Village boy Impressions

I took a walk down the village path The morning after a rainy night And read the tales on its face. A thousand-tales told and retold In the marks of those gone before. Some full, some half trodden down Some giantish, some dwarfish Some clear, some blur, vanishing. All equally lie, telling their tale For who cares to read. Tales of hope, tales of fear Some of terrors and tragedies And many unhurried paces of romance. Read:  Village Boy Impressions - The Days of Bliss Long I stood reading the silent tales As far as the eye could see For many were the words on that path Speaking in varied pitches of voice Some speak in the center of the path; And leave deep tales in the dust Those are fast trodden under and lost. Others speak gruffly on the edges Brushings thorns and stubs and weeds And hardly leave an impression But the dying weeds tell their tale. By their effort the path grows.  Many prints diverge To the right and t...

I do my crying in the rain Shrieking with the thunder Howling with the wind So that my tears are washed away My sorrow is laid to rest awhile And peace returns to my heart But when the clouds are spent I wear a smile and walk around No one sees the tears in my eyes No one hears the pain in my voice No one marks the grief on my face No one knows the pain in my heart For I weep with the clouds And my healing is in the rain That washes and dries my tears With a million wet kisses I do my crying in the rain Not because I am strong But because I am alone Many weep on my shoulder I find no shoulder to weep on So I feign strength And wait for cloudy skies To pour out my grief in full He is strong, he is solid He can take it all, they say And know not that I am weak And poor and frail even as they But maybe not for I do not cry No, not open bitter tears as they Yet I too do cry I do my crying in the rain.

When I die, Cry not your heart out Nor weep any tears upon my grave I will not see you, cry for me now. When I die, Wear no sorrows or regrets And bear neither grief nor pain on account of me I will be singing Hallelujahs. Read: Village Boy Impressions -  Why Ever Do We Dream When I die, Do not come dressed in fancy clothes Smelling like a thousand lavenders I cannot admire you then, dress for me today. When I die,  Read me no long tributes,  And compose me no epic verses  I will not hear you, praise me today. Read: Village Boy Impressions -  The House in Balansa When I die,  Put me quietly in my grave  Give your money to the poor  And your tears to the oppressed  And leave me in peace and quiet to rest. Read: Village Boy Impressions -  Bird Scaring  

And behold, in those days one arose Wielding great power and fury With hair the colour of fire A tongue speaking many profanities And he could not be tamed or quieted His words darkened the sun by day And at night the stars were grieved And wept and fled to hide from him. Many that heard that voice unawares Were snared and alienated For they listened and comprehended not As indeed they were the words Both empty and noxious. Words that stirred hearts to hate, To division, and poverty of thought. When he shits the nations raged And even Melkor [1] cowered in Otumno [2]  For verily verily he is arisen To divide the nations and the peoples Light and darkness shall be as one And there shall be no day nor night For an age and a time. Read: Village Boy Impressions -  Election Mangana [1] Melkor is the first Dark Lord of middle earth (From the Lord of the Rings trilogy) [2] Otumno was the fortress of Melkor in the North of middle ea...

It is almost midnight, 31 st December 2017. I am jumping and shouting in church with millions of others worldwide or at least in Ghana. Saying thanks to God for seeing me through the year 2017. After more than 30 minutes of jubilant praise, we settle down for the final blessing. As the priest raises the monstrance with the body of Christ to bless us, a lady beside me sighed and said: “At last we say goodbye to this horrible year”. I turned to look at her and realized she was breathing heavily, and sweating profusely from ecstatic dancing and shouting. I had just been doing the same thing and I was also breathless and feeling wet and sticky under my sweater. I had put on a sweater because I was afraid it would get cold as the night wore on in this harmattan season. Indeed, many others were dressed like me. Yes, we knew our weather well but we had underestimated how ecstatic and boisterous our celebration would be once the hour arrived. So, all the ceiling fans were in full swing and...

I heard a man had a dream once It was a bold dream And they shot him down cold Dreams are dangerous things! I also had a dream, once It wasn't a bold dream And I woke up sweating; Dreams are scary things! Why ever do we dream? I ask. Read: Village Boy Impressions -  Fathers Yet how may we sleep If we cannot dream? And how may we live If our dreams be quenched? I say, let us all dream... Let the children dream; And let the elders dream What does it matter If we shoot at God and miss? Dreams are the salt of life Without them, life is tasteless, Worthless, pointless, stale I should be glad of an early grave! Read: Village Boy Impressions -  My First Snow

All tattered and battered it stands Its unkempt walls lay prostrate In obeisance to the earthly force. Yet once, it was high and mighty Or so we have been told. With strong encircling walls Filled with strong women and men. The cries of infants and the laughters of children Ever resounded in it. Now it lies broken, bleeding, untended. Where are the happy children? The crying infants? The strong men? The diligent women? They have vanished like smoke, All their pride and dignity forgotten. For nothing scatters a house Like bickering and strife Separating blood from blood And root from stem In vanity, avarice, and envy.

HEALTH: 1.        Drink plenty of water   2.        Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar   3.        Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants   4.        Live with the 3 E’s – Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy   5.        Make time to pray   6.        Play more games   7.        Read more books than you did last year   8.        Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day   9.        Sleep for 7 hours   10.    Take a 10 – 30 minutes’ walk every day. And while you walk, smile.  PERSONALITY: 11.    D...

       The earth was full, the valleys green The plains stretched on from east to west The skies were clear and full of bird song When Atuga rose and walked the land. He loved the plains most rich and fair Bathed by light of sun, moon, and stars. He named the nameless hills and vales He drank from yet unsullied streams He beheld the remnants of the land And perceived them most fair and bold Read: Village Boy Impressions -  FEOK - The Hallowed Festival of the Builsa       The world was fair and less callous In those days before the coming Of mounted raiders and plunderers From the North, the East, and West And from far South over many seas. No stain yet on the land was seen; No axe was laid to the verdant shrub No raging fires to the brown sward No plough had broken the loamy fields All was fair and good in Atuga’s day. Then said he, ‘this shall be my home’ And among the remnant, he abode...

          They come in droves and drones Winging wildly overhead at great speed Making straight for the millet crop Standing all white in the fields: The promise of a bumper harvest! Men, women, and kids rise up in arms To defend their labour and sweat Against these marauding birds; These little ravenous beasts, That come whirling and twirling Nibbling, gnawing, and hacking! Destroyers and usurpers, the lot of them! They suck, slurp, and scatter And bring to naught months of sweat. So we howl and yell and scream: Haaaaa! Haaaaa! And curse them all morning Till we grow hoarse and hissy. Read: Village Boy Impressions -  The seasons at home           We all rise before the sun And divide the fields between us Every mother and every father That has toiled in the burning sun Through planting and weeding Now stand guard and ready Keeping a sharp eye on the fields. Every kid in every compound Is...