Kwame, you taught us well
That our hearts must swell
With pride over our skin,
Our color, our kin.
Kwame, you wanted us as one
But winds fought your plan,
Winds of yesterday that cease not
To assail today's effort.
Kwame, son of the Sabbath,
Your wisdom is bath
In which we soothe harrowing pain,
Inflicted on us by world in disdain.
Kwame, your words gave courage
To the timid, to engage
In dialogues with blind ignorance,
With strength and endurance.
Kwame, we cannot easily forget,
Lest we will regret,
The power you ignited in black man
That he too is Man.
Nkrumah, we celebrate you in song and poesy,
In action, drama and policy.
You are king uncrowned, black Julius Caesar,
Betrayed on Ides of March by razor
Sharp doubt in your great dreams.
Our unity now screams
In songs of chaos, Cold War blues.
To this world, our concerns are refuse
But we shall continue to state our worth,
Relentless to our very death
That being black is to be great:
Such truth cannot be in debate.
Your words shine like golden bracelets
On Africans in torn blankets.
Showing posts with label Prince Mensah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prince Mensah. Show all posts
To Nkrumah - Prince Mensah
Author Profile - Prince Mensah
Biography:
Five questions with Prince Mensah:
Contact Prince:
Prince Mensah was born in August 1977 in Accra, Ghana. He attended Adisadel College, Extra Mural Academy, African-American HIV University and Mediation Training Institute. His works have been published in One Ghana, One Voice, Munyori Journal, UNESCO's Other Voices International Project, and the Dublin Writer's Workshop. He lives in Maryland, USA with his wife, Charisse. Prince is open to visiting colleges and universities in the USA to promote Ghanaian poetry and culture. Feel free to contact him about opportunities to market African poetry.
Prince is the head of North American promotions for One Ghana, One Voice.
Five questions with Prince Mensah:
1. What inspired you to write about Nkrumah? What about Nkrumah makes him an interesting subject for poetic study?
I had the honor to study Kwame Nkrumah from two perspectives. The first was as a school boy learning history and the second as a man who appreciates true greatness.
Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's story is one of personal determination. You cannot help but to notice the distinctiveness of such a great African. He was a noble man who believed in the quintessential value of independence from all things foreign. Nkrumah believed in the equality and respect that was due to all men and disdained the hypocrisy of a racist world. He was not afraid to state the truth for the record. He was black and proud of it. He saw it as no shame to stand before the world and speak about his convictions. He saw the British as co-equals, not colonists. He realized that we did not have to kowtow to imperialist agendas.
His thinking was way outside the box for the average Ghanaian at the time and was fundamental to the brisk pace at which we attained independence. I think Nkrumah was misunderstood by his own people and misrepresented by those who disliked his style. It is barely said but Kwame Nkrumah was one of the galvanizing forces for the Civil Rights Movement in the USA. He made Ghana a hub of black intellectualism, mooting the idea of a United States of Africa. This was his romantic side, the dreamer within. He was one who did not see problems but possibilities.
I think he was way beyond his time in vision. He is like a tragic hero in a Shakespearean play. A Julius Caesar in a world of Brutuses. A Macbeth with the best of intentions. You cannot help but to love a man with such drive and determination to do what had never been attempted before. In many ways, Nkrumah gives you the sense of a Toussaint L’Overture: black, proud and ready to fight for his honor. His life calls for poetry of beautiful words and analysis by minds. He was the epitome of wisdom, wit and work, unrelenting in the pursuit of his dreams.
2. How do you think Nkrumah has been, and will be, remembered by history? How do you think he should be remembered?
Kwame Nkrumah has been remembered for his charm and charisma. He has also been accused of great brutality. In varying analysis of his life and work, there has been the tendency to cast him as an over-ambitious politician. He was larger-than-life and every attempt was made to cut him to size. He made enemies on his path to power, as every great person did. He made mistakes, as every great person did. He was an original thinker, as every great person was. I think Nkrumah’s plight in Ghanaian history can be equated to a great prophet who has no honor in his own land.
While other leaders have been sanitized by sympathetic historians, Nkrumah’s legacy is rendered in half-truths and exaggerations. I hope Ghanaians realize the global impact of Nkrumah’s legacy, because he inspired a lot of people worldwide. As our nation’s first president, his birthday should be a national holiday. Libraries should be named after him. He deserves more than a passing mention.
It is sad to note how Africa treats her intelligent children who want to overhaul old, decaying systems. It chews them and spits them out. You have a lot of African intellectuals living outside their countries of origin because they have not been allowed to apply what they know. The brain drain is caused not only by economic and geo-political reasons but also from a cultural redundancy that is averse to anything dynamic change. Kwame Nkrumah and Kofi Abrefa Busia are examples of that sad trend in Ghana. Great men, badly treated by the countries they loved.
3. What do you think Nkrumah would say of the state of Ghana today?
He will be glad to know that Ghana now owns 100% of Valco: that our country is serious about becoming a main stakeholder in the technology business. I think his biggest regret will be the inability of respective governments to close the gap between the rich and poor Ghanaian. Another aspect that will sadden Nkrumah will be the misplaced priorities of the average African. Instead of putting education as the number one personal priority, folks are opting for short-cuts such as drug dealing and thievery. Nkrumah will lament the blind imitation of all things Western. He will be disgusted to hear that black people call themselves ‘nigger’ and laugh about it. He will be disappointed to realize that we have failed to utilize our independence by retaining our dependence on those who colonized and enslaved us.
4. Do you think that it's possible for someone like Nkrumah to rise to a position of leadership in Ghana today?
Nkrumah, from all accounts, was an electrifying orator. He knew how to represent his country to the fullest. I think such a politician is a rare gift to any generation. In Ghana, the highly educated politicians do not exude the oratorical skills of Nkrumah. The populist politicians in Ghana do not have the finesse that Nkrumah had. In short, Nkrumah was the best of both worlds. He could speak on everybody’s level. Nkrumah was the sixties version of Barack Obama. For such a politician to emerge in Ghana will take an electorate that appreciates the golden qualities of a unique leader.
I think it is possible for someone of Nkrumah’s caliber to emerge. My fear is that he or she might be too threatening to the status quo and you know what happens afterwards - coup d’états. But the thought of that should not stop a man or woman of destiny to arise. Ghana needs a leader that will stir her to long term changes.
5. I was struck by the line "Cold War blues" - a song many in Africa , and around the world, are still singing. That being said, many Westerners aren't aware of the geo-politics involved in Nkrumah's ousting. What do you think can be done to better inform Westerners, especially those of your adopted country, the United States, of the historical legacy their foreign policies have produced in Ghana and elsewhere?
Nkrumah was overthrown in a CIA plot. You can read the book, "In Search of Enemies: A CIA Story", by John Stockwell. Similar tactics were used in the brutal assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of Congo.
Even though he was American-educated, Nkrumah’s politics were not good news to the United States. His preparedness to defy colonialism and imperialism made him an enemy with capitalism. The Cold War was fought in many African nations that had nothing to do with the power struggles between USA and USSR. Nations such as Ghana, Angola and Zimbabwe lost some of their best sons to the international chess games of power. The US government has permanent interests, not permanent friends. If the interests change, their friendships change as well. The USA’s interests in Ghana, at the time, were more commercial than political. To consolidate their hold in the West African region, they collaborated with the Ghana Armed Forces and Police to overthrow Nkrumah while he was away on peace-keeping in Hanoi. Nkrumah never returned to his homeland and died in exile in Conakry, Mali.
"Cold war blues" is simply a state of socio-political malady in a country, caused by lasting effects of the ideological struggle between the Western world and the Communist nations. Many countries in the emerging world are still suffering from Cold War blues because Western countries supported dictators that subscribed to capitalism. The West aided and abetted miscreants in power to ravish their nations. Most civil wars in Africa are national catharsis from Cold War blues. Many African countries are poor because the super powers sabotaged every attempt by their founding fathers to find practical solutions to their countries’ problem.
It must be stated that not all nations can thrive on capitalism. There has to be a balance. African countries, especially, are built on communal, close-knit cultures when both individual effort and collective responsibility go hand-in-hand. To prescribe capitalism to such a backdrop is unpractical and forced. Over and over again, capitalism has been represented by its great ambassador, Greed. Greed is not really welcomed in many African cultures.
Africa was, and is, a laboratory for world politics and ideologies. Its people were, and are, guinea pigs for the Western world. It is disheartening because every decision made about Africa has never involved Africans. From slavery to the partitioning of Africa and colonialism, everything has been done by the imperialist.
There was, and is, no respect for what the native people wanted. Westerners have to understand this when talking about Africa because we have been dealt with a cocktail of intrigue, infamy and intolerance. Some of the problems are self-wrought. Others were orchestrated by the symphonies of racist arrogance. With this information age, there is no excuse to live in ignorance about these facts. A lot of evil has been done but a lot more good can come out of it.
Contact Prince:
Email: pryncemensah(at)yahoo.com
Website: http://www.freewebs.com/pryncemensah/
Accra - Prince Mensah
My heavy baggage is carried
by a teen kayayo, [i]
aged by her adventures in big city,
severed from family,
lost in a vortex,
spurned by simple economics.
She carries my possession like a cross on her back,
smiling for finding funds to survive.
My contemplation is tainted by a worried
mother yelling for lost child,
pushing through crowd and din,
oblivious to complaints.
Pickpockets lookout for Johnny-Just-Comes,
naïve business folk from the hinterland.
The streets are mean with survival dressed
as con men and lotto prophets.
Frustrated market women rain
insults, vulgar and plenty,
as smells of fried fish and kenkey [ii]
soothe nostalgic nostrils.
My ears are jarred by honks of tro-tro vans, [iii]
impatient drivers in charge.
Their egotistical mates collecting
fares from exhausted passengers.
Man and vehicle combat for space
in this Tetris game.
The sun shines with intense fury
on sweaty brows and faded hope.
Beauty hides behind hard labor,
confidence is lost with missing teeth.
Dreams are what we really own -
we expect them to come true.
I pause to sip iced kenkey drink
with some bofrot. [iv]
Some kid watches me, wishing he was me.
His hungry eyes analyze the motions
of my happy mouth.
His predicament steals my appetite -
I share my lunch with him.
I walk the beach by Independence Square,
wondering about our dependence
on those from whom we gained freedom
during our struggles in the fifties.
I stand before Nkrumah's mausoleum,
venue of the old Polo grounds.
His old words are drowned in the new cries
of a deceived continent.
I walk this Accra breeze from grey sea
with waves of tears that fall
on the shores of our motherland
duped by the greed of her children.
We are rich by all standards, by nature,
wisdom, intelligence and people.
Flashy buildings house expatriate firms
which overlook native commerce
conducted by gutter and lungu-lungu, [v]
the halitosis of corruption.
But conditions do not coerce attitude.
Smiles are easy to form on weary faces -
Fama Nyame, Fama Nyame, Fama Nyame! [vi]
We shrug away our troubles and move on.
[i] A porter
[ii] Corn meal
[iii] Local transportation, normally dilapidated vans
[iv] Local version of an American doughnut
[v] Hausa word for alleys
[vi] "Give it to God, Give it to God, Give it to God!"
by a teen kayayo, [i]
aged by her adventures in big city,
severed from family,
lost in a vortex,
spurned by simple economics.
She carries my possession like a cross on her back,
smiling for finding funds to survive.
My contemplation is tainted by a worried
mother yelling for lost child,
pushing through crowd and din,
oblivious to complaints.
Pickpockets lookout for Johnny-Just-Comes,
naïve business folk from the hinterland.
The streets are mean with survival dressed
as con men and lotto prophets.
Frustrated market women rain
insults, vulgar and plenty,
as smells of fried fish and kenkey [ii]
soothe nostalgic nostrils.
My ears are jarred by honks of tro-tro vans, [iii]
impatient drivers in charge.
Their egotistical mates collecting
fares from exhausted passengers.
Man and vehicle combat for space
in this Tetris game.
The sun shines with intense fury
on sweaty brows and faded hope.
Beauty hides behind hard labor,
confidence is lost with missing teeth.
Dreams are what we really own -
we expect them to come true.
I pause to sip iced kenkey drink
with some bofrot. [iv]
Some kid watches me, wishing he was me.
His hungry eyes analyze the motions
of my happy mouth.
His predicament steals my appetite -
I share my lunch with him.
I walk the beach by Independence Square,
wondering about our dependence
on those from whom we gained freedom
during our struggles in the fifties.
I stand before Nkrumah's mausoleum,
venue of the old Polo grounds.
His old words are drowned in the new cries
of a deceived continent.
I walk this Accra breeze from grey sea
with waves of tears that fall
on the shores of our motherland
duped by the greed of her children.
We are rich by all standards, by nature,
wisdom, intelligence and people.
Flashy buildings house expatriate firms
which overlook native commerce
conducted by gutter and lungu-lungu, [v]
the halitosis of corruption.
But conditions do not coerce attitude.
Smiles are easy to form on weary faces -
Fama Nyame, Fama Nyame, Fama Nyame! [vi]
We shrug away our troubles and move on.
[i] A porter
[ii] Corn meal
[iii] Local transportation, normally dilapidated vans
[iv] Local version of an American doughnut
[v] Hausa word for alleys
[vi] "Give it to God, Give it to God, Give it to God!"
Author Profile - Prince Mensah
Biography:
Five questions with Prince Mensah:
Contact Prince:
Prince Mensah was born in August 1977 in Accra, Ghana. He attended Adisadel College, Extra Mural Academy, African-American HIV University and Mediation Training Institute. His works have been published in One Ghana, One Voice, Munyori Journal, UNESCO's Other Voices International Project, and the Dublin Writer's Workshop. He lives in Maryland, USA with his wife, Charisse. Prince is open to visiting colleges and universities in the USA to promote Ghanaian poetry and culture. Feel free to contact him about opportunities to market African poetry.
Prince is the head of North American promotions for One Ghana, One Voice.
Five questions with Prince Mensah:
1. Were the events described in "Accra" experienced in one day or visit, or were they a compilation of years of experiences?
“Accra” was written in bits and pieces, using various circumstances and time frames. I tried to play time-traveler in the poem, commuting back and forth through future, present and past. I deliberately chose not to rhyme because I sought to illustrate the level of catharsis I experience when writing about such issues. Everyone has a love affair with their country. Most experiences are bitter-sweet. I picked Accra, because as the capital city, it is the mosaic of experiences endured by every Ghanaian.
2. You often use words that non-Ghanaian readers might not understand. That being said, you often take great care to include translations of the key Akan, Ewe, and now Hausa, words that you use in your poems. In this sense, you seem to be balancing the needs and interests of both Ghanaian "insiders" and "outsiders" in your work. Do you have an intended reader in mind for your poems? If so, are you considerate of them while you are writing, or do such considerations come to you after the poem is complete?
According to a report on languages, an indigenous language dies every fortnight. Check the Scoop Magazine and National Geographic. I shudder at the fact that in a few years, the languages I spoke frequently would lose their means of expression, because no one knows how to write them, read them or publish them. I remember my school days in Ghana when English Language was the official language (still is) and the indigenous languages were labeled as ‘vernacular’. That allowed the smothering of any attempt to literalize native language into lingua franca, usable in international settings. I was not pleased with the marginalization of our native tongues. To me, that was a string of colonialism. But let’s not digress.
Like the way French, Greek, Spanish and Latin words have made their way into English, I intend to make several words in my native language familiar with my readers. I want my reader to read the word as it is spoken in its original setting. I am also writing to the Ghanaian, using local words they are all too familiar with. Apart from reading the poem, I want my reader to immerse him/herself in the culture I write about. People are eager to learn new things, new words and new realities. I have always believed there is a poetic essence of African life, left untapped by its literary children.
Writers like Achebe gave their readers an unadulterated taste of life as an African. I think we dilute our writing with too much pandering to what we think our reader wants. The truth is our readers want us to be original, to push them to new thoughts. I think African poets, ethnic poets for that matter, are being irresponsible with an overdependence on English. We must encourage the poets to write whole poems in their native languages, alongside English translations. Remember, there is a huge market on grants for literary translations. It does not hurt to be original.
3. The question "What would Nkrumah think of Ghana if he saw it now?" is an interesting one, one I'm sure many have asked themselves over the years. You teased at an answer in the poem - would you care to elaborate on your opinion here?
Kwame Nkrumah has always been presented as a radical. He had, as Martin Luther King said, ‘the fierce urgency of now’. He was misunderstood by his people and his frustrations drove him to undertake measures that aided his downfall. In hindsight, Nkrumah’s thesis was that we had to own what was ours, warts and all. I personally think the marriage of African independence with socialism was the biggest mistake of our founding fathers.
In his article in the East African Journal (July, 1965), "Problems facing our Socialism", Barack Obama’s father wrote that “the applicability of planning within the embryo of African Socialism, while essentially an economic matter, cannot be divorced from the politico-socio-cultural context in which we find ourselves and as such we should not ignore these factors.” African countries are set up differently from western countries. We already have a certain level of socialism in the communal nature of our societies. The viable solution is to introduce a certain strain of capitalism that works in concert with the existing social structure.
I think Nkrumah would not be pleased with the lethargy of our progress as a country. He would demand an overhaul of basic social infrastructures such as school systems, hospitals and businesses.
4. You seem to share the blame for Ghana's struggles amongst both the politicians and the people, especially on the "Fa ma Nyame syndrome" that cripples the country. In what ways can we break this negative cycle?
To be blunt, the Fa Ma Nyame syndrome is the reason why Ghana is not in a civil war. We have all the ingredients for chaos but the average Ghanaian prefers his/her peace of mind above everything else.
In this regard, the question is whether our politicians are taking us for granted or that we are all lost in a socio-economic wilderness. I am also to blame. Every Ghanaian is. Blame is an equal opportunity employer. Our politicians have not been truthful with the people, as it is everywhere. But in Africa, it reaches critical mass, when the army (a totally undesired alternative) interrupts national politics.
A new kind of politics has to be introduced where accountability and probity are independent institutions that audit officials. Most of our leaders were trained in great Western institutions but the failure to apply lessons learnt makes the people wonder. Education must be a priority. Employment must be another priority. Social justice must also be reinforced as a national concept. The endemic nonchalance has to be replaced by a spirited involvement in national politics.
5. You recently joined the OGOV team, and are helping to lead our promotions in the USA. A large portion of our readership is US based - what help could you use from interested American readers?
Please tell us what issues you need and want to hear about. I think this is not only a poetry site, but a place to start a lot of soul-searching. We can only start as poets, but knowledge must be spread through other means. I believe many of the poets featured on this site will be pleased to answer questions about culture and history. Push us on, readers. We want to do better.
Contact Prince:
Email: pryncemensah(at)yahoo.com
Website: http://www.freewebs.com/pryncemensah/
OGOV Roundtable Discussion #2 - Africans Abroad
For the second time here at OGOV, in lieu of a poem this week we will receive the privilege of "listening in" on a conversation on poetry held between some of Ghana's (and Africa's) brightest up and coming poets, moderated by One Ghana, One Voice's own Julian Adomako-Gyimah, and featuring Prince Mensah, Martin Pieterson, Emmanuel Sigauke, and Mariska Taylor-Darko. So please have a read, and be sure to use the comment section to join the conversation yourself!
Julian Adomako-Gyimah:
As Ghanaian (and Zimbabwean) writers living abroad, how best can we promote writing amongst Ghanaians at home?
Emmanuel Sigauke:
This question applies to the idea of what African writers in general should do to promote writing back home. If we go back to the classical argument of the writer as teacher, visionary, voice of the people, we find ourselves subscribing to a type of thinking that associates writing with advocacy or social responsibility. So, having lived away from home, I find myself seeking a true definition of self, culture and belonging through my writing.
But at one time I was a writer based in Africa, concerned about the importance of my Africanness to me, but there was also the temptation of departing from home artistically, wooed by schools of writing associating themselves with radicalism, individualism, loneliness. This applied to all forms of artistic expression, for instance, music -- I remember my generation's general attachment to foreign music, but once I was away, I started to rediscover the beauty of art produced at home. Not everyone enters exile in order to discover the necessary artistic self hood, so it is the duty of the ex-pat writer to share the renewed (sometimes just new) vision with the artists back home.
One best way of helping writers back home is to take advantage of the access to resources that being an exile often provides to help out the talented but often disadvantaged writers back home. One way I have offered to help writers back home (in my case Zimbabwe) has been to start a literary journal that the writers can submit to. But I have noticed that since the journal is internet-based, it has not yet reached those most in need.
So I have been thinking of ways in which I can work with writers groups to provide access to needy writers. This is no easy task, which is why a forum like this one will definitely help us brainstorm (and act on) the various ways we can help.
Prince Mensah:
Powerful point, Emmanuel.
There has to be a concerted effort with foreign-based African writers, local universities and stations (TV and Radio) to encourage writing among our people. There is an over-emphasis on ways to get rich quick. Even the smartest people get caught in this tyranny of becoming 'rich' by any means necessary. This is the bane of our countries. There is so much poverty that the only tangible thing to do is to hustle. Our countries are caught up in the illusion of unrealistic sitcoms and movies that are nothing but fiction. The fact of life is that you have to work and work hard at anything worth having. Our people also have to be taught to not only work hard, but work smart.
We, as writers in other countries, must challenge the status quo by becoming leaders on issues we talk about. For the sake of writing in our countries, we can apply for grants, collectively or individually, directed to providing an intellectual infrastructure wherein literary institutions and competitions can be established. There has to be several steps taken in making the writing and appreciation of poetry, novels, plays and essays an accepted norm in our societies. Local radio and TV stations can become partners in the creation of programmes that reward writing efforts.
In Africa, a huge chunk of the general readership is semi-illiterate or illiterate. This makes an interest in written and spoken English extremely difficult. We have to adopt towns or areas in our home countries where we can channel resources in the forms of books and study aids. These things do not have to come out of pocket, necessarily. All we have to do is raise interest in the foreign countries where we live in, by writing to libraries, publishers, schools and literary organizations.
In Ghana, slapstick shows, popularly known as concert parties, have more patronage than theatrical productions. The sad thing is that inasmuch that concert parties are popular, they have no marketability to outside markets. Our literary efforts must enable our local writers to attain marketability to the outside world as well. There is a dire need for us to do something in 2008. A campaign to world literary circles would not be a step in the bad direction. We need to unearth the great stories that lie hidden in the minds of our people.
Emmanuel:
Let's do something in 2008. We could become one of the groups that writers back home can rely on at different levels of support. Something as simple as contributing resources (a little bit of money, publicity, etc) will go a long way in helping writers back home. Often we look to other people's endowments as sources of support -- what if we could provide one. We as a group can start a fund that helps writing activities back home. I have always had visions to fund a poetry contest through one of the writers' groups back home. What we need to bear in mind, though, is how to ensure that the money, the support, goes to help those it's intended to support.
Prince:
A monthly literary prize of $50 will not be bad. However, that $50 should be in the form of books that assist with writing. A quarterly prize of $100 can be organized to not only give books but to assist the writer with stationary for their manuscript. An annual prize of $500 can be given to a writer who has completed a manuscript and needs a publisher to complete the project. The numbers are all suggestions and emanate from conservative projection. We have to agree to everything as a group.
Martin Pieterson:
In my opinion, writing in Ghana can be promoted by setting up writing clubs in communities and in schools (primary, secondary and tertiary). Not only do we need to set up these clubs, we need to ensure they are run professionally. Especially in the 1st and 2nd cycle institutions, writers must be made to know all that goes into the craft such as finding markets, analyzing the publications to submit work to, approaching the various genres (short stories, poetry, articles, religious writing, travel writing etc..), using grammar and punctuation, finding inspiration, handling writers' block, and much more.
Some writers clubs have sprung up in the past in Ghana but many haven't worked because people don't see what they gain from them. One of the problems up-and-coming writers face in Ghana is the issue of getting published. Many submit pieces to publications without analyzing what kind of work the publication accept (if it's sports, leisure, travel, politics, etc.), length of articles, style of writing etc.., and when they aren’t published they give up entirely on writing. I believe if people know some of these things they will do things correctly and thus stay in the craft.
I would like to take this opportunity to request all poets who have been published on OGOV to begin thinking of setting up writers' clubs in their communities so that we get this professional approach into our writing. Writing has so many benefits: apart from making us advocates, it also helps us to sharpen our skills of observation and communication. The latter is very important for us Ghanaians and Africans now that the world has become a Global Village. It also helps us improve on our vocabulary and thus become more confident.
Another point is that every fun activity that is done in the running of these clubs should be that which will add to the competence of the writers. During excursions to places of interest, for example, writers should be told not only to go and have fun but also to observe everything and report. In this way, we can help produce many travel writers.
In addition to setting up writers' clubs and running them professionally, there is the need to have more publications. One of the joys of writing is getting published, and this is why I would like to commend OGOV for making it possible for many talented Ghanaian and African writers, who may otherwise have had difficulty in getting published, to get published. OGOV has shown us that we have more quality and great writers than we thought. I believe there are even many more to emerge once given the opportunity.
I would like to suggest that OGOV begins a corner for teenagers and kids or 1st and 2nd Cycle institutions so we can get the spirit into them. Many of them would love to see their poems published. [ed. note: we currently have a call out for poems by children and youth - visit the Submission Guidelines page for more details]
Congrats Julian for your help in getting Ex-pat writers published. Let's do the same for many of the great writers in Ghana. Prince and Emmanuel, thanks for your wonderful ideas as to how we can sponsor writing events.
I am sure if we organise ourselves properly, there could be a time when people could even take writing as a full-time job in Ghana, we just have to start discussing the business side of it. We can begin to organize poetry evenings first free of charge and later charge a little money depending on the interest and then we can move to other literary events. KSM did it with his shows; we can also do it with writing. We just need to begin talking.
Friends, I see a great hope for Ghana and Africa from this corner. I see we are the generation to make Africa what it is supposed to be. Let's keep this spirit. And after our forums, let's move on to implementing our decisions. This is what our present leadership is not doing. And as a generation of hope, let's begin to do this.
Prince:
Great idea, Martin.
There is the need for a multiple-pronged approach to this issue. Writer's clubs are definitely the way to go. We need to identify people and organizations who share this vision. We have to build the foundation so that when the real job is done, it won't collapse. Let's brainstorm, brethren. The world is watching.
Emmanuel:
Working with writers who are serious is a prerequisite to successful literary promotion. Clubs are a good starting point, and sponsoring contests, and helping writers gain access to publishers and agents would be a great step in this process. Although we all live in places where publishing resources are available, it is not always easy to break our ways into publication since the issues we deal with may not appeal to publishers here. There is thus the issue of which publishers and promoters should be involved in the nurturing of talent back home.
Mariska Taylor-Darko:
Hi all of you.
First of all I must say that it was only after being abroad that I saw what other countries do to promote the work of their writers. Apart from the intellectuals in Ghana and among the ex-pats, the average Ghanaian only heard of poetry when they were in school - for Literature lessons. As a writer who commutes between countries I feel that one of the ways we could help would be to organise poetry readings, get published in the media, get some good PR, have competitions among the youth and try to get sponsors interested in writing of all forms with attractive rewards for talent. The Universities should invite outsiders to participate in events regardless of their educational background. The TV and Radio stations should also give exposure to the up and coming writers with fun programmes - not the serious heavy events that have been seen.
In Ghana it seems that poetry (I mention this because its my area of interest) is not given much regard outside the tertiary establishment, although a few poetry reading sessions are being organised - all late at night and in venues that are not easily accessible. We have to make events more accessible to the masses and get more youth interested.
Emmanuel:
Mariska, the issue of access, as you pointed out, is very important. Most writers nowadays self-market on the internet through forums like Myspace and Youtube. While I am happy about the proliferation of online poetry journals, I am aware that some talented young writers in Africa do not have access to a computer, or cannot afford the rates of the internet cafes. So to ensure access, we need to help in the provision of resources, without waiting for the "generous Western sponsor" of writing. Of course, access is not everything; trainers would need to identify interested and talented writers who can be helped to realize their dreams. As you stated, Mariska, writing contests, conferences, excursion, etc. would help.
Mariska:
Emmanuel, I agree with you also. The lack of access to the electronic world would be a hindrance to a lot of budding writers. I think we all agree that closer interaction between writers would be a major development, as we’ve mentioned wanting locally organised programmes in nearly all our comments. So now, how do we start? The biggest hurdle would be the funds to set up these programmes. Where do the youth meet a lot? In clubs, churches, sports grounds, etc. Clubs could, on days when they have not much patronage, arrange poetry reading sessions to bring exposure. Meeting the youth groups in churches and organising such events would also be a possibility. Making use of the churches weekly bulletins and monthly magazines is another outlet. These are just a few ways we could start without depending on any Western sponsors...
This way the talented writers would gain acknowledgement, a following of friends and like minded persons and the encouragement to continue with their dreams.
For those of us who can speak pidgin or local dialects, poetry recitals could be organised in these dialects to reach a wider audience. Even mixtures of good English and pidgin would make things more interesting.
We should show our love for what we do to the point that it touches and awakens the feelings in others. We should be vocal and vibrant in our delivery of both written poetry and spoken word and let other writers know that just because they are not living outside of their own countries does not mean that they do not have much to offer. They do have much to offer, and should be passionate about it without fear of criticism. It is better to keep on trying than never try at all.
Emmanuel:
Yes, Mariska. As we assume this task of inspiring others, we are called upon by that responsibility to lead by example: we have to demonstrate that we are writing and publishing works. The fellow writers back home are not just recipients of our encouragement, but partners in this effort. What I remember working with young writers in Zimbabwe in the 90s was the passion they had; we had the passion, but persistence was another matter.
As Mariska pointed out, the passion has to turn into persistent writing that does not get easily discouraged by criticism or rejections. As most us would attest, publication is difficult even here (especially here, where sometimes the editors turn down our works because they don't seem to address a familiar world). So let there be a balance in approach: we should inspire and encourage each other without so much as hinting that this is an easy process. We also don't want to give false impressions about art and livelihood, or to steer aspiring writers towards a disabling dependence policy. Often, we feel, as aspiring writers, that we are the chosen few, but, really, writing demands great effort, knowledge (if not respect) of your market or readership, and realistic goals.
Prince:
Writing, like any other human talent, gets better with use. The rubber band principle must be applied wherein we stretch ourselves to a point in our careers where we have exhausted everything we are capable of producing. This enables us to accommodate the happiness and heartbreaks of a career in writing.
I think action must be 75% with us and words be the rest. In as much as we serve hope as breakfast, reality must be served as lunch. We have to sponsor groups in our country, by exposing their works to people and groups we know. We must give our people an audience. Most of us have personal websites, why don't we get poetry from a bunch of good, but struggling, writers from our countries and post them on our sites? Why don't we organize a monthly newsletter that will give our people a list of places they can get help from? Why don't we use our network of friends to promote our brothers and sisters? The concept of community, as we are doing now, can be inculcated in our sibling-scribes at home.
Leading by example, as Emmanuel suggested, can start by all of us agreeing to do something and sticking to it. If it is funding, let us agree on a ball park figure. If it is logistics, let's figure a solution out. Remember, a problem is an opportunity wrapped with rags.
Let's get going on our plans because not only is African suffering from economic and intellectual dysfunction---our people are living under an iron sky. It is up to us to let them believe in themselves once again. The world is respectful of one who knows his destination.
Julian Adomako-Gyimah:
As Ghanaian (and Zimbabwean) writers living abroad, how best can we promote writing amongst Ghanaians at home?
Emmanuel Sigauke:
This question applies to the idea of what African writers in general should do to promote writing back home. If we go back to the classical argument of the writer as teacher, visionary, voice of the people, we find ourselves subscribing to a type of thinking that associates writing with advocacy or social responsibility. So, having lived away from home, I find myself seeking a true definition of self, culture and belonging through my writing.
But at one time I was a writer based in Africa, concerned about the importance of my Africanness to me, but there was also the temptation of departing from home artistically, wooed by schools of writing associating themselves with radicalism, individualism, loneliness. This applied to all forms of artistic expression, for instance, music -- I remember my generation's general attachment to foreign music, but once I was away, I started to rediscover the beauty of art produced at home. Not everyone enters exile in order to discover the necessary artistic self hood, so it is the duty of the ex-pat writer to share the renewed (sometimes just new) vision with the artists back home.
One best way of helping writers back home is to take advantage of the access to resources that being an exile often provides to help out the talented but often disadvantaged writers back home. One way I have offered to help writers back home (in my case Zimbabwe) has been to start a literary journal that the writers can submit to. But I have noticed that since the journal is internet-based, it has not yet reached those most in need.
So I have been thinking of ways in which I can work with writers groups to provide access to needy writers. This is no easy task, which is why a forum like this one will definitely help us brainstorm (and act on) the various ways we can help.
Prince Mensah:
Powerful point, Emmanuel.
There has to be a concerted effort with foreign-based African writers, local universities and stations (TV and Radio) to encourage writing among our people. There is an over-emphasis on ways to get rich quick. Even the smartest people get caught in this tyranny of becoming 'rich' by any means necessary. This is the bane of our countries. There is so much poverty that the only tangible thing to do is to hustle. Our countries are caught up in the illusion of unrealistic sitcoms and movies that are nothing but fiction. The fact of life is that you have to work and work hard at anything worth having. Our people also have to be taught to not only work hard, but work smart.
We, as writers in other countries, must challenge the status quo by becoming leaders on issues we talk about. For the sake of writing in our countries, we can apply for grants, collectively or individually, directed to providing an intellectual infrastructure wherein literary institutions and competitions can be established. There has to be several steps taken in making the writing and appreciation of poetry, novels, plays and essays an accepted norm in our societies. Local radio and TV stations can become partners in the creation of programmes that reward writing efforts.
In Africa, a huge chunk of the general readership is semi-illiterate or illiterate. This makes an interest in written and spoken English extremely difficult. We have to adopt towns or areas in our home countries where we can channel resources in the forms of books and study aids. These things do not have to come out of pocket, necessarily. All we have to do is raise interest in the foreign countries where we live in, by writing to libraries, publishers, schools and literary organizations.
In Ghana, slapstick shows, popularly known as concert parties, have more patronage than theatrical productions. The sad thing is that inasmuch that concert parties are popular, they have no marketability to outside markets. Our literary efforts must enable our local writers to attain marketability to the outside world as well. There is a dire need for us to do something in 2008. A campaign to world literary circles would not be a step in the bad direction. We need to unearth the great stories that lie hidden in the minds of our people.
Emmanuel:
Let's do something in 2008. We could become one of the groups that writers back home can rely on at different levels of support. Something as simple as contributing resources (a little bit of money, publicity, etc) will go a long way in helping writers back home. Often we look to other people's endowments as sources of support -- what if we could provide one. We as a group can start a fund that helps writing activities back home. I have always had visions to fund a poetry contest through one of the writers' groups back home. What we need to bear in mind, though, is how to ensure that the money, the support, goes to help those it's intended to support.
Prince:
A monthly literary prize of $50 will not be bad. However, that $50 should be in the form of books that assist with writing. A quarterly prize of $100 can be organized to not only give books but to assist the writer with stationary for their manuscript. An annual prize of $500 can be given to a writer who has completed a manuscript and needs a publisher to complete the project. The numbers are all suggestions and emanate from conservative projection. We have to agree to everything as a group.
Martin Pieterson:
In my opinion, writing in Ghana can be promoted by setting up writing clubs in communities and in schools (primary, secondary and tertiary). Not only do we need to set up these clubs, we need to ensure they are run professionally. Especially in the 1st and 2nd cycle institutions, writers must be made to know all that goes into the craft such as finding markets, analyzing the publications to submit work to, approaching the various genres (short stories, poetry, articles, religious writing, travel writing etc..), using grammar and punctuation, finding inspiration, handling writers' block, and much more.
Some writers clubs have sprung up in the past in Ghana but many haven't worked because people don't see what they gain from them. One of the problems up-and-coming writers face in Ghana is the issue of getting published. Many submit pieces to publications without analyzing what kind of work the publication accept (if it's sports, leisure, travel, politics, etc.), length of articles, style of writing etc.., and when they aren’t published they give up entirely on writing. I believe if people know some of these things they will do things correctly and thus stay in the craft.
I would like to take this opportunity to request all poets who have been published on OGOV to begin thinking of setting up writers' clubs in their communities so that we get this professional approach into our writing. Writing has so many benefits: apart from making us advocates, it also helps us to sharpen our skills of observation and communication. The latter is very important for us Ghanaians and Africans now that the world has become a Global Village. It also helps us improve on our vocabulary and thus become more confident.
Another point is that every fun activity that is done in the running of these clubs should be that which will add to the competence of the writers. During excursions to places of interest, for example, writers should be told not only to go and have fun but also to observe everything and report. In this way, we can help produce many travel writers.
In addition to setting up writers' clubs and running them professionally, there is the need to have more publications. One of the joys of writing is getting published, and this is why I would like to commend OGOV for making it possible for many talented Ghanaian and African writers, who may otherwise have had difficulty in getting published, to get published. OGOV has shown us that we have more quality and great writers than we thought. I believe there are even many more to emerge once given the opportunity.
I would like to suggest that OGOV begins a corner for teenagers and kids or 1st and 2nd Cycle institutions so we can get the spirit into them. Many of them would love to see their poems published. [ed. note: we currently have a call out for poems by children and youth - visit the Submission Guidelines page for more details]
Congrats Julian for your help in getting Ex-pat writers published. Let's do the same for many of the great writers in Ghana. Prince and Emmanuel, thanks for your wonderful ideas as to how we can sponsor writing events.
I am sure if we organise ourselves properly, there could be a time when people could even take writing as a full-time job in Ghana, we just have to start discussing the business side of it. We can begin to organize poetry evenings first free of charge and later charge a little money depending on the interest and then we can move to other literary events. KSM did it with his shows; we can also do it with writing. We just need to begin talking.
Friends, I see a great hope for Ghana and Africa from this corner. I see we are the generation to make Africa what it is supposed to be. Let's keep this spirit. And after our forums, let's move on to implementing our decisions. This is what our present leadership is not doing. And as a generation of hope, let's begin to do this.
Prince:
Great idea, Martin.
There is the need for a multiple-pronged approach to this issue. Writer's clubs are definitely the way to go. We need to identify people and organizations who share this vision. We have to build the foundation so that when the real job is done, it won't collapse. Let's brainstorm, brethren. The world is watching.
Emmanuel:
Working with writers who are serious is a prerequisite to successful literary promotion. Clubs are a good starting point, and sponsoring contests, and helping writers gain access to publishers and agents would be a great step in this process. Although we all live in places where publishing resources are available, it is not always easy to break our ways into publication since the issues we deal with may not appeal to publishers here. There is thus the issue of which publishers and promoters should be involved in the nurturing of talent back home.
Mariska Taylor-Darko:
Hi all of you.
First of all I must say that it was only after being abroad that I saw what other countries do to promote the work of their writers. Apart from the intellectuals in Ghana and among the ex-pats, the average Ghanaian only heard of poetry when they were in school - for Literature lessons. As a writer who commutes between countries I feel that one of the ways we could help would be to organise poetry readings, get published in the media, get some good PR, have competitions among the youth and try to get sponsors interested in writing of all forms with attractive rewards for talent. The Universities should invite outsiders to participate in events regardless of their educational background. The TV and Radio stations should also give exposure to the up and coming writers with fun programmes - not the serious heavy events that have been seen.
In Ghana it seems that poetry (I mention this because its my area of interest) is not given much regard outside the tertiary establishment, although a few poetry reading sessions are being organised - all late at night and in venues that are not easily accessible. We have to make events more accessible to the masses and get more youth interested.
Emmanuel:
Mariska, the issue of access, as you pointed out, is very important. Most writers nowadays self-market on the internet through forums like Myspace and Youtube. While I am happy about the proliferation of online poetry journals, I am aware that some talented young writers in Africa do not have access to a computer, or cannot afford the rates of the internet cafes. So to ensure access, we need to help in the provision of resources, without waiting for the "generous Western sponsor" of writing. Of course, access is not everything; trainers would need to identify interested and talented writers who can be helped to realize their dreams. As you stated, Mariska, writing contests, conferences, excursion, etc. would help.
Mariska:
Emmanuel, I agree with you also. The lack of access to the electronic world would be a hindrance to a lot of budding writers. I think we all agree that closer interaction between writers would be a major development, as we’ve mentioned wanting locally organised programmes in nearly all our comments. So now, how do we start? The biggest hurdle would be the funds to set up these programmes. Where do the youth meet a lot? In clubs, churches, sports grounds, etc. Clubs could, on days when they have not much patronage, arrange poetry reading sessions to bring exposure. Meeting the youth groups in churches and organising such events would also be a possibility. Making use of the churches weekly bulletins and monthly magazines is another outlet. These are just a few ways we could start without depending on any Western sponsors...
This way the talented writers would gain acknowledgement, a following of friends and like minded persons and the encouragement to continue with their dreams.
For those of us who can speak pidgin or local dialects, poetry recitals could be organised in these dialects to reach a wider audience. Even mixtures of good English and pidgin would make things more interesting.
We should show our love for what we do to the point that it touches and awakens the feelings in others. We should be vocal and vibrant in our delivery of both written poetry and spoken word and let other writers know that just because they are not living outside of their own countries does not mean that they do not have much to offer. They do have much to offer, and should be passionate about it without fear of criticism. It is better to keep on trying than never try at all.
Emmanuel:
Yes, Mariska. As we assume this task of inspiring others, we are called upon by that responsibility to lead by example: we have to demonstrate that we are writing and publishing works. The fellow writers back home are not just recipients of our encouragement, but partners in this effort. What I remember working with young writers in Zimbabwe in the 90s was the passion they had; we had the passion, but persistence was another matter.
As Mariska pointed out, the passion has to turn into persistent writing that does not get easily discouraged by criticism or rejections. As most us would attest, publication is difficult even here (especially here, where sometimes the editors turn down our works because they don't seem to address a familiar world). So let there be a balance in approach: we should inspire and encourage each other without so much as hinting that this is an easy process. We also don't want to give false impressions about art and livelihood, or to steer aspiring writers towards a disabling dependence policy. Often, we feel, as aspiring writers, that we are the chosen few, but, really, writing demands great effort, knowledge (if not respect) of your market or readership, and realistic goals.
Prince:
Writing, like any other human talent, gets better with use. The rubber band principle must be applied wherein we stretch ourselves to a point in our careers where we have exhausted everything we are capable of producing. This enables us to accommodate the happiness and heartbreaks of a career in writing.
I think action must be 75% with us and words be the rest. In as much as we serve hope as breakfast, reality must be served as lunch. We have to sponsor groups in our country, by exposing their works to people and groups we know. We must give our people an audience. Most of us have personal websites, why don't we get poetry from a bunch of good, but struggling, writers from our countries and post them on our sites? Why don't we organize a monthly newsletter that will give our people a list of places they can get help from? Why don't we use our network of friends to promote our brothers and sisters? The concept of community, as we are doing now, can be inculcated in our sibling-scribes at home.
Leading by example, as Emmanuel suggested, can start by all of us agreeing to do something and sticking to it. If it is funding, let us agree on a ball park figure. If it is logistics, let's figure a solution out. Remember, a problem is an opportunity wrapped with rags.
Let's get going on our plans because not only is African suffering from economic and intellectual dysfunction---our people are living under an iron sky. It is up to us to let them believe in themselves once again. The world is respectful of one who knows his destination.
Read Previous Roundtable Discussions:
#1 Politics and the Power of Poetry (Issue 1.32)
OGOV Roundtable Discussion #2 - About the Participants
Julian Adomako-Gyimah:
Julian 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. He has worked as a Financial Controller at Brook & Whittle, after working as an Accounts Manager at Ryder Plc, both in the UK. Additionally, he is a Chartered Manager and a member of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), also in the UK.
Julian is also the proud author of two bestsellers, namely Smile Africa and Recall, which are both available on amazon.com, bn.com, borders.com, and in major retail outlets around the globe.
Julian is a co-founder of One Ghana, One Voice.Prince Mensah:
Prince was born in August 1977 to Dr. Louis and Rose Mensah. He attended Adisadel College, Extra Mural Academy, African-American HIV University(USA) and Mediation Training Institute(USA). He has written an extensive body of work including plays that have been staged at the Arts Center in Accra.Martin Pieterson:
Martin holds a BSc in Business Administration from the Central University College, Accra, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Public Administration from GIMPA (Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration), Accra and a Masters in Media and Communication from the International University in Geneva, Switzerland.
He did his National Service at the Ghana National Commission on Children and continued as an Assistant Administrator in the same organisation for two years. He then left to the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research where he worked as an Intern/Project Assistant for one and a half years.
He is currently a Research Consultant at the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research Department of the WHO in Geneva.Emmanuel Sigauke:
Emmanuel Sigauke was born in Zimbabwe, where he started writing at the age of thirteen. After graduating from the University of Zimbabwe with a BA in English, he moved to California, where he completed graduate studies. He teaches English at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, where he is an editor for the Cosumnes River Journal.Mariska Taylor-Darko:
Born in Manchester, England in 1956, Mariska attended Holy Child Secondary School in Cape Coast and St. Mary's Secondary School, Mamprobi. 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.
Mariska currently resides in Accra. She has two sons, one married and living in London, the other attending Golden Sunbeam Montessori School, Adenta, Accra in JSS1. She is a motivational speaker, poet, writer, beautician, fire walker and lover of jazz, blues, reggae and old time highlife.
Keta Stories - Prince Mensah
I remember meditating
on Mawu’s [i] handiworks;
I was a boy entranced, doting
over sands and old rocks,
over scenes of this lagoon
in radiance of full moon.
Oh, how these waves steal the land
from us. These beautiful waves,
thieves that defy defined lines
between ocean and earth.
Strange to see sea pass Mawu’s hand,
forcing us to become slaves
to campaigns to save land lines;
for Keta’s life or death.
Xevikpodzi, where the songs
of a thousand birds merge
amidst sounds of crashing waves:
Beauty for which my heart longs,
my mind enshrines the pledge
to save Keta from these waves.
Fort Prinzenstein and memories
of greedy merchants
wooing the land with cheap dowry,
feeding all their wants,
leeching a welcoming culture,
turning brother against brother;
these rapists caused rapture
of slavery and slaughter.
These are things Daada [ii] told me,
also things I shared with Mawunyega
as we ate aboloo [iii] with keta
school boys [iv]. School boys who loved
to know how this used to be;
we walked the shore with no fear of danger,
The lagoon is our friend; we enter
with respect, we are beloved.
We loved the truant trips to old town
where we remembered no more
six painful lashes meted out upon
our buttocks from Teacher Akator’s
kerosene-soaked cane
Mawunyega was smart, I was clown
so our humiliation bore
unending laughter from mates and deep scorn
from all disciplinarian-tutors
who thought we were vain.
Vain to glorify fetride [v],
akpele [vi] and stringing okro soup
in our essays for mid-term.
I wrote about food Daada made,
she always made the best light goat soup
that lingered all through the term.
Hogbetsotso-la. Tro-tro. Bone-shakers.
Face to face. The driver’s voice
contained halitosis emanating
from last-night’s tilapia dinner.
We wait for relatives who bring crackers,
news from Anloga. Rejoice,
local gossip, eagerly commenting
on the festival. Asaana, [vii]
as she pauses to sing ancient chants,
about frenzied girls, bouncing bosoms,
sweating dancers, the Agbadza; [viii]
hands in ninety degree posture,
swinging back and forth with frenzy.
Our eyes beamed with youthful interest.
Davio! Davio! Davio! [ix]
The old man shouted, ‘Megbona?!’ [x]
We were way into the sea,
no warning could stop us
We were trouble for Leo,
‘Megbona?!, ‘Megbona?! ‘Megbona?!
He could not understand why
the young wanted to die.
From the sea, we saw a crowd
deal with a fiafito: [xi]
They rained slaps and lashing
on his hapless self, kicking
his groin as he screamed, ‘Ao!
We had had images of owners
chasing thieves who jumped
into the arms of the sea for safety.
I reminisce my love affair with corn,
without her, I am forlorn.
Nyeblo [xii], the truth must be told;
the sea’s thievery is from of old.
I am too young to tell how it begun,
too old to forget how it stung
to lose precious pieces of Keta
as the forces of nature enter.
We have grown, we are now fully-matured men.
Life plays like a set of congas.
We live by fruits of the pen,
by experiencing, exploring
sources of present peace.
We loved choral songs of weary fishermen,
the hail of patient fish-mongers.
We were the little children
who stole fresh fish, disappearing
behind coconut trees.
[i] Ewe name for ‘God’
[ii] Ewe endearing word for ‘parent’
[iii] It is a baked corn cake
[iv] Smoked fish in the Volta Region
[v] Food made out of corn dough
[vi] Another variation of food made out of corn dough
[vii] Local drink made out of corn
[viii] Trademark Ewe dance
[ix] Ewe word for children
[x] Ewe word for ‘why?’
[xi] Ewe name for a thief
[xii] Ewe word for brother
"Keta Stories" is part three of our five-part series of poems on Keta. Further installments will be posted weekly throughout January.
on Mawu’s [i] handiworks;
I was a boy entranced, doting
over sands and old rocks,
over scenes of this lagoon
in radiance of full moon.
Oh, how these waves steal the land
from us. These beautiful waves,
thieves that defy defined lines
between ocean and earth.
Strange to see sea pass Mawu’s hand,
forcing us to become slaves
to campaigns to save land lines;
for Keta’s life or death.
Xevikpodzi, where the songs
of a thousand birds merge
amidst sounds of crashing waves:
Beauty for which my heart longs,
my mind enshrines the pledge
to save Keta from these waves.
Fort Prinzenstein and memories
of greedy merchants
wooing the land with cheap dowry,
feeding all their wants,
leeching a welcoming culture,
turning brother against brother;
these rapists caused rapture
of slavery and slaughter.
These are things Daada [ii] told me,
also things I shared with Mawunyega
as we ate aboloo [iii] with keta
school boys [iv]. School boys who loved
to know how this used to be;
we walked the shore with no fear of danger,
The lagoon is our friend; we enter
with respect, we are beloved.
We loved the truant trips to old town
where we remembered no more
six painful lashes meted out upon
our buttocks from Teacher Akator’s
kerosene-soaked cane
Mawunyega was smart, I was clown
so our humiliation bore
unending laughter from mates and deep scorn
from all disciplinarian-tutors
who thought we were vain.
Vain to glorify fetride [v],
akpele [vi] and stringing okro soup
in our essays for mid-term.
I wrote about food Daada made,
she always made the best light goat soup
that lingered all through the term.
Hogbetsotso-la. Tro-tro. Bone-shakers.
Face to face. The driver’s voice
contained halitosis emanating
from last-night’s tilapia dinner.
We wait for relatives who bring crackers,
news from Anloga. Rejoice,
local gossip, eagerly commenting
on the festival. Asaana, [vii]
as she pauses to sing ancient chants,
about frenzied girls, bouncing bosoms,
sweating dancers, the Agbadza; [viii]
hands in ninety degree posture,
swinging back and forth with frenzy.
Our eyes beamed with youthful interest.
Davio! Davio! Davio! [ix]
The old man shouted, ‘Megbona?!’ [x]
We were way into the sea,
no warning could stop us
We were trouble for Leo,
‘Megbona?!, ‘Megbona?! ‘Megbona?!
He could not understand why
the young wanted to die.
From the sea, we saw a crowd
deal with a fiafito: [xi]
They rained slaps and lashing
on his hapless self, kicking
his groin as he screamed, ‘Ao!
We had had images of owners
chasing thieves who jumped
into the arms of the sea for safety.
I reminisce my love affair with corn,
without her, I am forlorn.
Nyeblo [xii], the truth must be told;
the sea’s thievery is from of old.
I am too young to tell how it begun,
too old to forget how it stung
to lose precious pieces of Keta
as the forces of nature enter.
We have grown, we are now fully-matured men.
Life plays like a set of congas.
We live by fruits of the pen,
by experiencing, exploring
sources of present peace.
We loved choral songs of weary fishermen,
the hail of patient fish-mongers.
We were the little children
who stole fresh fish, disappearing
behind coconut trees.
[i] Ewe name for ‘God’
[ii] Ewe endearing word for ‘parent’
[iii] It is a baked corn cake
[iv] Smoked fish in the Volta Region
[v] Food made out of corn dough
[vi] Another variation of food made out of corn dough
[vii] Local drink made out of corn
[viii] Trademark Ewe dance
[ix] Ewe word for children
[x] Ewe word for ‘why?’
[xi] Ewe name for a thief
[xii] Ewe word for brother
"Keta Stories" is part three of our five-part series of poems on Keta. Further installments will be posted weekly throughout January.
Author Profile - Prince Mensah
Biography:
Five Questions with Prince Mensah:
Contact Prince:
Prince's Past Profiles:
Issue 1.28, September 29th - October 5th, 2007
Issue 1.18, July 21st - 28th, 2007
Five Questions with Prince Mensah:
1. What inspired you to write "Keta Stories"?
I have always held a fascination for the Anlo & Ewe people. Kofi Awoonor and Kofi Anyidoho are literary inspirations. Some of my best friends are Ewe and I have enjoyed their culture through cultural practises and history. My maternal grandparents used to live in Hohoe and I traveled the Volta region quite a bit.
"Keta Stories" is actually born out my concern for the future of this historic town. I got the little stories from conversations I had had over the years with family friends from Keta. I realize the sea is ruthless in taking over and man is helpless in keeping what is his. This scenario presents the robbery of a tribe's history and dreams. The best action, maybe the weakest one at that, is to make Keta a fresh memory no one wants to forget about.
2. Have you ever been to Keta? If so, when was your last visit?
Once, but I was too young to grasp lasting memories. I, however, remember through subsequent visits to other parts of the Volta Region, how fondly people spoke about Keta. I transposed those experiences to that of a young boy in Keta to create the sense of nostalgia in the poem.
3. What comes to your mind when you first think of Keta, or hear someone mention it?
A fading history. Only God knows how much history has been erased by the sea. It is like having the Elmina or Cape Coast castles being taken away by the sea. If the Netherlands can reclaim land from the sea, I do not see why we cannot get help to fix this problem once and for all.
4. Do you think it is possible for people to understand Keta without having personally visited?
Yes and no. Beauty is partially appreciated in pictures and lectures but the experience of facing it face to face is phenomenal. To understand, you have to undertake a visit to this town. It will help the local economy as well.
5. "We had had images of owners / chasing thieves who jumped / into the arms of the sea for safety." This is such a powerful portion of the poem. Where did you derive this image from? Was it inspired by a real image you have heard of or experienced?
To the Ewe, the sea represents justice and sustenance. However, the sea robs Keta of land and is ready to shelter thieves from justice. Nature can be ambiguous in definition and this is an attempt to ignite that thought. I have had experiences where wrongdoers were sheltered by the law but the same law made the lives of the law-abiding citizens harsher than necessary. This is just my take on these themes. Every reader is welcome to reach their own conclusions.
Contact Prince:
Email: pryncemensah(at)yahoo.com
Website: http://www.freewebs.com/pryncemensah/
Prince's Past Profiles:
Issue 1.28, September 29th - October 5th, 2007
Issue 1.18, July 21st - 28th, 2007
Favourite Poems of 2007
One Ghana, One Voice has had a great 2007. Founded in February and launched in March of this year, we have gone on to feature 39 poems by 27 poets. Our poets have been a diverse group, coming from all regions of Ghana (except Brong-Ahafo, a goal for 2008!). We have also featured poets from Europe and North America, as well as other parts of Africa.
In celebration of the writing produced this past year, over the last few weeks we have asked people to write in about their favourite poems they have read on this site thus far. Here are the results - click on the names to read the poems. We hope you enjoy this look back at 2007, and that you keep reading in 2008!
Readers' Picks:
Sankofa by Edith Faalong (Issue 1.26, September 15th - 21st, 2007)
Animal by Prince Mensah (Issue 1.18, July 21st - 27th)
Anthem of the Black Poet by Mbizo Chirasha (Issue 1.33, November 3rd - 9th, 2007)
Staff Picks (Rob and Julian):
Atonement by Vida Ayitah (Issue 1.8, May 12th - 18th, 2007)
Thoughts by Selorm Agbleze (Issue 1.14, June 23rd - 29th, 2007)
Beach by Prince Mensah (Issue 1.28, September 29th - October 5th, 2007)
Did we miss your favourite poem? Weigh in in our comments section.
See you in 2008!
In celebration of the writing produced this past year, over the last few weeks we have asked people to write in about their favourite poems they have read on this site thus far. Here are the results - click on the names to read the poems. We hope you enjoy this look back at 2007, and that you keep reading in 2008!
Readers' Picks:
Sankofa by Edith Faalong (Issue 1.26, September 15th - 21st, 2007)
Comments on Sankofa:
"What a beautiful poem. There is immense power behind these words, the power of the Ghanaian cultural heritage. Such powerful words, they made me shiver." - Elena
"Bravo! An incredibly enthralling piece from a promising poet. Call it contrast, the piece carefully plays with words in comparing true African Values with those of the West. This is indeed estimable. I am particularly proud of you. More grease to your elbows. Write on..." - Sulemana Iddisah
Animal by Prince Mensah (Issue 1.18, July 21st - 27th)
Comments on Animal:
"It says all most people living abroad want to say. I re-read it many times and enjoyed it." - Mariska Taylor-Darko
"I think that the poem, 'ANIMAL' deserves a lot of discussion. People who travel outside their countries of origins, especially Africans, face the envy and animosity of their fellow countrymen." - Anonymous
Anthem of the Black Poet by Mbizo Chirasha (Issue 1.33, November 3rd - 9th, 2007)
Comments on Anthem of the Black Poet:
"I like this guy's work because he is a natural, beautiful, completely African poet. His work is always very deep. He is true even if it means being a bit brutal; Mbizo never disappoints with his work. His descriptions are detailed and straight. He captures Africa with swift, sweeping words and lays it out in brilliance." - Edith Faalong
"This poem moves, it flies and take the reader with it. It is a masterpiece!! It does speak with Mother Africa on it's breath and I enjoyed it to the fullest!!!" - Mitzi Kay Jackson
Staff Picks (Rob and Julian):
Atonement by Vida Ayitah (Issue 1.8, May 12th - 18th, 2007)
Comment on Atonement:
"When we published Atonement, it was so topical, coming soon after the Ghana @ 50 celebrations. The way it blends the past and present, celebration and disillusionment, is very compelling. This poem really set the tone for some of the great poems that would follow on the site - and it stands as one of the best." - Rob Taylor
Thoughts by Selorm Agbleze (Issue 1.14, June 23rd - 29th, 2007)
Comment on Thoughts:
"Thoughts is deep and makes your emotions rise. It is a poem for people who understand and appreciate poetry; a deep poem which requires a lot of thinking." - Julian Adomako-Gyimah
Beach by Prince Mensah (Issue 1.28, September 29th - October 5th, 2007)
Comment on Beach:
"Beach is one of my favourites because of how it is so beautifully written - how it brings you right into that palpable moment at the shore, while still operating on intellectual levels." - Rob Taylor
Did we miss your favourite poem? Weigh in in our comments section.
See you in 2008!
Of Insane Acts - Prince Mensah
- In memory of Lucky Dube
I read of an act most foul,
a man slain like a fowl,
his blood colored these streets,
the hour glass crashed into bits,
He was a man like you and me
with dreams and longing to be
in company of loved ones always,
obeying whatever love says.
You took his life that night,
O what a sad and bloody sight.
You know your reasons are humdrum,
Just tempos coming from trouble’s drum.
Your unfortunate lives give you no right
to cause, to another family, this plight.
You think we owe you everything;
we owe you jack, nothing!
Our hearts bleed upon this tragedy;
poor children mourn their daddy.
This tragedy that refuses to end,
it takes man, brother and friend.
So guns have taken the place of speech,
violence has become that fattened leech,
brazen, shameless yet so vague
in this bizarre, bloody vogue.
We breathe the same air as you do;
we are bodies, souls, spirits, true
semblances of an Eternal Being;
so why do you vent your spleen
on innocence, on unknown people,
absent and oblivious to the scenes
of your misfortune made simple
by your choice to commit this sin.
The man you slew was a father,
a man who worked, no matter
the excuses of past failures
or shame of poverty’s dentures.
You are weaklings, doomed to squalor
distilled in breweries of dishonor.
See tears in eyes of his dependants,
wear shame on your faces, defendants.
Our hope is that you know and in knowing,
you will show remorse or something
that attempts to compensate sorrow,
mere seeds for a better tomorrow.
You took a life but may your lives be lived
by fireplaces of contemplation, revived
with sparks of his warm songs and memory;
his life becoming your own history.
Poverty is no reason to lose reason,
plight is meant to push a person
to seek heights that shadow valleys,
to seek life beyond those dark alleys.
My wish is that you eat wisdom’s scone,
as your lives march to Justice’s trombone.
I read of an act most foul,
a man slain like a fowl,
his blood colored these streets,
the hour glass crashed into bits,
He was a man like you and me
with dreams and longing to be
in company of loved ones always,
obeying whatever love says.
You took his life that night,
O what a sad and bloody sight.
You know your reasons are humdrum,
Just tempos coming from trouble’s drum.
Your unfortunate lives give you no right
to cause, to another family, this plight.
You think we owe you everything;
we owe you jack, nothing!
Our hearts bleed upon this tragedy;
poor children mourn their daddy.
This tragedy that refuses to end,
it takes man, brother and friend.
So guns have taken the place of speech,
violence has become that fattened leech,
brazen, shameless yet so vague
in this bizarre, bloody vogue.
We breathe the same air as you do;
we are bodies, souls, spirits, true
semblances of an Eternal Being;
so why do you vent your spleen
on innocence, on unknown people,
absent and oblivious to the scenes
of your misfortune made simple
by your choice to commit this sin.
The man you slew was a father,
a man who worked, no matter
the excuses of past failures
or shame of poverty’s dentures.
You are weaklings, doomed to squalor
distilled in breweries of dishonor.
See tears in eyes of his dependants,
wear shame on your faces, defendants.
Our hope is that you know and in knowing,
you will show remorse or something
that attempts to compensate sorrow,
mere seeds for a better tomorrow.
You took a life but may your lives be lived
by fireplaces of contemplation, revived
with sparks of his warm songs and memory;
his life becoming your own history.
Poverty is no reason to lose reason,
plight is meant to push a person
to seek heights that shadow valleys,
to seek life beyond those dark alleys.
My wish is that you eat wisdom’s scone,
as your lives march to Justice’s trombone.
Artist Tribute - Prince Mensah
Lucky Dube, South Africa's incredible reggae star, was shot dead in a botched car-jacking near his home in Johannesburg on October 19th, 2007. Moved by his death, Prince Mensah wrote "Of Insane Acts". We asked Prince to discuss Lucky Dube's life and influence:
It was a chilling June dawn in Adisadel College, Cape Coast. The year was 1991. The form five and Upper Sixth students had completed their GCE Ordinary and Advanced Exams, respectively. They were feverishly packing their backs into waiting buses, eager to connect with the remainder of their destinies. I was a starry eyed Form Four student, salivating at the prospect of leaving boarding school the next year. There was a song that was being continuously played in a particular bus. Some of the words I heard were
Daddy, wherever you are, remember me
Daddy, whatever you do, I love you...
This sweet, haunting song led my curiosity to the knowledge that it was a song by one Lucky Dube. This muse from South Africa immediately gained a fan in me. From that time onwards, I followed his discography like I did with Bob Marley. This was a true African superstar, who managed to merge ingredients of reggae with local influences. To me, a Lucky Dube album was like a Nas album; it contained a kaleidoscope of emotions. ‘Remember Me’ is definitely my favorite Lucky Dube song but songs such as ‘Together As One’, attest to his universal appeal. I never got the chance to listen to any of his Mbaqanga or Afrikaan albums, but I can bet heavily on the fact that they are of the same excellence displayed on his English albums. His reggae version of ‘I Wanna Know What Love Is’, to me, is the best rendition of that timeless song. Twenty-two albums in a twenty-five year music career is a glaring sign of hard work. This guy really loved his art.
Born in Ermelo (now Mpumalanga), South Africa on 3rd August 1964, Lucky Philip Dube was destined for the stars. Like many who overcome and then succeed in life, he had a rough beginning but did not let that stop him. He lived through one of the most despicable times in South African history: apartheid. He channeled his music against it. He was a poet with a C cleft on his tongue. His silky voice and charismatic personality was a refreshing essence.
On October 19, 2007, I was checking the Internet for African current affairs and the headline hit me with a splash of shock: ‘Lucky Dube Shot Dead’. I sat speechless for about ten minutes, imagining the last moments of his life. The smile on his face as he dropped his children off, the expectation of his children that Daddy would come back to pick them up. The carjackers and their quick prance to the car. His shock at their presence. At their pulling of guns. His pleas for life. The pulling of triggers. The merging of gunshots and cries for help. That was a terrible way to die, especially for one who had lived a chunk of his life fighting for the freedom that even the carjackers had enjoyed. It is up to us, the living, to make sure that freedom does not become an excuse to re-enslave our people to violence.
South Africa has surely lost a son. Africa has lost a fighter. The world has lost a superstar. For me, I have lost a part of my past that was sweet, proud and hopeful.
Rest in peace, soldier. The flags of our lives are flying at half-mast for you. Our voices offer, to your memory, a twenty-one gun salute.
Lucky Dube: 1964 - 2007
OGOV Roundtable Discussion #1 - Politics and the Power of Poetry
In what will hopefully become a quarterly feature for One Ghana, One Voice (please let us know what you think of it, and whether we should do it more or less often), in lieu of a poem this week we will receive the privilege of "listening in" on a conversation on poetry held between some of Ghana's brightest up and coming poets, lead by One Ghana, One Voice's own Julian Adomako-Gyimah, and featuring Prince Mensah, Vida Ayitah and Edith Faalong. Thank you to the amazing texts of the past that featured African writers in discussion (such as African Writers Talking [Heinemann, 1972]), and to the "Virtual Roundtables" at OutsiderWriters.org for inspiring this project. So please have a read, and be sure to use the comment section to join the conversation yourself!
Julian Adomako-Gyimah: Politicians are killing millions with their lack of respect for rule of law and the suffering masses. How can we fight this via poetry?
Prince Mensah: The internet has made it easier to expose such acts of brutality. For a long time it has been journalists who have been in the forefront of this fight. I must add that writers, like Ken Saro-Wiwa, Wole Soyinka and Dennis Brutus, have been in this cause as well. Yet, it is imperative for any holder of the pen, poets in this case, not to sit down and write nothing about the realities that gaze at them. We may write about history, but let’s talk about the present. We may talk about the beauty, but let’s contrast it with the ugliness. It is our role to write about and educate our people about freedom. Poets are socio-political beings, but we can never be politicians. As poets, we must be careful of not allowing our biases to poison the beauty of our poetry. We are supposed to present the problem and question the conscience of our people. We are catalysts, not instigators.
We can use international poetry or literary organizations to bring attention or send aid to a country that has a repressive government. What we can do is to feature countries under repressive governments and give audience to poets from that country. We can write books of poetry that benefit such countries. We can create a YouTube-themed website that allows poets to visualize their experiences. Recent events in Myanmar have added credence to the fact that an outlet for outcry like the internet helps the world to understand how people suffer under their governments. Let us use the internet in fighting this archaic notion held by this bunch of miscreants who rape their countries’ resources.
Vida Ayitah: I doubt very much politicians read poetry or even appreciate the art. If they did, we wouldn’t have corrupt politicians in our countries. Because the soul of a poet is so transparent, to lie to his fellow man would be next to impossible. Our politicians have somehow devised of a way of hiding themselves, and nothing can reach them. Certainly not pity or compassion or even common respect for other people's needs. So how do you make someone like that understand the value of something when he’s not even aware of its existence? For as long as our leaders stay in their ‘self-centered’ worlds, no voice can reach them. All the poet can do is write his piece. Personally, the only way I think poetry can be used as a medium to reach politicians is to feed it to them before they go into serious politics.
Julian: Great answers from you and Prince, but as poets we need to make sure politicians live up to our expectations and do not amass wealth at the expense of the populace, as Kufuor is currently doing. Rawlings was bad and I wrote so many political poems and articles about him but Kufuor's government is worst, hence my poem "This Is The Time."
As a poet, the only way I can fight these idiots is to write political poems such as "This Is The Time" and books such as the one I am currently working on called "The Graveyard".
As Wole Soyinka said, "the pen scares liars like politicians", so we need to write more revolutionary and controversial poems to fight these people because they are creating graveyards all around us.
Join this revolution my fellow poets but never be politicians. Because the synonym for that word is liar. God bless us all. If they don't read their compatriots will read and carry the message to them.
Bush, Blair, Musharraf and Kufuor, to mention but a few, can be 'killed' with poetry.
Prince: Vida, I definitely do agree with your assertion. Politics demands an alteration of character. Poetry cannot suffer hypocrisy. The two are incompatible. Our politicians are mostly opportunists who take their posts to gain proper grooming for the positions they aspire to. The sad aspect is that they never learn, and, if they do, it is to learn more ingenious ways to fool the people. Politics is indeed the occupation for the self-indulgent. It is supposed to be an arena of service to a nation. Instead it has become a coliseum of non-sensical, ravaging beasts who have little regard for national benefit or social consequence.
A lady once told me "Read a book. It is your visa to other people's minds and countries." I cannot dispute that. We are who we are as poets because of our curiousity to learn what was hidden behind book covers. It is up to us to stir our nation to literacy, for, especially in Africa, an educated citizen is a threat to every form of tyranny.
Julian, I have had the same misgivings about the present government. It seems power is more than an aphrodisiac; it is an anesthetic that gives promising politicians the excuse to forget about the reason why the people chose them in the first place. We must find a way to get accountability and probity from our leaders. You cannot gain power through popular sentiment and transmogrify into a monster that haunts the existence of the very people you were supposed to liberate. This story has been told over and over again, with few modifications, from Nkrumah to Kufuor. It is time that our generation of Ghanaians sits up and finds ways not to repeat the sorrowful mistakes of our fathers. We cannot afford mediocrity as a way of life, corruption as a means of justice, and tyranny as the cloud over our land. Our poetry must stir; it must reach places in people's hearts that have never been reached before.
Julian: Good point and unfortunately there is always an atavism in the life of every politician and as poets I agree with the fact that we need to sit up and stop them and their aficionado who wish to see others suffer. Once we get on the international platform, we have to tell the truth about our callous leaders and collectively liberate the oppressed.
Those of you who are still on campus, I think we need to collectively put up a show which combines poetry with drumming, choreography or music. I've tried these abroad and they really leave an indelible mark on the hearts of listeners.
"On n'a jamais riens sans mal," and surely one gets nothing without trying, so let's get it moving because there are so many questions for us to answer. We can be the voice for the speechless and the light in this darkened world so let's not rest until we liberate the masses from the hands of the beasts called politicians.
Edith Faalong: I am very excited about this, especially our union. Politicians these days are rubbing our faces in mud. More amusing is their style which indirectly goes to insult our intelligence. It's like they assume we are all ignorant of their antics. Like masters of a puppet show...the ordinary people: the puppets. Every day they roll out fantastic shenanigans. It's got to stop. How do we do it? We start by gently shaking the people awake with the pen. We cannot reach the politicians, let's sensitize the people and they can on their own resist deceit.
Vida: Hola Edith, glad you're in now. This does feel exciting. It's like a secret army of poets plotting against our bad bad politicians! Together as we raise our voices someone will listen. Because to just sit down doing nothing will not bring about any change. I just hope that we're able to stick it out; in time many more people will join. And then we will have the poetry club that no one in Ghana has been able to organize.
I have always wanted to be a part of a group with shared interests and passion for the same thing. And this feels so right.
Prince: The stench of ineptitude can never be hidden for long. Our leaders forget that he who has a cotton tail cannot cross a trail of fire. We as poets must also not forget that as a man stoops to criticize the holes in his neighbour's trousers, the holes in his own trousers are open to the next man.
We must render our poetry with utmost integrity because that gives us the attention we need to propel our visions of a free and fair country. People might say we are building a tower of words with our words but we must buttress our convictions with action. There is so much promise in what we are doing now and we cannot afford the luxury of falling down on our words.
Julian: Interesting. We need to keep this fire burning and learn other languages if we can because we need to reach out to all and sundry every nook and cranny. Soldiers of the word arise!
Now, let's talk more about some of the ways we can make these changes we want to see happen: How do we touch the lives of the poor and help raise money for the underprivileged poets?
Edith: Because most efforts of helping the poor are geared towards giving them already caught "fish", why don't we teach them to fish, starting with the little ones who will tomorrow be the big ones?
I have visited my village so often, my face has become very familiar. The worst problem I have identified is ignorance. There is no worse road to deprivation and poverty than ignorance.
The books I read as a child have taken me so far. They opened up my mind and introduced me to the need for freedom of thought. I remember there was a library a little way from the house I spent my earliest years in at Tamale. I rode a bicycle with my big sister every weekend to this library. Though it was far away, we went even if we had to walk, because there I found an awesome place, a spring of knowledge.
And now my dream is that one day, when I can, I will go to my village, set up a reading room for children, and make the environment friendly enough to attract them. Because I know, that the only way to liberate a person and free him/her from poverty and the gnarled hands of ignorance is through a book. It worked for me. The only way we can help is to work on their minds through books.
What I am trying to say is that donations of money, food, or clothes will only work in the short run. Let's make a donation for the long run, a donation of knowledge!
Julian: You hit the nail right on the head. We need to train them or teach them a skill to enable them to fish for themselves.
Vida: The idea is a good one. You can't feed someone for a day and think that's it. They need to know to do that for themselves. But what approach do you guys have in mind?
Julian: We can teach them how to fund raise, put proposals together, draw up business plans and how to use basic ECDL. They can earn a lot doing these things. For business plans for example, they can earn a minimum of $2000 doing one.
We can also pay for them to learn a trade or teach them how to earn money from poetry, short stories and features, I guess. There are organisations in the writers handbook who pay for these. We can also raise money by putting up spoken word sessions and put them in school or give them grants to do something.
Another thing I do is to develop businesses as a financial and management consultant, so combining both skills will put bread on their tables.
For those who are already writing, I guess we can help get them publishing deals and that way, they can get royalties on sales.
Agoo!
Edith: Agoo Julian!
Prince: I love hearing knowledge bouncing off deep minds. It's cool.
Poverty is definitely a circumstance that embalms the potential of any gifted person. It is up to the person in that circumstance to accept or reject that. The "Fa ma Nyame" syndrome that has plagued our country is eating away our ability to soar above our circumstances. It seems we are at the zenith of our talents when we are outside our own country, which is understandable due to the stagnant nature of our home institutions. Bureaucracy, "the PhD (Pull Him Down) Syndrome," corruption, nepotism and cronyism are reasons why we are not seeing any excellence coming out of the land that produced Kofi Annan, Kwame Nkrumah and Kofi Abrefa Busia. How can we erase this anomaly of human conduct? How can we change our people's mentality so that we believe that when everybody has a shot at life, it ends up benefiting everybody else?
We can raise money. We can create fundraisers. We can bring home a billion dollars and more. However, the core issue at stake is the mentality. "As a man thinketh, so is he." This is where we come in. We must ensure that there is always a horizon of positivity in every poem we write. We must instill hope, faith and love in our people through our poetry. We must show them ways, as Julian proposed, to make not only tommorrow's wage but also to secure their grand children's financial security. We need to instill a futuristic essence to our way of life because greediness comes from the here-and-now way of mind. I do not mind doing a programme that raises funds. It is absolutely necessary to do so. Ghana is us and we are Ghana.
Au revoir!
Julian: Great vision, Prince. I am glad we are all thinking right and willing to help liberate people.
I guess we should embark on a project dubbed "Poets Against Poverty and Mediocrity," walk to every bank, hotel, market and every nook and cranny to raise money via poetry.
Edith: You have a point there about the mentality thing Prince. "As a man thinketh, so is he." So lets think the sky for our people and us and so we will be.
Julian Adomako-Gyimah: Politicians are killing millions with their lack of respect for rule of law and the suffering masses. How can we fight this via poetry?
Prince Mensah: The internet has made it easier to expose such acts of brutality. For a long time it has been journalists who have been in the forefront of this fight. I must add that writers, like Ken Saro-Wiwa, Wole Soyinka and Dennis Brutus, have been in this cause as well. Yet, it is imperative for any holder of the pen, poets in this case, not to sit down and write nothing about the realities that gaze at them. We may write about history, but let’s talk about the present. We may talk about the beauty, but let’s contrast it with the ugliness. It is our role to write about and educate our people about freedom. Poets are socio-political beings, but we can never be politicians. As poets, we must be careful of not allowing our biases to poison the beauty of our poetry. We are supposed to present the problem and question the conscience of our people. We are catalysts, not instigators.
We can use international poetry or literary organizations to bring attention or send aid to a country that has a repressive government. What we can do is to feature countries under repressive governments and give audience to poets from that country. We can write books of poetry that benefit such countries. We can create a YouTube-themed website that allows poets to visualize their experiences. Recent events in Myanmar have added credence to the fact that an outlet for outcry like the internet helps the world to understand how people suffer under their governments. Let us use the internet in fighting this archaic notion held by this bunch of miscreants who rape their countries’ resources.
Vida Ayitah: I doubt very much politicians read poetry or even appreciate the art. If they did, we wouldn’t have corrupt politicians in our countries. Because the soul of a poet is so transparent, to lie to his fellow man would be next to impossible. Our politicians have somehow devised of a way of hiding themselves, and nothing can reach them. Certainly not pity or compassion or even common respect for other people's needs. So how do you make someone like that understand the value of something when he’s not even aware of its existence? For as long as our leaders stay in their ‘self-centered’ worlds, no voice can reach them. All the poet can do is write his piece. Personally, the only way I think poetry can be used as a medium to reach politicians is to feed it to them before they go into serious politics.
Julian: Great answers from you and Prince, but as poets we need to make sure politicians live up to our expectations and do not amass wealth at the expense of the populace, as Kufuor is currently doing. Rawlings was bad and I wrote so many political poems and articles about him but Kufuor's government is worst, hence my poem "This Is The Time."
As a poet, the only way I can fight these idiots is to write political poems such as "This Is The Time" and books such as the one I am currently working on called "The Graveyard".
As Wole Soyinka said, "the pen scares liars like politicians", so we need to write more revolutionary and controversial poems to fight these people because they are creating graveyards all around us.
Join this revolution my fellow poets but never be politicians. Because the synonym for that word is liar. God bless us all. If they don't read their compatriots will read and carry the message to them.
Bush, Blair, Musharraf and Kufuor, to mention but a few, can be 'killed' with poetry.
Prince: Vida, I definitely do agree with your assertion. Politics demands an alteration of character. Poetry cannot suffer hypocrisy. The two are incompatible. Our politicians are mostly opportunists who take their posts to gain proper grooming for the positions they aspire to. The sad aspect is that they never learn, and, if they do, it is to learn more ingenious ways to fool the people. Politics is indeed the occupation for the self-indulgent. It is supposed to be an arena of service to a nation. Instead it has become a coliseum of non-sensical, ravaging beasts who have little regard for national benefit or social consequence.
A lady once told me "Read a book. It is your visa to other people's minds and countries." I cannot dispute that. We are who we are as poets because of our curiousity to learn what was hidden behind book covers. It is up to us to stir our nation to literacy, for, especially in Africa, an educated citizen is a threat to every form of tyranny.
Julian, I have had the same misgivings about the present government. It seems power is more than an aphrodisiac; it is an anesthetic that gives promising politicians the excuse to forget about the reason why the people chose them in the first place. We must find a way to get accountability and probity from our leaders. You cannot gain power through popular sentiment and transmogrify into a monster that haunts the existence of the very people you were supposed to liberate. This story has been told over and over again, with few modifications, from Nkrumah to Kufuor. It is time that our generation of Ghanaians sits up and finds ways not to repeat the sorrowful mistakes of our fathers. We cannot afford mediocrity as a way of life, corruption as a means of justice, and tyranny as the cloud over our land. Our poetry must stir; it must reach places in people's hearts that have never been reached before.
Julian: Good point and unfortunately there is always an atavism in the life of every politician and as poets I agree with the fact that we need to sit up and stop them and their aficionado who wish to see others suffer. Once we get on the international platform, we have to tell the truth about our callous leaders and collectively liberate the oppressed.
Those of you who are still on campus, I think we need to collectively put up a show which combines poetry with drumming, choreography or music. I've tried these abroad and they really leave an indelible mark on the hearts of listeners.
"On n'a jamais riens sans mal," and surely one gets nothing without trying, so let's get it moving because there are so many questions for us to answer. We can be the voice for the speechless and the light in this darkened world so let's not rest until we liberate the masses from the hands of the beasts called politicians.
Edith Faalong: I am very excited about this, especially our union. Politicians these days are rubbing our faces in mud. More amusing is their style which indirectly goes to insult our intelligence. It's like they assume we are all ignorant of their antics. Like masters of a puppet show...the ordinary people: the puppets. Every day they roll out fantastic shenanigans. It's got to stop. How do we do it? We start by gently shaking the people awake with the pen. We cannot reach the politicians, let's sensitize the people and they can on their own resist deceit.
Vida: Hola Edith, glad you're in now. This does feel exciting. It's like a secret army of poets plotting against our bad bad politicians! Together as we raise our voices someone will listen. Because to just sit down doing nothing will not bring about any change. I just hope that we're able to stick it out; in time many more people will join. And then we will have the poetry club that no one in Ghana has been able to organize.
I have always wanted to be a part of a group with shared interests and passion for the same thing. And this feels so right.
Prince: The stench of ineptitude can never be hidden for long. Our leaders forget that he who has a cotton tail cannot cross a trail of fire. We as poets must also not forget that as a man stoops to criticize the holes in his neighbour's trousers, the holes in his own trousers are open to the next man.
We must render our poetry with utmost integrity because that gives us the attention we need to propel our visions of a free and fair country. People might say we are building a tower of words with our words but we must buttress our convictions with action. There is so much promise in what we are doing now and we cannot afford the luxury of falling down on our words.
Julian: Interesting. We need to keep this fire burning and learn other languages if we can because we need to reach out to all and sundry every nook and cranny. Soldiers of the word arise!
Now, let's talk more about some of the ways we can make these changes we want to see happen: How do we touch the lives of the poor and help raise money for the underprivileged poets?
Edith: Because most efforts of helping the poor are geared towards giving them already caught "fish", why don't we teach them to fish, starting with the little ones who will tomorrow be the big ones?
I have visited my village so often, my face has become very familiar. The worst problem I have identified is ignorance. There is no worse road to deprivation and poverty than ignorance.
The books I read as a child have taken me so far. They opened up my mind and introduced me to the need for freedom of thought. I remember there was a library a little way from the house I spent my earliest years in at Tamale. I rode a bicycle with my big sister every weekend to this library. Though it was far away, we went even if we had to walk, because there I found an awesome place, a spring of knowledge.
And now my dream is that one day, when I can, I will go to my village, set up a reading room for children, and make the environment friendly enough to attract them. Because I know, that the only way to liberate a person and free him/her from poverty and the gnarled hands of ignorance is through a book. It worked for me. The only way we can help is to work on their minds through books.
What I am trying to say is that donations of money, food, or clothes will only work in the short run. Let's make a donation for the long run, a donation of knowledge!
Julian: You hit the nail right on the head. We need to train them or teach them a skill to enable them to fish for themselves.
Vida: The idea is a good one. You can't feed someone for a day and think that's it. They need to know to do that for themselves. But what approach do you guys have in mind?
Julian: We can teach them how to fund raise, put proposals together, draw up business plans and how to use basic ECDL. They can earn a lot doing these things. For business plans for example, they can earn a minimum of $2000 doing one.
We can also pay for them to learn a trade or teach them how to earn money from poetry, short stories and features, I guess. There are organisations in the writers handbook who pay for these. We can also raise money by putting up spoken word sessions and put them in school or give them grants to do something.
Another thing I do is to develop businesses as a financial and management consultant, so combining both skills will put bread on their tables.
For those who are already writing, I guess we can help get them publishing deals and that way, they can get royalties on sales.
Agoo!
Edith: Agoo Julian!
Prince: I love hearing knowledge bouncing off deep minds. It's cool.
Poverty is definitely a circumstance that embalms the potential of any gifted person. It is up to the person in that circumstance to accept or reject that. The "Fa ma Nyame" syndrome that has plagued our country is eating away our ability to soar above our circumstances. It seems we are at the zenith of our talents when we are outside our own country, which is understandable due to the stagnant nature of our home institutions. Bureaucracy, "the PhD (Pull Him Down) Syndrome," corruption, nepotism and cronyism are reasons why we are not seeing any excellence coming out of the land that produced Kofi Annan, Kwame Nkrumah and Kofi Abrefa Busia. How can we erase this anomaly of human conduct? How can we change our people's mentality so that we believe that when everybody has a shot at life, it ends up benefiting everybody else?
We can raise money. We can create fundraisers. We can bring home a billion dollars and more. However, the core issue at stake is the mentality. "As a man thinketh, so is he." This is where we come in. We must ensure that there is always a horizon of positivity in every poem we write. We must instill hope, faith and love in our people through our poetry. We must show them ways, as Julian proposed, to make not only tommorrow's wage but also to secure their grand children's financial security. We need to instill a futuristic essence to our way of life because greediness comes from the here-and-now way of mind. I do not mind doing a programme that raises funds. It is absolutely necessary to do so. Ghana is us and we are Ghana.
Au revoir!
Julian: Great vision, Prince. I am glad we are all thinking right and willing to help liberate people.
I guess we should embark on a project dubbed "Poets Against Poverty and Mediocrity," walk to every bank, hotel, market and every nook and cranny to raise money via poetry.
Edith: You have a point there about the mentality thing Prince. "As a man thinketh, so is he." So lets think the sky for our people and us and so we will be.
OGOV Roundtable Discussion #1 - About the Participants
Julian is also the proud author of two bestsellers, namely Smile Africa and Recall, which are both available on amazon.com, bn.com, borders.com, and in major retail outlets around the globe.
Julian is a co-founder of One Ghana, One Voice.
Some of Julian's poetry: The Beautiful Child, This Is The Time
Vida Ayitah: Vida 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.
Some of Vida's poetry: Atonement, Mama
Edith Faalong: Edith was born on January 12th, 1986 to Mr. Joseph Y Faalong and Madame Hellen Tanye in the Upper West Region of Ghana. She currently lives in Accra, reading economics and geography as a third-year student at the University of Ghana.
Some of Edith's poetry: Sankofa
Some of Prince's poetry: Animal, Beach
Beach - Prince Mensah
gray Atlantic waves break upon
shores where voices of commerce
merge with wailing winds and sea gulls.
A sleepy morning already busy
with bargains between fisherman,
fish sellers and throngs that come early
to avoid middleman business
in the form of cutthroat market prices.
Morning sun, the beauty of gold on gray
waters, the glory in the clouds
wet feet made so by foamy waves
as crabs run to and from holes
sealed, opened and sealed again on
endless shore dwelt upon by stubborn grass,
coconut trees, ancient shipwrecks
with items the sea spits at high tide.
Canoes on the sea, men with nets
hunting on water for scaly prey while
luckier ones conduct brisk business on shore
amidst din of a roused city.
Busy beach road, curious folks scorn
smell of fresh fish, even worse
the sight of entrails as knife falls
on hapless fish held by hands so greasy
with blood enough to scare a man,
this spectacle scares fishermen barely.
As rowers ardor with finesse,
net-throwers catch the tide as it rises,
their faces splashed upon by its wide spray;
their adventure, the joy of crowds
Some to watch canoes, others waves
that batter ‘DO NOT SWIM’ poles;
awe on a child’s face, swimmers on
constant watch for undercurrents, the mass
of water, power to break necks,
adolescents watch their fathers with pride
as they pull a school with their nets
wives patient with baskets, praying awhile
their men battle water and wind. On shore,
the old fishermen get witty
as circumstances bring back memories:
a dangerous job that burnt calories
but never ceased to bring smiles upon
faces of maidens who got forlorn
whenever canoes had to go to sea
shores where voices of commerce
merge with wailing winds and sea gulls.
A sleepy morning already busy
with bargains between fisherman,
fish sellers and throngs that come early
to avoid middleman business
in the form of cutthroat market prices.
Morning sun, the beauty of gold on gray
waters, the glory in the clouds
wet feet made so by foamy waves
as crabs run to and from holes
sealed, opened and sealed again on
endless shore dwelt upon by stubborn grass,
coconut trees, ancient shipwrecks
with items the sea spits at high tide.
Canoes on the sea, men with nets
hunting on water for scaly prey while
luckier ones conduct brisk business on shore
amidst din of a roused city.
Busy beach road, curious folks scorn
smell of fresh fish, even worse
the sight of entrails as knife falls
on hapless fish held by hands so greasy
with blood enough to scare a man,
this spectacle scares fishermen barely.
As rowers ardor with finesse,
net-throwers catch the tide as it rises,
their faces splashed upon by its wide spray;
their adventure, the joy of crowds
Some to watch canoes, others waves
that batter ‘DO NOT SWIM’ poles;
awe on a child’s face, swimmers on
constant watch for undercurrents, the mass
of water, power to break necks,
adolescents watch their fathers with pride
as they pull a school with their nets
wives patient with baskets, praying awhile
their men battle water and wind. On shore,
the old fishermen get witty
as circumstances bring back memories:
a dangerous job that burnt calories
but never ceased to bring smiles upon
faces of maidens who got forlorn
whenever canoes had to go to sea
Author Profile - Prince Mensah
Biography:
Five Questions with Prince Mensah:
Five Questions with Prince Mensah:
1. "Beach" portrays a common scene that can be found on much of the West African coast, and does so with great detail and accuracy. Was it inspired by a particular place? Did you write it while experiencing the scene, or did you produce it from memory?
I wrote ‘Beach’ from the many memories I had when I was a high school kid at Adisadel. I used to hang out at the beach at the Cape Coast Castle. Some of the memories are from Labadi Pleasure Beach as well. I believe the sea has the combination of the powers of creation. The elements find their voices in the sea and its poetic value is simply phenomenal. As a poet, my responsibility is to observe and obtain every level of meaning that a scene, like the sea, offers. Life, being multi-layered, gives one the premise to write about what is seen and experienced.
2. You seem to present the fishermen in "Beach" as both luck and unlucky - risking their lives and yet somehow achieving a freedom because of it. How does this compare with Ghanaians who travel abroad for education or work, such as yourself?
Fishermen are one of the most daring groups of people on earth. They also are the most superstitious. Bravery is a gift and a curse. If not controlled well, it becomes bravado. The same with anyone who travels outside his/her sphere of comfort. Ghanaians outside miss the relaxed atmosphere of their country, where weekends are used for family interaction. They, however, love the opportunities that they get when they travel. The haunting truth is that we wish our motherland was the relaxing place where we had wonderful opportunities. The corresponding truth is that it is not so. This applies to a fisherman who decides to leave the security of the land to the uncertainties of the ocean because the sea rewards him instantly for his hard work.
3. The new "fishermen" soon to be plying Ghana's coast will be oilmen in tankers. How do you feel about this? In your last profile you said of Ghanaians "If the people were open to change, what a great nation we can become in a very short time." Do you feel that time is now, that Ghanaians are ready for this financial windfall?
Oil. Oil. Oil. Are we going to become a new Nigeria or Saudi Arabia? Is the schism between the rich and poor going to be even bigger than it is now? Is corruption going to subside so that each and every Ghanaian can now have a piece of the national cake? Ghanaians are optimists. Great personalities but we tend to be distracted by the glitz of the short term and in doing so, sacrifice the seismic impact of the long term. We have the chance at last to become like the rest of the world. Are we prepared to overhaul the socio-economic dynamics to meet the demands of a fast-growing economy? Or are we going to be dwarfed by our opportunities that strangers will have to come in and show us the way to run affairs? Personally, I am thrilled because if we handle this blessing well, there will be less reason for brain drain.
4. In your last profile you discussed different ways Ghanaians could gather to produce and promote their writing. On a personal level, are there other writers you speak or meet with on a regular basis? What kind of support do you have for your own writing?
Collaboration is essential to recognition. Most African writers like to work alone. With an under-educated populace, it is very crucial to relate to the people through the use of local dialects to convey poetic thought. We cannot be using English all the time because it makes us lose the original dynamics that our dialects offer. I have a circle of friends who critique my work. They are actors, engineers, financial analysts, et cetera. I like it that way because they offer really interesting perspectives and my knowledge base becomes eclectic, as a result. My website is my primary kiosk to the world. I am now a member of the Academy of American Poets and do hope to meet people who give priority to African literature.
5. "Animal", your last profiled poem, is one of the most popular poems on our site. What do you think makes it so attractive to readers?
I wrote "Animal" because it is about the realities of being a sojourner in a foreign land and the reality that awaits you when you return to your own land of birth. You are nostalgic of your homeland and that becomes an inspiration for you. It becomes a slap in your face when you return to realize a different set of circumstances that is akin to what you had experienced on foreign soil. People tend to relate to that kind of existential disillusionment. Things