I/LTRFwOXFS7E/s200/vangarret.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302457719046993362" border="0" //aVan G. Garrett is the author of Songs in Blue Negritude, a collection of poetry (Xavier Review Press, 2008). He was awarded a Dr. Kwame Nkrumah International Study Scholarship, an Archie D. and Bertha H. Walker Foundation Scholarship to attend a Fine Arts Work Center Fellowship, a Hurston/Wright Fellowship for poetry, and two Callaloo Creative Writing Fellowships for poetry. He received the Danny Lee Lawrence prize for poetry, and his poetry has been anthologized and published in journals based in Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, and London. His poems have appeared or will appear in span style="font-style: italic;"Obsidian III, The Amistad, The Pittsburgh Quarterly, ChickenBones, Life Imitating Art, Swirl, Drumvoices Revue, Curbside Review, Urban Beat/span, and elsewhere. His reviews have appeared in span style="font-style: italic;"Rolling Stone.com, African American Review, Moria,and ChickenBones/span.br /br /Van earned his MAIS from the University of Houston-Victoria and his B.A. from Houston Baptist University. He is the first student to receive a graduate certificate in African American Studies from the University of Houston. br /br /emRead Van's first "football kwansaba" a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/2007/04/football-kwansaba-van-g-garrett.html"here/a./em/blockquotebr /br /strongFive Questions with Van G. Garrett/Fui Koshi:/strongbr /br /blockquote1. The moves in game of soccer, in your poem, are likened to the motions of the sea. Was this description born out of a personal experience?br /br /emYes. I love being near the sea. Also, I would like to think that I can find the common threads of fluid motion in sports. I really appreciate the fluid motion in boxing; however, it is certainly found in soccer as well./embr /br /br /2. As an American, how did you relate to a sport not extremely popular in your own country in order to give it the precise nativity in your poem?br /br /emI enjoy sports that require mental toughness. Soccer is a sport that I have not played, but I have played American football. As a matter of fact, I will be coaching a football team at an international school this season. In my poetry I seek to find the very "basic" things that pull at me and draw from / upon those key elements./embr /br /br /3. Your use of spaces is remarkable in the poem. It captures the marriage of individual strength and team work in order to achieve a good game in soccer. Can you describe how it feels to be a spectator in a soccer game by a beach or in a stadium in Ghana?br /br /emI got a chance to see some "local" games on beaches and on the plains of Ghana. Also, I saw the stadium where the Black Stars play, however I did not get to see any "professional" games. When I write, I, like many writers try to (re)create place, space, and time. You are correct, I made a deliberate decision to capture the tone of a game on the page -making it seem real, not staged./embr /br /br /4. On a light note, how good are your soccer skills in comparison to your fine poetry?br /br /emWow. Thank you for the compliment. I should hope that I am a much better poet. I can kick and stop a ball. I think that I can do an "okay" job on defense, but I think I am a better poet. If I tried really hard I might be able to be okay, but I am getting a little older and I can't move as fast as I use to - I can still write a decent poem with the quickness of a thunder's strike./embr /br /br /5. Do you think the game of soccer is synonymous with the way Ghanaians live? If so, can you give us an insight into the society as you see it?br /br /emThis is an astute observation. I find Ghanaians (generally speaking) to be very laid-back; exhibiting a strong sense of pride. To me these characteristics mirror soccer. You have to be flexible, but you also have to be willing to play hard with a lot of heart./em/blockquotebr /br /strongContact Van/Fui:/strongbr /br /blockquoteemvanggarrett(at)gmail.com/em/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-3045914647482533704?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /em- Accra Hearts of Oak v. Ashanti Gold, Tema Sports Stadium/embr /br /br /So close to this manbr /fevered and screaming br /at the refs, the coaches,br /the players (especially poor br /Owu, the opposition’s keeper) br /and now at the police officersbr /with their slick black batonsbr /he is screaming at them br /for blocking his view andbr /as he screams they swaggerbr /towards us and more of usbr /join in until the whole br /section is shouting and br /they finally back offbr /though someone near usbr /throws an empty bottlebr /which nearly hits its markbr /and we feel suddenly closebr /to a certain kind of death (a br /stubborn form of life throbbing br /viciously in our throats)br /as the police officers walkbr /to the side, batons swingingbr /casually, and the keeper dropsbr /the ball off his foot and away – br //blockquotebr /br /span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"span style="font-size:85%;""Viciously in our throats" is part two of our four-part series of poems on soccer. Previous installments can be viewed from our a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/2007/03/archives.html"Archive/a page./span /spandiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-1799537969617266911?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
strongBiography:/strongbr /br /blockquotea href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SleZZVo8OgI/AAAAAAAABHI/VaezEnvhBz0/s1600-h/rob+side+small.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 193px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SleZZVo8OgI/AAAAAAAABHI/VaezEnvhBz0/s200/rob+side+small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356918942365137410" //aRob Taylor lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He lived in Accra in 2006-07 with his wife, Marta. His poetry has appeared in over thirty print and online magazines, and he has published two chapbooks, entitled a href="http://roblucastaylor.com/publications.html" target="_blank"emsplattered earth/em and emChild of Saturday/em/a. He is the poetry editor at a href="http://www.redfez.net" target="_blank"Red Fez/a. br /br /"Viciously in our throats" was previously published in a href="http://dalhousiereview.dal.ca/index.html"The Dalhousie Review/a.br /br /emRob is a co-founder and editor of/em One Ghana, One Voice./blockquotebr /br /strongFive Questions with Rob Taylor:/strongbr /br /blockquote1. You capture the intensity on the field and in the stands very well in your poem. What part of a game of soccer do you enjoy most and which part do you vehemently dislike?br /br /emI enjoy the intensity in the stands the most, for sure, even if it is a little nerve-wracking at times. I like the idea of so many people and so much energy coming together for a common purpose, no matter how trivial that purpose may be. Nothing unites all of us across racial, cultural and social divides like football.br /br /What I dislike most are the dishonourable actions we see these days (both on the pitch and in the stands). Faked injuries and fixed games on the pitch combined with racism and hooliganism in the stands, have gone a long way to taint the beautiful game./embr /br /br /2. em"though someone near us/throws an empty bottle/which nearly hits its mark/and we feel suddenly close/to a certain kind of death (a /stubborn form of life throbbing /viciously in our throats)"/em br /br /Violence during and after soccer games is on the ascendancy. Do you think this emanates from misguided passions of supporters or plain human penchant for mischief?br /br /emDuring games, I think that in large part it comes down to our limited understanding of the behaviour of big crowds in small spaces. I think this is especially true in Africa, where crowd controls (and, often, seating) are far more limited. I remember the panic I felt at times while working my way through the thick crowds at the Ghana @ 50 celebrations, something I’d never felt at a large event before. It’s easy to lose your head in that environment and start pushing and shoving. This is all the more true when you add the emotional intensity of a football game, where, on top of everything else, rival fans could be standing right next to you.br /br /I’ve never been involved in a post-game fight, so I can’t really say why they happen (though at the end of the game written about in my poem, which was a 0-0 tie – a big victory for Ashgold - it looked like something might break out between the Hearts players and their disappointed fans!). That said, my guess is that it is mostly the standard vices of misguided passions, social/cultural/racial divides, and alcohol. /embr /br /br /3. From the lessons of stadium tragedies in Ghana, do you think law enforcement officers are the part of the problem or are they ill-equipped to handle problems as they rise? If you had your way, how would you position law enforcement to ensure a smooth soccer game?br /br /emI think the first step is good stadium design. The game in the poem took place in Tema because of the upgrades being done to Accra’s stadium. In Tema, as in many smaller stadiums, the fans aren’t elevated above the pitch, so it was impossible for the officers to avoid being in the line of sight (and irritating the spectators). Likewise, when stadium tragedies break out, it is often in part the stadium’s fault because it has inadequate exits and too-narrow exit corridors. My understanding is that gates were locked, preventing escape, during the 2001 tragedy, for instance.br /br /Officers certainly need to be better trained and equipped, also. But law enforcement in Ghana is in such sad shape that behaviour at football matches shouldn’t place too high on the list of needed improvements. Let’s tackle corruption first and move on from there!/embr /br /br /4. The breathlessness of your poem is akin to a soccer player in pursuit of a ball. Did you write this poem on the spur of the moment or was it a regurgitation of an intense experience? br /br /emIt certainly is based on a real experience. The poem is 100% factual, which is rare for me now that I think about it. I can’t remember exactly when I wrote it, but it was some time in the week following the match, so everything was still fresh in my mind./embr /br /br /5. On a light note, how good are your soccer skills in comparison to your fine poetry?br /br /emOh, I’m lousy. I remember my first time going to Tema with a friend to play. My eyes almost fell out of my head - those boys were so good! No wonder Canada is 57 spots behind Ghana in the FIFA rankings. br /br /As for how it compares to my poetry, I don’t know. Not that many people have both read my poetry and played football against me. Maybe if someone sets up a poet’s football league some time down the road we can find out for sure!/embr //blockquotebr /br /strongContact Rob:/strongbr /br /blockquoteEmail: emroblucastaylor(at)gmail.com/embr /Websites: a href="http://roblucastaylor.com" target="_blank"emRobLucasTaylor.com/a, a href="http://rollofnickels.blogspot.com" target="_blank"spread it like a roll of nickels/a/blockquote/emdiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-8564521373235613754?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /Up it goes.br /Soaring to heights unscaledbr /Spreading its gallant wingsbr /So it cuts through the windsbr /Like knife through butterbr /Immaculate!!!br /It lands on a trunkbr /With neck straightened and stretched to the skybr /As if to say “WHO IS THE MAN”!br /Hmmm...br /Now it has gone frailbr /Its feathers that glitterbr /Now looks like they have gone through a shredderbr /Tattered!br /Are its feathers.br /Awful the feathers make it look.br /And they stare!br /Yes they stare and very well at that!br /They stare at the bird they once admired or detested.br /The admirers could not hide their disappointment at its becomingbr /Whilst those that detest it smile and laugh in a jubilant and sarcastic manner,br /As if to say "Thank God for your becoming!"br /Alas!br /It looks straight ahead.br /As if luck did prompt it to.br /What did it see?!br /A Pyre!!br /It saw a Pyre!br /So it gathers all strength there is to gatherbr /With a determined look,br /A flight it took.br /Towards the Pyrebr /Stand, it does on the Pyrebr /Its feathers start to smokebr /Then it glowsbr /Red!br /Then its darkens,br /Dark till it becomes ashbr /A powdery ashbr /The admirers mourn and detractors jubilate.br /Ah! Wait a minutebr /What do I see!?br /I see the ashes risebr /And as if the magic word “Abra ka Dabra” is says,br /Skeletons form and flesh covers them.br /Feathers, beautiful ones at that, cover the flesh.br /It once again looks as beautiful as ever.br /The admirers and detractors exchange the emotions they held.br /Now,br /Once more, with wings spread, it flaps and flies.br /Looking back one last time with a gaze that says "thanks for all your thoughts."br /Then it disappears into the atmosphere. /blockquotebr /br /span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"span style="font-size:85%;""The Phoenix" is part one of our four-part series of poems on soccer./span /spandiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-5349275557242717844?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquotea href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SlBIrevwGzI/AAAAAAAABHA/Dktu_A7aRJ8/s1600-h/georgoe1.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 168px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SlBIrevwGzI/AAAAAAAABHA/Dktu_A7aRJ8/s200/georgoe1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354859868768443186" //aGeorge is a Ghanaian in his 20s. He lives in Accra, and is a graduate of the University of Ghana with a BA(Maths/Economics). He is currently working with one of the Government Agencies in Ghana. He reads and sometimes does some writing during his free periods./blockquotebr /br /br /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with George Amoah:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. You likened the game of soccer to the rejuvenation of the phoenix, a mythical bird. As a player of soccer, can you elaborate on that feeling?br /br /emI don't remember the last time I kicked a ball but I am a strong follower of the Black Stars of Ghana. The Black Stars peaked months before the 2006 World Cup and months after, they found themselves down and losing matches and this came with criticisms and trauma for the players and everybody. Then lo and behold, they came back with a 'bang'.br /br /I tell you the feeling was and is still great!!!/embr /br /br /2. The use of words such as ‘powdery ash’ and ‘Abra ka Dabra’ suggests evidence of the supernatural in the game of soccer. Can you tell us how the use of black magic impacts soccer in Ghana?br /br /emI dont know if it really works but what I know is it gives one team a psychological edge over the other and it also motivates the players themselves. I think it's the 'you can beat anyone because you have something extra' feeling. Some choose to call it the feel-good factor./embr /br /br /3. In the line, ‘The admirers and detractors exchange the emotions they held.’, you captured the sychronization of opposites in soccer. Do you think the same can be said of life in general?br /br /emYes I do. Sometimes when you seem to be down and out, some people just won't help but laugh at you. They become very shocked and even sad, though, when you finally make your way out of the problem./embr /br /br /4. Being a Ghanaian, do you think the love of soccer is a patriotic duty or is it an acquired taste?br /br /emI strong think its both. You acquire the taste and cant help but support your country or play for your country. We all love the game of soccer./embr /br /br /5. As a promising poet, do you think poetry can become a force in Ghana the way soccer is? If so, how?br /br /Yes. In fact it was once a force. It went into hibernation and is on the rise as depicted in my poem./blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact George:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;"papadexte(at)yahoo.com/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-2039051702077665741?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'pobject height='350' width='425'param value='http://youtube.com/v/_bdN-fiqueg' name='movie'/embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/_bdN-fiqueg'//embed/object/p/divblockquotepre style="font-family: georgia;"embr /We are the world/we are the children…/embr / br /Death and Mike are now one br /One name one fame one flame br /One song one thought one word br /One one once and for all br / br /Mike, emYou Got To Be There/em and there was emBen/em br /Before emMusic and Me/em, signed, emForever/em, Michael br /You were emOff The Wall/em and you emThrilled/em us br /You were emBad/em, emDangerous/em and made emHIStory/em br /You were emInvincible/em Michael Jackson br /That human mystery, that vocal miracle br /That sound that summed our struggles br / br /These strings of music were long enough br /To knit black, white, brown and red br /And Jackson was the one who sung br /Songs of our pain and pleasure br / br /Seventh child, one of emJackson Five/em br /You made us proud to be alive br /To witness your aura, the aural paradise br /We lived in whenever you sang br / br /Among your billion admirers was an icy br /Stalker by name of Death br /And he had his way on Thursday br /On this shocking day in June br / br /He abducted you and we still wonder why br /The best are always taken first br /Our tears are full of memories and music br /Of how we felt when we heard your voice br / br /But you are victorious in death for it holds br /No more its power over you br /Your legend is written in stone br /Your songs are soundtracks br /To love and life and loss br /You shall always be King of Pop br /For posterity will hail your posters, br /Your perfection, your persona br / br /And Death is a loser after all br /For it only sets us free br /Free to become birds that sing br /At golden dusks by silent seas br / br /Death and Mike are now one br /One name one fame one flame br /One song one thought one word br /One one once and for all br / br /emWe are the world/we are the children.../em/pre/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-9220129575488780517?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
strongPrince Mensah on Michael Jackson:/strongblockquoteembr /My heart leaps up when I beholdbr /A rainbow in the sky:br /So was it when my life began;br /So is it now I am a man;br /So be it when I shall grow old,br /Or let me die!br /The child is father of the man;br /And I could wish my days to bebr /Bound each to each by natural piety./embr / br /- "My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold", William Wordsworth/blockquotebr /br /Michael Joseph Jackson was a mystery, miracle and maestro rolled into one package. From his days as the lead vocalist for emJackson Five/em to his extremely successful career as a solo artist, Jackson had the power to connect people from all persuasions. He ignited that tender part of our humanity which usually got imprisoned under the tyranny of emergency and deadlines. His songs evoked the noblest response from the most unlikely and became his tool to ask the world of his time to look past fickleness into the eyes of the future. No artist, and I dare to say, not even the Beatles and Elvis, has had such a global pop appeal, transcending race, culture and nationality. From America to Africa, from Asia to Australia, from Europe to Antarctica, the music of Michael Jackson resonated with the wants and wishes of the human soul. With dance and dexterity, with clarity and charm, with voice and verve, he walked this earth as a human being. An imperfect human being in the elusive chase after perfection. He loved and cried like us. He lived and crooned to love like us. He genuinely wanted to help people, to pay his dues in this great theater of life. He was the us we forget amidst life’s many demands and distractions.br /br /We have lost someone iconic. Actually, an iconoclast. Michael Jackson is gone and the void can never be filled. Not in this lifetime.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-4853844326360970454?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /This world is full of injusticebr /Injustice is all we hear and seebr /Despite the sea being just to all its inhabitantsbr /Injustice engulfs us and beckons at our door each daybr / br /We are ignorant of the pastbr /And yet pretend to walk into the futurebr /How is it possible when we have no knowledge of the past?br /My message to the world is for mankind to be conscious of the pastbr / br /I am a man of the past living in the present to guide my people into the futurebr /Certainly the message from where I belongbr /We have been in the wilderness for far too longbr /All because we rise up against injustice anytime it shows its headbr / br /We have been killed far too many times but we refuse to diebr /We have a message that needs to be toldbr /To both the old and youngbr /Ying and Yangbr / br /Hear my message and my loud crybr /We refuse to settle for chauvinismbr /We refuse to settle for anything short of qualitybr /Birds are crying from afar br /br /The air blows the message my waybr /Arise and fight chauvinism br /Arise and fight against maltreatment of womenbr /Stand up and fight against wars in Africa and Asiabr /br /Stand up and kick against child labourbr /Arise and fight against imperialism and corruptionbr /My message is so longbr /But time isn't on our sidebr /br /As I need to hide my voicebr /Hide my voice because we're not safebr /Tribal and political killings all around usbr /The ass is running for shelter and so are humansbr /br /Ants are even fighting for coverbr /My message is clear as the airbr /We detest all the wars and hatred around usbr /My message is long and must continue in your mindsbr /br /As you picture all the violence we face in your mind's eyebr /I am for peace but when I talk, I am for warbr /Or maybe my voice pierces the heart of the heartless/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-7577671157289979567?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
strongBiography:/strongbr /br /blockquotea onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SajvNktbP4I/AAAAAAAAA4w/g6zdamV9teo/s1600-h/julian.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SajvNktbP4I/AAAAAAAAA4w/g6zdamV9teo/s200/julian.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307755177327673218" //aJulian is an alum of Presby Boys Secondary School, Legon. He holds a B.A. in Business Studies at the Kensington College of Business, London, a Diploma in Journalism at the Writers Bureau College of Journalism, Manchester, UK, Executive Diplomas in Strategic Management and Management, a Diploma in Management Studies and an Executive MBA at the Huddersfield University, UK. br / br /He has worked in several management positions in the UK and Africa and wants to see Africans do a lot more for themselves rather than relying on the IMF and other donor agencies by developing their human capital. He speaks three languages with a rudimentary knowledge of German and has traveled extensively around the globe spreading his poetry messages and helping out with business solutions.br /br /Julian is also the proud author of two bestsellers, namely ema href="http://www.bestwebbuys.com/Smile_Africa-ISBN_9781413761139.html?isrc=b-search" target="_blank"Smile Africa/a/em and ema href="http://www.bestwebbuys.com/Recall-ISBN_9781424113408.html?isrc=b-search" target="_blank"Recall/a/em, which are both available on amazon.com, bn.com, borders.com, and in major retail outlets around the globe.br /br /emJulian is a co-founder of One Ghana, One Voice./em/blockquotebr /strongFive Questions with Julian Adomako-Gyimah:/strongbr /br /blockquote1. Your "message" is obviously for the whole world, not just Africa. Still, do you aim for it to have a particular resonance with African readers over others?br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"My message is surely for the whole world with particular interest to Africa where ignorance and hatred is causing wars all over the continent. Take a look at Iraq, Afghanistan and other troubled zones around the world. The wars are partly due to greed or one person or nation's quest for more control and power.br /br /My message talks against child labour in Africa and Asia and also condemns nepotism and ethnocentrism, as we are all witnesses to the effect of these two deadly qualities in Rwanda and Burundi. There must certainly not be a repeat of these inhumane atrocities meted on mankind, regardless of their colour or creed. My message outlines by strong desire to see justice in the world because injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, as Martin Luther King of Blessed Memory proclaimed.br /br /My message is certainly to all mankind, but Africans and Asians in particular because for so long these continents have allowed imperialists to use nepotism, greed and wars to divide their front. My message is clear./spanbr /br /br /2. Likewise, is your message coming from an African voice, or an international / universal one? br / br /span style="font-style:italic;"My message is coming from a universal voice because it positively affects all mankind regardless of their geographical location./spanbr / br /br /3. Your writing style is very direct - you often state your points far more clearly and directly than most poets. Is this a natural style of yours or do you do it intentionally to serve a purpose? If so, what purpose?br /br /I have the ability to change my style depending on the message I intend to carry across. "a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/2008/03/biggest-fool-julian-adomako-gyimah.html"The Biggest Fool/a" was one of my indirect pieces as you must have noticed and in that poem, I got the reader thinking about what I wanted to carry across. In "My Message," I chose a more direct approach which doesn't keep the reader thinking but instead has them appreciating and going with the flow. I intentionally decided to go with the direct approach in this one to make the message as clear as possible even to the man who doesn't appreciate poetry and the complexities that it could come with. Agoo!br / br /br /4. You often utilize animals as metaphors in your poems, such as "Birds are crying from afar" and "The deer never stops running" in your last profiled poem, "Crying Mama". What is it that draws you to animal metaphors? br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"I personally believe that mankind have a lot to learn from animals. We are higher animals who often indulge in the wrong things such as wars, when animals live in peace - maybe we can learn from them. I have been a big fan of Maya Angelou and maybe my use of such metaphors is as a result of her influence on my writing in recent times./spanbr /br /br /5. How is Zion Publishing coming along?br /br /a href="http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/2243294-new-african-publishing-house-born" target="_blank"Zion Publishing/a has only receive a few manuscripts from writers so far. We are currently reviewing them for future publications, and looking for more submissions. The future is bright I must say. br //blockquotebr /strongContact Julian:/strongbr /blockquoteemjlnadom(at)gmail.com/em/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-1924294040058668542?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /She loved mebr /when everything I hadbr /was for takingbr /Coming, she winkedbr /when I knew not her sortbr /br /My coast bloomingbr /Her eyes running widebr /I was blindbr /and her treachery eluded mebr /and I ran into her clasp and therebr /felt warmth never before experiencedbr /br /The beginning of my miserybr /I gave my allbr /Days passed and I gradually got to knowbr /I have loved wrongbr /Divorce I sought but it had to be boughtbr /with flesh and bloodbr /br /The many that fell in the chase of the spousebr /An honour due them in my housebr /Sons and daughters of the home torn apartbr /Sins of the fathers,br /the agonies of the now,br /the reason why we bowbr /br /But where we stand is freshbr /as the milk of a cowbr /fed on dark rooted beetsbr /untapped, the bursting of the teatsbr /Passers-by’s interest, the duping of the native,br /But to save him is our prerogative./blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-6080163205853283197?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquotea onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SjPWx-pAlZI/AAAAAAAABEo/paM_JPckY6s/s1600-h/emmanuel.JPG"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 117px; height: 160px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SjPWx-pAlZI/AAAAAAAABEo/paM_JPckY6s/s200/emmanuel.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346853336735847826" //aNana Agyemang Ofosu, born on February 3rd, 1985 in Kumasi, Ghana, is a young poet. He holds a degree in civil engineering from Kwame Nkrumah University of science and technology and is currently honoring his national service at the Department of Urban Roads, Kumasi. As a student of science, he accidentally discovered his interest in poetry when he made a bad comment about a poetry piece of his younger brother. He is a member of an open mic poetry team in Kumasi and also a founding member of span style="font-style:italic;"Unified Talents/span, the organizers of Open Mic Poetry./blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with Nana Agyemang Ofosu:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. How long have you been writing poetry?br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"I started writing in first semester of my final year in the university in 2007 with the title "Rose Remembered." A piece put together after reading excerpts of works of Lord Byron and John Donne. /spanbr /br /br /2. Who are your favorite poets? Which poets have most informed and inspired your work?br /span style="font-style:italic;"br /It is no doubt Lord Byron and John Donne. /spanbr /br /br /3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"I think I am already seeing what I expected from my work. Poetry has helped me meet people who share dreams like I do. This dream has carried us to a point of realizing the project Open Mic Poetry in July./spanbr / br /br /4. What do you think of the state of poetry in Ghana today?br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"With my current tour, I think there is hope for a better tomorrow. People have the interest but do not have the opportunity to show what they have. What is needed is the platform to give them the due advantage. I think people should work harder to provide for others the chance to be heard./spanbr /br /br /5. Are you working on any new projects or poems that your think our readers might be interested in?br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"I am part of a team embarking on a project dubbed Open Mic Poetry. The project is far advanced but we are expecting help from everyone interested in live performance./span/blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact Nana:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;" target="_Blank"bunitslove(at)yahoo.com, unifiedtalents(at)hotmail.com/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-8638313725133403889?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /1br /br /We lived in the village of Assesewabr /We married after my bragrobr /(But) Babies, they didn’t come!br /The oracles had saidbr /Two you shall getbr /Later they will comebr /In the days of our fight for independencebr /I had my childrenbr /br /Egya Kofi camebr /From the white man's castlebr /He camebr /Around him we gatheredbr /He told a tale of visitbr /A visit to the white mans land far and beyondbr /To see his worldbr /All were proud of himbr /br /br /br /2br / br /He went and camebr /Agya Kofi went and came with a white woman for a wifebr /His lawful wife he saidbr /He signed papers and she was given to himbr /(Hm) Just a piece of paper for a wifebr /He built a mansion, away from the hut we livedbr /In the white mans language, they spokebr /A sister I was presumed to bebr /br /I cook but he eats notbr /The grinding stone I usebr /The clay potbr /He says when I cook its all dirtbr /I have not what the white woman usesbr /He complains when he eats my foodbr /He says I over cookbr /br /When the moon blesses me at nightbr /My husband comes to mebr /But my husband complainsbr /He tells me I am dirty when he feels the shea butter on my skinbr /He says I smell like a shear butter factorybr /br /He says my hair is too thickbr /He can’t run his hands through thembr /My husband says that the flesh of my skin is fatbr /my breasts are too bigbr /And my buttocks too muchbr /He says I am too darkbr /br /When my husband comes to me at nights when he is deniedbr /Hear him again! He says I am too rigidbr /I do not wiggle and gigglebr /That is why he doesn’t want to make love to mebr /br /My husband says I am too backwardbr /Because I use herbs,br /I am my own doctorbr /I have remedy for headachesbr /I have remedy for worm infestationbr /I have remedy for malariabr /Remedy for impotence and barenessbr /All these are in the forestbr /br /br /br /3br /br /My back achesbr /I till the land from dawn to duskbr /The merciless sun beating on my backbr /the rains soothing and balmingbr /The rewards of my hard workbr /Cattle, sheep, goats, and chickenbr /All that my husband knows is kill and eat with his white wifebr /br /To my house he pointsbr /The fruits of my labour are directedbr /To a wife who is my rivalbr /Bought by a piece of paperbr /One who does not toil with her hands?br /But paints thembr /Those shall be diner, servant I am notbr /The sultry taste of sweat produces foodbr /br /My husband has turned into a hypocritebr /My husband says a woman is not to talk back to her husbandbr /But, I see his white wife raising her hand to himbr /I too am a woman, a mother of his childrenbr /A woman who cookedbr /A woman who washedbr /And warmed his bedbr /Gave him a pillow of breastbr /Now he doesn’t like me because I am blackbr /br /br /br /4br /br /In the old days, my husband, you were a proud manbr /You had the most beautiful womanbr /My hips were the jealousy of your friendsbr /My eyes the emerald of lightbr /The smoothest skin like polished stonebr /You adorned me with cowries, beads, and goldbr /Now you distinguish between colorsbr /Because I am black, you do not like me any morebr /Two babies and the oranges are still strongbr /The stand with no supportbr /These you say are not idealbr /The little ones you cannot holdbr /The bones that grind against youbr /That, you lovebr /br /Through rain and shinebr /Thin and thickbr /The star that led, protected and comforted youbr /In my bosom you found solacebr /Lovers we have beenbr /Friends we werebr /I was a mother who breast-fed youbr /A sister who chided youbr /Now I am no goodbr /To you an educated manbr /A fool lost in the world of his ancestors./blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-845707631136813594?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquotea href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SNFllCTxovI/AAAAAAAAAkU/t8rPLlws3Bw/s1600-h/Nana1.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SNFllCTxovI/AAAAAAAAAkU/t8rPLlws3Bw/s200/Nana1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247086727812719346" //aNana Yeboaa is the pen name for Bernadette Poku. She is a spoken word artist and performance poet. Some of her poetry material have apperead in the Taj Mal anthology, span style="font-style:italic;"T.dot griot: an anthology of toronto black story tellers/span./blockquotebr /br /br /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with Nana Yeboaa:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. You've mentioned that this was one of the first poems you wrote after immigrating to Canada. Was this a coincidence, or do you think you could have only written it at that time, experiencing the changes induced by the move?br /br /emI really do believe that my immigration to Canada offered me the opportunity to look at my culture, to look at things that I had previously accepted as OK. I began to look at the sacrament/institution of marriage and my identity as a person (woman) of color differently. I began to be critical of the attitudes of men who traveled abroad to further their education, the changes in ideology that they brought with them, and the perceptions they held about the African women they left behind./embr /br /br /2. When you write a poem like this, who is your intended audience? Ghanaians? Canadians? A small group of readers or a wider audience?br /br /emWhen I write, it is with an innate feeling that it is directed to all of humanity, hence I do not write for a particular audience. It is the core truth of my feelings, hence I am not subject to mince words. So everyone is to read and form an opinion, learn a lesson perhaps or create an avenue for debate or discussion. br /br /For instance, a black woman may agree with me, some black men may critique, vehemently disagree with the issue or condemn the piece, whilst some white women may feel insulted. But mind you, the talk's about some black women’s reality in a different age, time and growth of the African sub-continent./embr /br /br /3. How do you think the prejudices of the husband in this poem (racial stereotyping of spouses, dismissal of traditional medicines, etc.), which are so omnipresent in our world, be fought? How would tactics in fighting these prejudices be different in a country like Canada than in a country like Ghana?br /br /emThis is when the notation "yea men of little brains" come to my mind. The husband as the poem portrays is a well read man, however he is a person lacking asense of tradition, like a duck that thought it was a goose. Such a person frowns upon tradition as being uncouth, uncivilized. Need I say that when we talk about native/traditional medicines, pharmaceutical companies have benefited a lot from what we frown upon as healing and living promoting roots, herbs and cures? Medicinal ‘discoveries” aren’t discoveries since they have been in use for centuries by people of African, South American and Asian decent.br /br /Regarding racial stereotyping of spouses in the poem, I can speak to it within the context of loss of identity/fear of confronting one's own identity. Partly colonialism is to blame for the creation of the impression that anything/anyone who is not of the Caucasian race are inferior. Now this ideology is not impervious to the black woman who needs to compete by bleaching herself to become white in order to please the husband. Me broni (my white one). In order to fight such prejudice there needs to be self awareness, a sense of value in society, and an acknowledgement that we all bring something positive to the world.br /br /Fighting this kind of prejudice is what the spoken word movement is all about in Toronto. Learning from each other the essence of being a person of color. What it means to be a person of color in Canada and an immigrated person of color? Both populations have our differences as well as our similarities. The core of the matter is identifying who we are, who we want to be and setting the course for achievement, the proclamation to the world of our need and purpose in society. Education and patience are invaluable tools in the fight. br /br /Prejudice in Ghana is another subject altogether. I am unsure where to start but then it comes down to economics of living, the earning gap between men and women. It is difficult for women to be assertive in a society that is so patriarchal. /embr /br /br /4. Of late, polygamy has been a hot-button issue here on OGOV. Do you think poetry can aid in the discussion of the merits of polygamy, or will it only inflame one side or the other (or both!) and not really help sway opinions?br /br /emPolygamy in a previous era, served its purpose, presently, it does more harm than good. There is a time for everything and certainly the age of polygamy is coming to an end in many countries (but there are exceptions)./embr /br /br /5. Could you tell us a bit about the African poetry and spoken word community in Toronto - what's going on and how interested individuals could become involved?br /br /I wouldn’t specifically say African poetry in Toronto, but the general spoken word scene in Toronto is comprised of dub poets of Jamaican decent, a few African (motherland) poets and other nationalities. I will list a few that I have had the pleasure of being onstage with: a href="http://www.jnicholenoel.com/site/" target="_blank"J. Nicole Noel/a, a href="http://www.whenwordsarespoken.com/mainpage.html" target="_blank"Al St. Louis/a, a href="http://www.motionlive.com/" target="_blank"Motion/a, a href="http://www.rudyardfearon.com/" target="_blank"Rudyard Fearon/a, a href="http://www.cbc.ca/poetryfaceoff/toronto.html#poet2" target="_blank"Queen Tiyessential/a, a href="http://www.cbc.ca/poetryfaceoff/toronto.html#poet5" target="_blank"JD/a, a href="http://torontopoets.com/featuredpoet/index.htm" target="_blank"Hajile/a, etc. br /br /a href="http://www.tranestudio.com/" target="_blank"Trane Studio/a has open mics; a href="http://www.artbar.org/" target="_Blank"the art bar/a is one of Canada’s longest running poetry bars in Toronto, and a href="http://torontopoets.com/" target="_blank"torontopoets.com/a is a great resource. Afro Fest in July also has a spot for poets to perform or enjoy poetry.br //blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact Nana:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;"the-african-child(at)hotmail.com/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-814801486412261183?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /the world is wanting for youbr /br /singers are waiting for youbr /br /drum beaters are waiting for youbr /br /propaganda is waiting for youbr /br /paparazzi are waiting for youbr /br /presidents are waiting for youbr /br /villagers are waiting for youbr /br /planters are waiting for youbr /br /street kids are waiting for youbr /br /vendors are waiting for you br /br /br /br /the wounded sing of youbr /br /the dead sing of youbr /br /the poets sing of youbr /br /shadow of malcolm xbr /br /footprint of luther kingbr /br /freedom is youbr /br /br /br /for africa and america to become onebr /br /for africa to sing good of americabr /br /for america to sing good of africa/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-3970330186386448198?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
strongBiography:/strongbr /br /blockquotea href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/RyOsfpN8EXI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/at0X2QuE-Rw/s1600-h/mbizo.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/RyOsfpN8EXI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/at0X2QuE-Rw/s200/mbizo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126130460517994866" //aMbizo Chirasha was born in 1978 in Zvishavane District in Zimbabwe, and was inspired by his social surroundings at a young age. As a young man, Mbizo quickly gained prominence as a performing poet and writer both in Zimbabwe and internationally. His works are published regionally and around the world. He has turned to a career as a consultant/creative writing facilitator and arts entrepreneur. He is, amongst other things, the founder of the annual "This is Africa Poetry Night" and the founding director of the Young Writers Caravan of Zimbabwe./blockquotebr /br /strongFive Questions with Mbizo Chirasha:/strongbr /br /blockquote1. Can you tell us a bit about the reaction to Obama's victory in Zimbabwe?br /br /emObama is a remnant with African roots. His election makes all minded Africans happy, including Zimbabweans./embr /br /br /2. Is there a sense in Zimbabwe that Obama's election will lead to a change in American policy towards Zimbabwe?br /br /emThere's been no change to Zimbabwe at all. He endorses sanctions like the Bush administration, which ruffles feathers here./embr /br /br /3. More generally, what do you think Obama's victory does for the hopes of Africans?br /br /emNothing of impact to Zimbabweans, though there was euphoria here when he came to power. It was supposed to big in in Kenya, Zimbabwe and other countries, and it was./embr /br /br /4. This excerpt is from a poem three to four times longer. What is the average length of your poems? Are you drawn to one length over another? Different lengths for different purposes?br /br /emMy length depend on the messages I hope to send to society. This poem is a dedication, which generally is a longer form for me./embr /br /br /5. Do you have any new projects or poems that you are working on that you think our readers might be interested in?br /br /emI am guest lecturing in colleges on creative writing, poetry and literature. I am hoping to restart the African Poetry Chatroom, but the bad economy has been preventing it./em/blockquotebr /br /strongContact Mbizo:/strongbr /br /blockquoteEmail: emmbizoc(at)yahoo.co.uk/embr /Website: a href="http://www.mbizopoetry.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"http://www.mbizopoetry.blogspot.com//a/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-1325198904100680321?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /Silent moment, br /Perfect cover for madness br /Within this troubled skull br / br /Fear is nothing br /But an army of worthless br /Thoughts, poised to see me fall br / br /Sight is blindness br /In which I stagger, reckless, br /Thinking I know it all br / br /I look forward br /Away from the present mess, br /Still trapped, wall to wall/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-5254317782536720387?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
strongBiography:/strongbr /blockquotea onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Sherhn80YgI/AAAAAAAABCI/kcScZzb3Nck/s1600-h/prince.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/Sherhn80YgI/AAAAAAAABCI/kcScZzb3Nck/s200/prince.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338924477419119106" //aAn Old Boy of the famous Adisadel College in Cape Coast, Prince Kwasi Mensah lives by the motto, ‘Either the best or with the best’ (which is a variation of his Alma Mater’s motto, ‘Either the first or with the first’). br / br /Born in Ghana, West Africa, Prince Mensah has been writing poetry, plays and short stories since the age of seven. He has twenty-five stage plays to his credit. Some of them have been acted at the Accra Arts Center and at several locations in Accra. His articles and stories have been published in the STEP magazine, P P and the Free Press. br / br /Prince has published eight books of poetry. They are span style="font-style:italic;"Memoirs of A Native Son, I Shall, I Will, I Can (Poetry Inspired by Barack Obama), Afrocentric, ecclesiastes, State of An Abstract Mind, The Griot Metropolitan, The Land of Broken Mirrors/span and span style="font-style:italic;"Coronation/span. Subsequent publications such as span style="font-style:italic;"Enough is Enough/span and span style="font-style:italic;"World War-Free/span are being expected later this year. br / br /His poetry was featured on UNESCO’s Other Voices Poetry Project last year. His essay, span style="font-style:italic;"‘An African’s Epistle to the Mosquito’/span will be featured in Dike Okoro’s Anthology of Emerging Writers in Africa 2009. br / br /Prince is a Consultant in Workplace Mediation, an HIV/AID Treatment Advocate and an Eligible Translator/Interpreter in Twi Fante for the Judicial Consortium of 40 American States. He lives in the United States with his wife, Charisse.br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"Prince is the head of North American promotions for One Ghana, One Voice./span/blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five questions with Prince Mensah:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. This poem is quite different from others you've had published at OGOV, it is much more sparse and concise, and more introspective. Does this represent a general change in your writing? If so, what brought you to this change? br / br /span style="font-style:italic;"I attempt to use the poetic techniques that are at my disposal. This poem came to being after such an experiment. I must confess to a state of melancholy during the time I wrote this poem. I was going through a phase of disillusionment, which brought out these feelings in the poem. I realized that in life, no matter where we are, each person is at the very beginning of the beginning. No one has scratched the surface of their own potential. We always think we have but the variables points to a thousand possibilities, which is saddening because you tend to think it is all a waste of time. However, such introspection is good for the soul of any writer. It is the ability to understand the unseen suffering and the unuttered sorrow that makes the difference between a poet and a non-poet. br / br /My writing has evolved as frequent exposure to new concepts occurs. I realize that I can be African as my source motivation and still express myself through foreign poetic devices. This does not diminish my delivery in any way. It rather enhances it and assists me to connect to a wider demographic of readers. Even though I cannot detach myself from my identity, I can retain everything essential to my on-going education as a student of life. This enables me to reach the maturity needed in the process of writing, the ability to master the various thoughts and concepts I espouse in my own writings. A poet must understand what he/she is talking about. /spanbr / br /br /2. This poem seems to be channeling the haiku form. Was this intentionally done, or did it arise naturally? br / br /span style="font-style:italic;"It arose naturally. Honestly, I did not have haiku in mind but I think, subliminally, the poem demanded a haiku-like mood to convey its meaning. I used gist to capture grief. /spanbr / br /br /3. How do you think African writers can best utilize non-African poetic forms (haikus, sonnets, etc.) without at the same time losing a sense of "Africanness" in their writing (if, of course, this is their goal)? br / br /span style="font-style:italic;"Oh yes! I am a big believer in learning something new. I think it was Winston Churchill who said, ‘Personally I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.’ There is always something new for all of us to learn. The way people think and speak is always fascinating to me. The way other cultures tell their myths and legends. The way each individual talks about life through their unique perspectives. There is nothing wrong in using non-African poetic forms. I am into sonnets, sestets, limericks and tongue-twisters. /spanbr / br /br /4. You've been an active participant in recent, sometimes heated, discussions on this site about polygamy, the chieftancy system, and more. How have you found these discussions? How do you think we can encourage more, and richer, conversations in the future? br / br /span style="font-style:italic;"I appreciate the fact that we have been very civil on this site. No swear words, no acrimony. We show the world that we can agree to disagree and be agreeable about it. The discussions have exposed the deep-seeded conviction each poet carries and the length each would take to make themselves clear. This is very good because our nations need that. I think the poems that prompted such discussions are superb and I want to use this medium to congratulate the poets. Obviously, I have my opinions about things and do use my writings to put them across. I also believe that having discussions, like the ones we have had in the past, will sharpen our persuasion skills, which is important in today’s world of divergent opinions. br / br /One thing is for certain, each poet who has been featured on this site has the potential for greatness and we must use the feedback we receive to enhance our writing prowess. In the end, this will be a testament to our collective decision to elevate the importance of literature in our motherland./span br / br /br /5. This poem is from your new collection "Enough is Enough". Could you tell us more about the status of that project? br / br /span style="font-style:italic;""Enough is Enough" shall be in print in June 2009. This book of poetry is about being fed up with one’s status in life. The intention is to galvanize people to awake from the stupor of settling for less or allowing things to remain as they are. I have realized that the more I write these poems, the more I realize that there is so much in life to be written about. br / br /One Ghana, One Voice magazine has been, and shall always be, the incubator of talent. We must do our best, individually and collectively, to assist in the drive to make this magazine the most noticed website when it comes to African poetry. Tell a friend about this site. Call radio stations. Inform newspapers. We are in the forefront of something big, so let us work hard to make things happen. br / br /I am ready to work with any college or university in the USA that wants to organize a program about African poetry./span/blockquotebr /br /strongContact Prince:/strongbr /br /blockquoteEmail: empryncemensah(at)yahoo.com/embr /Website: a href="http://www.freewebs.com/pryncemensah/" target="_blank"http://www.freewebs.com/pryncemensah//a/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-624263122936657417?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
As regular readers will know, one of the routine questions we ask new poets on this site is “How long have you been writing poetry?”. As we’ve done in the past with a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/2008/08/mapping-ogov-poets.html"poets’ places of origin and residence/a, and their a href="http://oneghanaonevoice.com/2008/04/ogovs-most-influential-poets.html"writing influences/a, we’ve decided to take a moment to look at how “experienced” our writers are. Hopefully this exercise will reveal something about the state of OGOV and possibly of Ghanaian poetry – we’ll see!br /br /We’ve looked at the answers that fifty-three poets have given to the question “How long have you been writing poetry?” to compile the following statistics:br /br /br /span style="font-weight: bold;"Writing experience of poets on OGOV:/spanbr /br /Less than 1 year: 4%br /1 – 2 years: 11%br /3 – 5 years: 13%br /5 – 10 years: 28%br /10 - 20 years: 28%br /20+ years: 15%br /br /span style="font-style: italic;"Five years or less: 28%br /Ten years or less: 56%br /More than ten years: 44%/spanbr /br /br /The numbers don't show how active poets have been over the years - whether they have written consistently or have taken breaks from time to time. Nor do they show the depth of study undertaken by the poets. All that considered, there is still a good deal of experience out there - more than one might expect for a site that features so many young poets. If we break the numbers down a bit we learn a bit more:br /br /br /span style="font-weight: bold;"Ghanaian born poets:/spanbr /br /Less than 1 year: 6%br /1 – 2 years: 12%br /3 – 5 years: 15%br /5 – 10 years: 29%br /10 - 20 years: 26%br /20+ years: 12%br /br /span style="font-style: italic;"Five years or less: 33%br /Ten years or less: 62%br /More than ten years: 38%/spanbr /br /br /span style="font-weight: bold;"Non-Ghanaian born poets:/spanbr /br /Less than 1 year: 5%br /1 – 2 years: 0%br /3 – 5 years: 11%br /5 – 10 years: 37%br /10 - 20 years: 37%br /20+ years: 11%br /br /span style="font-style: italic;"Five years or less: 16%br /Ten years or less: 52%br /More than ten years: 48%/spanbr /br /br /Surpising? Non-Ghanaian poets have more experience, but only somewhat. In fact, the only sub-group with notably different results was the following:br /br /br /span style="font-weight: bold;"Ghanaian born poets, now residing internationally:/spanbr /br /Less than 1 year: 0%br /1 – 2 years: 0%br /3 – 5 years: 22%br /5 – 10 years: 11%br /10 - 20 years: 56%br /20+ years: 11%br /br /span style="font-style: italic;"Five years or less: 22%br /Ten years or less: 33%br /span style="font-weight:bold;"More than ten years: 67%/span/spanbr /br /br /Ah, this is where our real experience lies: the ex-pat Ghanaian! If these numbers reflect the reality in the Ghanaian poetry community, then it suggests an interesting problem, one faced by so many sectors of the economy: if the most experienced Ghanaians have left the country, how can we ensure that their experience still gets passed on to up-and-coming writers? A question to mull over for the week!br /br /br /br /span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" In answering the initial question of "How long have you been writing poetry?", some poets replied with the age they wrote their first poem, while others replied with the age they started “seriously” writing poetry. For consistency, we looked only at post-secondary school experience (i.e. a poet who has written since they were five, and is now 24, would be considered to have 6-7 years experience, not 19)./spandiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-1824176269382731722?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
For the first time on OGOV we are going to have a bit of a delay before our next update. After 112 consecutive posts on time, we hope you'll forgive us this once!div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='http://res1.blogblog.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-3976530823983422913?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquoteembr /It is best to be the first wife/embr /the first wife professesbr /sitting on her stool,br /her full and rounded hipsbr /mushrooming over the sides.br /His first love,br /she resembles a rockbr /that stands above a river bedbr /erupting memories of long agobr /and smoothing them likebr /pillows of emfufu/em.br /br /emI prefer being second/embr /the second wife proclaims,br /her youth still standing upbr /to the weight of motherhoodbr /and water jugs and washing days.br /She, a tree blowing in the windbr /of yesterday and today,br /still holds her branchesbr /high and wide,br /perpetually lookingbr /back and forth.br /br /And the third onebr /young and hardened by her powerbr /remains silent. For she knowsbr /she is the last one.br /She knows the faucetbr /of his manhoodbr /runs slowerbr /as the hours coarse through his veins.br /She leans against the cool cement wallbr /one slender leg tucked under her,br /a black cloaked flamingo—br /each feather br /a soft propeller of freedombr /she guards like an unhatched egg./blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-7415756949152981514?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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5:47
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquotea href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SgWjgLstmZI/AAAAAAAABAQ/8MPO1fmnQWY/s1600-h/Kathy.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 170px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SgWjgLstmZI/AAAAAAAABAQ/8MPO1fmnQWY/s200/Kathy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333849106981689746" //aKathy was born in Yuma, Arizona and after six weeks there, moved around the country at frequent intervals as her father was an airplane mechanic and navigator in the Air Force (Maine, Hawaii, Louisiana, New York, Massachusetts). She went to college at the University of Vermont and Burlington College, and earned her BA at Burlington College in 1996, in psychology. br /br /She ran her own bakery for 10 years out of her home ("The Dessert Cart") while in school and taking courses, then worked with teens in state's custody in group homes for six years. She became director of admissions and PR at Burlington College in 1997, where she remained until 2003. In 2003, she left for Ghana to attend University of Ghana to earn an MA in English (Literature track), working closely with Kofi Awoonor. br /br /In 2001, she got involved with the Vermont Global Village Project (VGVP), a tiny nonprofit that brings high school students to Ghana and India, as the volunteer fundraising coordinator and trip counselor. She is still active in that role to date. It is through VGVP that she initially entered the world of Ghana and fell in love with the country. She has now been to Ghana 9 times! br /br /Currently, she is the office manager at a company called "NativeEnergy," which sells carbon offsets to folks who want to offset the pollution they "must" generate, and builds clean renewable energy projects with their money. She is married, and has a daughter and two sons. She's building a school in Amanase, in the eastern region of Ghana./blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with Kathy FitzGerald:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. How long have you been writing poetry?br /br /emThe beginnings of poetic language with line breaks began when I was twelve and my family had moved to a beautiful rural country setting in Vermont, where my grandparents had a farm and 800 acres of mountainside, woods, fields, brooks and a pond. I spent a lot of time in the woods, writing about the natural world around me. We moved from the country to a more suburban area two years later (my mother found country life too isolating and missed her 13 brothers and sisters terribly), and new poems came from the "trauma" of leaving my first home with roots (remember, I was raised in the Air Force). I had a wonderful poetry teacher my freshman year in high school when this move occurred and she brought us outside of the classroom time and again, which helped me, once again, connect with nature and away from what felt like oppressive personal experiences. I have been writing poetry since,and have taught it as well to teens in state's custody. I also used poetry as a group home counselor. I have a collection of poetry from teens that I hope to publish one day. I am still collecting it. /embr /br /br /2. Who are your favorite poets? Which poets have most informed and inspired your work?br /br /emRainer Maria Rilke, Tess Gallagher, Gregory Orr, Robert Creeley, William Carlos Williams, Susan Griffin, Jane Hirshfield, Rumi, Naomi Shihab Nye, Linda McCarriston, Mary Oliver, Eamon Grennan, Derek Walcott, Galway Kinnell, Robert Frost, Daniel Lusk, and others.br /br /Robert Frost was my favorite poet throughout junior and senior high school. My grandmother worked at Vermont mountain resorts in Ripton and Killington on weekends while attending Castleton State College. She sat at the feet of Robert Frost as he read, more than once. I have a copy of his book that was hers. She loved his work, and exposed it to me. Perhaps the influential part was that Frost wrote the "home poems" of my youth (he brought me to Vermont through and beyond the transient years, I suppose).br /br /I fell in love with Tess Gallagher here in Vermont at a weekend workshop in Lincoln, Vermont. (Ethridge Knight was there, too!) She read her work, sang Irish ballads and told fantastic stories. Her poem "Refusing Silence" is a constant friend:br /br /blockquote...On the sacred branchbr /of my only voice - I insist.br /Insist for us all,br /which is the jobbr /of the voice, and especiallybr /of the poet. Elsebr /what am I for, what usebr /am I if I don'tbr /insist?br /There are messages to send.br /Gatherings and songs.br /Because we needbr /to insist. Else what are webr /for? What usebr /are we?/blockquote/embr /br /3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?br /br /emPoetry for me is permission to speak. It's testimony. Which is why I believe it has been such a useful tool in my past work with troubled teens. /embr /br /br /4. Could you tell us a bit about the Vermont Global Village project? And about your status as a queen mother?br /br /emI became involved with Vermont Global Village Project (VGVP) in the fall of 2000 when my teenage niece came to live with us for a while. She wanted to go to Ghana with VGVP but did not believe it was possible. I took her doubt on as a challenge and began helping her raise the money for the one month trip to Ghana. I helped all the kids who were signed up for the trip in fact, and to date, am still doing this. I was asked to go as a trip counselor in 2001 and have helped run several trips since.br /br /I became a queen mother in March of 2003 in the eastern region village called Amanase, in Ghana. We have begun to build a school with the help of many generous kind supporters. /embr /br /br /5. What motivated you to attain your MA in Literature from the University of Ghana? How did you find that experience?br /br /emI was loving every moment of my time spent in Ghana, even what I found difficult. I wanted "an excuse" to extend my stay, and I had always wanted to study literature. I felt that if I did not do it soon, I might never (I was in my mid forties by then). It was a fantastic experience. I was far behind because my first degree is in psychology (though my senior thesis combined literature and psychology, two areas of equal pasison for me), so I had to spend more time reading in my room then I had anticipated. That was isolating. br /br /You know, when I applied at UG, my application to the English Dept was denied and I was given admission to the sociology program (though this request was nowhere in my application). A dear UG professor and friend told me to "come to Ghana" with my acceptance letter and my senior thesis (an 80 page paper called "Poetry and Trauma"). So I went to Ghana. I bought a few sociology books at the University bookstore and waited for the teachers’ strike to end. August and early September passed. During this period of waiting for classes to start, I decided to act on what was becoming an ultimatum. I did not want to study sociology in Ghana! It was literature or else back to Vermont for me. I went to a department head at the time and told him I would leave Ghana if I was not accepted into the English MA program. He took the thesis and my writing samples and passed them around the dept, and I was accepted. br /br /It was a very challenging program and I feel good about how well I did. I was asked to apply to the PH.D program but I was afraid that if I continued to do research, I would be distracted from my creative writing practice (because I find research/writing very satisfying and in some ways, “easier” than creative writing).br /br /So I am home in Vermont, working for a great little company called "NativeEnergy," still volunteering for VGVP (we just got back from a one month trip in mid March), trying to get that school built in Amanase, and working on a novel based in Ghana. And of course, writing poetry./em /blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact Kathy:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;" target="_Blank"kfitzpoet(at)yahoo.com/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-1779591606847275346?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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6:46
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One Ghana, One Voice
blockquotebr /Coastal breezes fondle the individual br /filaments of hair on my skin, br /causing them to sway back and forth br /and this feeling leaves me with a grin.br /br /Sights of very old infants clasping br /on day old branches just to harvest fruits br /and sounds of the Atumpan echoes br /rhythms that remind me of my roots.br /br /These celibate eyes enjoy devouring the images br /of beads cuffed around the waists of females, br /and my discerning ears love to scoop br /the intricate plots of Ananse tales.br /br /So when I embrace my demise, br /lay me here.br /br /br /br /My soul will still love to sponsor br /the parching breeze of the Harmattan,br /whilst my dusty feet will unceasingly look forward br /to play and run with children who are fast like Ramadan.br /br /So this throat vies to be the channel br /for water fetched from earthenware pots,br /so do I want to synchronize the deafening clichés br /hooted by hawkers so their petty items can be bought.br /br /Oh! I don’t want to long br /for my Daughters and Sons,br /for without them, my death br /will witness no yearly ritual dance.br /br /So when the bucket arrives for me to kick,br /lay me here.br /br /br /Inter me in the earth br /next to my ancestors,br /so my putrefying flesh br /sticks to their bones like a poster.br /br /I want to be a shelter br /to their bonesbr /because the overwhelming strength br /of the weather defeated their tombstones.br /br /You should remember me br /when you pass by each passing day,br /for with your memory, br /I know I will forever stay.br /br /So when I expire,br /please lay me here./blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-4232428826593300944?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquotea onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SflGDFVVD4I/AAAAAAAAA_4/KQuOaitenGY/s1600-h/fufu.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SflGDFVVD4I/AAAAAAAAA_4/KQuOaitenGY/s200/fufu.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330368652754882434" //aMutombo is a multi-talented artist who specializes in spoken word poetry. br /br /He has blessed several stages since he started his beautiful art form. The list of major shows he has performed includes span style="font-style:italic;"Portrait of an Excellent Woman 2008/span, which took place at the National Theatre. He has also performed live twice on TV3 at the Mentor 3 reality show in June and August 2007. Apart from these, he was also a guest performer at the span style="font-style:italic;"Face of Legon 2006/span, which was held at the Conference Centre in Accra. His performance as a guest artist at the just passed span style="font-style:italic;"Miss Legon 2009/span was one to remember. He is a resident poet at span style="font-style:italic;"Bless da Mic/span which takes place every Thursdays at Baze Lounge, Osu.br /br /Apart from these numerous shows, Mutombo has also written for several artists and has also performed at graduation ceremonies and the likes. The journey is not ending soon./blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with Mutombo:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. How long have you been writing poetry?br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"I have been writing poetry for a couple of years now. At first, I had a whole book that I titled, "My Thoughts". It basically contained things that occurred to me daily. I would just pick up a pen, open "My Thoughts" and jot down things that come to me. I would write about my Mum's funeral, my friends and sometimes about what I think my soul looks like. Yes, I wrote about weird stuff and I don't want to talk about some of the eerie things I wrote about. I started writing poetry when I got to Secondary School. I did literature and also wrote some rap songs. This was in 1997. I tried rapping what I wrote but I sounded weak with the way I flowed my lines. This was when I fell in love with poetry. At first I was writing poems just for fun and just for my books. Somewhere in 2006, I started performing them. What I do is Spoken Word!! So from 2006 I started taking this art form seriously./spanbr /br /br /2.Who are your favorite poets? Which poets have most informed and inspired your work?br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"The first poet I ever listened to is Maya Angelou. At that time the internet wasn't so popular like it is now so we would dwell on books and other magazines for information. Luckily, Maya was the only poet I came across and I saw her on TV performing, too. She inspired me in a great way even though I describe her style as the 'classical' form of poetry. The internet came around and I discovered so many poets who have inspired me in so many ways. Some of my favourite poets now are Saul Williams, Black Ice, Taalam Acey, Gil Scott-Heron, J Ivy and Mahogany Browne. All of these spoken word artist have helped me in so many ways./spanbr /br /br /3.What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"I want to journey with this art form God has given me until my death. I want to change the minds of the people of this world through poetry.I am already performing at shows. My 'big' performance was the span style="font-style:italic;"Miss Legon 2009/span that took place at the National Theatre and people came to me after my performance just to encourage me with what I am doing because of the truth in my words. I try to right a wrong with every poem that I write and I know that gradually,I am changing the minds of people by letting them know how special it is to be an African, making them aware of the right social and moral behaviours, and other subjects. I am also preparing to release a poetry album this year./spanbr /br /br /4.Could you tell us a bit about your involvement with NT1 poetry?br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"I was involved in so many way with NT1 Poetry, a poetry show that was running on TV Africa some months back. It has been off the air for some time because we are re-structuring that whole show to be better and bigger. We are also planning on moving it to another station. I was one of the organizers and concept developers, and I also performed on the show. I was also in charge of auditioning some poets./spanbr /br /br /5. You sparked our last Roundtable Discussion with a note about "bare" poems that "lack [the] qualities of what a poem is supposed to entail." This type of criticism is rare in Ghanaian poetry circles these days. What can we do to strengthen the voice of Ghanaian critics? Do critics need encouragement to find their voice, or do you think critics will naturally emerge as Ghanaian poetry grows in popularity?br /br /span style="font-style:italic;"Naturally,there is this notion that poetry is for the elites and is only written by the brainy so anytime we come across a poem, we automatically see it as a masterpiece because of our mindset about poetry. I think the first thing we have to do is to make poetry acceptable to all manner of people, then they can start criticizing. I can also say for a fact that people are beginning to accept poetry, that is based on my own research and as it expands and grows, people will start speaking./span/blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact Mutombo:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;" target="_Blank"dialoh(at)yahoo.com/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-4292050200412446535?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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7:32
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One Ghana, One Voice
a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SfF4Yxi32zI/AAAAAAAAA_w/r-vgoc3AWr8/s1600-h/Copy+of+OTUMFUO.JPG"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 243px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SfF4Yxi32zI/AAAAAAAAA_w/r-vgoc3AWr8/s320/Copy+of+OTUMFUO.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328172201167805234" //ablockquotebr /The edenic gardenbr /On a desert of goldbr /Ashanti!br /br /The empire whose boundaries were only penetratedbr /With treaties, never cannonsbr /Ashanti!br /br /The kingdom whose monarchy was furiously fissuredbr /Yet could not be humbled into crumblesbr /Ashanti!br /br /The people whose culture and traditionbr /Is a feast of smiling stars in their sparkling splendorbr /Ashanti!br /br /The kingdom whose majestic steps always tame the troubled watersbr /Ashanti!br /br /The empire whose gold has given the world a stoolbr /Ashanti!br /br /The kingdom whose installation of kingsbr /Make the whole world walk to Manhyiabr /Ashanti!br /br /The people whose hospitalitybr /Turns strangers into nativesbr /Ashanti!br /br /The master weavers of kentebr /Tutored by no one but the legendary Ananse the spiderbr /Ashanti!br /br /The only people on earth united by a golden stoolbr /Ashanti!br /br /The porcupine warriorsbr /Who never knows retreat or surrenderbr /Ashanti!br /br /The porcupine warriorsbr /Who never run out of quills!/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-5930961301115481802?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
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7:14
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One Ghana, One Voice
span style="font-weight:bold;"Biography:/spanbr /br /blockquotea href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SfFoCQJ9pzI/AAAAAAAAA_o/H8vLevIB_38/s1600-h/adjei.JPG"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 174px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pgdSd0vYhjI/SfFoCQJ9pzI/AAAAAAAAA_o/H8vLevIB_38/s200/adjei.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328154222061791026" //aAdjei Agyei-Baah is a 31-year old Ghanaian living in Ghana. He holds a Masters of Business Administration degree in Strategic Management and Consultancy Service from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology School of Business, Kumasi. Some of his poems have been published in a href="http://www.modernghana.com" target="_blank"www.modernghana.com/a and a href="http://www.kpokplomaja.com" target="_blank"www.kpokplomaja.com/a. He accidentally discovered his talent of writing when undertaking a research work on children’s rhymes and was asked by his supervisor create his own poems after selecting already existing rhymes from foreign poets. Some of his award winning poems include span style="font-style:italic;"Mother Is Supreme/span (Luv FM Mothers’ Day Poetry Promo, 2008) and span style="font-style:italic;"Similes of Love/span (Hello FM Valentine's Day Poetry Competition, 2009)./blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Five Questions with Adjei Agyei-Baah:/spanbr /br /blockquote1. April 26th, 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of Asantahene Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II's ascendancy to the Golden Stool. What significance does this event hold for you personally?br /br /emThe event signifies the unity among the Ashantis which has consecrated and dignified the Golden Stool of which its occupant Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II can celebrate such a day. This event is going to bring people from all over the world to Kumasi and as such Kumasi will be opened to people with ideas that can help develop the city. The event also shows the contributions of our traditional rulers to the socio-economic development of our country./embr /br /br /2. Do you think poetry can help keep Akan culture alive and thriving? If so, what role do you think contemporary English-language poetry can play?br /br /emYes! Poetry has been part and parcel of the Akan culture dating back to time immemorial. I believe poetry can keep Akan culture alive and thriving if given the needed attention. The sad story is that poetry is only given the needed attention on great occasions like this. I think it is hard time a platform is created for it as a form of weekend entertainment for people to express themselves in divergent ways before society moves out of control. I will say yes because it is an avenue for Akan and Africa in general to define themselves before someone else does.br /br /I will say contemporary English-language poetry has helped take Akan culture to a higher pedestal. It had been the medium to spread the Akan culture (specifically through poetry) to other people who could not read and understand our native language (Twi). Language becomes more meaningful and beneficial when it helps communicate and bridge the gap between various cultures. And I think contemporary English-language poetry has performed that role./embr / br /br /3. Your poem seems to be bridging the gap between oral traditions and written traditions. When writing it poem, did you intend for it to be read on the page, or to be performed?br / br /emThis poem was actually written to perform at 10th Anniversary of Asantahene Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II scheduled on April 26th, 2009. I wrote it as an appellation which is an oral literature but later decided to get it published. Hence its styles of constant repetition which makes it appear more oral in its outlook./embr /br /br /4. Occasional poetry (poetry written for an occasion) is a rather obscure genre of poetry in many parts of the world. What relevance do you think occasional poetry has in Ghana? How do you think Ghanaian poets can harness occasional poetry to better reach their audience?br /br /emOccasional poetry is relevant, as it give the chance to audience to appreciate the subject matter better. There is a direct appreciation of poetry by the listener as he can relate the lines of the poem to the actual event. Besides, occasional poetry can stimulate people to write poems when their thoughts are provoked on such days like Mother's Day, Valentine’s Day etc. On such occasion, people who do not often write are compelled to write some lines for their loved ones./embr /br /br /5. Do you have any new projects or poems that you are working on that you would like to share with our readers?br /br /emCurrently I am a part of a trio running a poetry recital competition dubbed strongOpen Mic Poetry - Bringing Poetry to Life/strong for students in Ghana. This program will come off in July 2009 and any form of assistance from your readers would be welcomed. Besides this, I’m almost done with some poems with the titles: "Letter to God," "Walking Asset" and others which I hope to share with others in the days to come./em/blockquotebr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Contact Adjei:/spanbr /blockquotespan style="font-style:italic;" target="_Blank"kwakubaa(at)yahoo.com/span/blockquotediv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7555516329392912719-624032823275356868?l=oneghanaonevoice.com'//div
