Stinking Breath of My Pen - Mbizo Chirasha


greasy propaganda apples for peasants
bourgeoisie for sweating corruption omelet
villagers for cassava and diet coke
streets for hip hop and toy guns
school uniform for phd studies and bible for my daughter
wreath for saint valentine
roses for saint paul
revolutions changed and revolutions unchanged
canister for fat breakfast
bullet for big supper
i am fasting the supper and breakfast
sun born with vaseline on its forehead
moonrise with cancer on its breasts
tender skin of stars split by ghetto politics
kindas blowing condoms with lung wind
elders blowing balloons with broken hearts
another revolution
another liberation
another slice of politics
another rumble of hunger
another for the priest.
sweat drops, raindrops, tear drops
raindrops, teardrops, sweat drops
the breath of my pen stink

6 comments:

Darko Antwi said...

The fragmented fabric of society - all moulded together in the bold and eccentric words of Mbizo Chirasha.

Good work done.

ImageNations said...

The first thing you see in this poem is the use of small letters which signify the opposition to the status quo. However, it also portrays the gentleness with which the writer, Mbizo Chirasha, wishes to express a chaotic situation for the poem itself is chaotic.

a lot of juxtapositioning has been done in order to bring out the true meaning of this poem. for instance in the first line "greasy propaganda apples for peasants" has both truth and lies inhibited in it. The politician is propounding a profound manifesto and greasing it with lies, for apples cannot be for peasants. It definitely would be meant for the political 'elite', yet the peasants are being told that they would enjoy apples.

However in line two the bougeious would get sweating corruption omelet and then I wonder can the masses enjoy omelets? would they be allowed to enjoy omelets or can they afford to? Adjectives like 'Sweating' and 'Corruption' perhas seek to tell us that even though the omelet is a tasty diet it can only be obtained through corrupt practices.

This goes on with the placement of opposites and the illogicals to create emphasis of this confusion. Revolutions come and change things the previous government did only to stay and 'unchange' what they decided to change. In Africa, most governments (Military or otherwise) come to power on the ticket of change but soon they wear the cloak of disaster and pepertrate abundantly what the previous government did.

On a good platform I would have loved to cut this piece by piece. It is really an interesting poem. there is clear disorder at the end.

Unknown said...

My favorite lines

'sun born with vaseline on its forehead
moonrise with cancer on its breasts'

Mbizo is a master of distorted pictures, intended to present a portrait of a land we all love. 'Stinking Breath of My Pen' employs uneven parallels to express the commingling of guile and genuineness into a surreal world where the poet makes sense, only when he/she goes against the norm.

Mbizo is unapologetic and unrelenting in this snapshot of chaos. His pen can only 'breath out' the stench it has to 'breath in'. The poem is a reflection of a beautiful landscape in a broken mirror. A masterpiece!

Anonymous said...

It is certainly written through the glass darkly--puzzle pieces of ironic reality to remind us that the World is disjointed,fractured but still of our own making.
The poem in a sense,makes sense--of distorted sense.Zilverzorro.

Nana Agyemang Ofosu said...

I have read a wonderful craft today, Mbizo has painted a picture of the society in a succinct manner that i can only adore. This is a good poem.

mbizo chirasha said...

it is interesting fellow writers tat we see with the same eye and the way we listen to the voices is immeasurable ,Iam humbled with this critical and deep view of this poem i thought may be mean nothing , thank you for inspiring me as well thank you to one Ghana one voice for keeping my voice alive.You are a wonderful platform for African voices.