Fool - Andy Aryeetey

Sitting on his dear sofa
With a glass of the finest vodka in hand,
Contemplating on the rudiments of the day
Playing back the words of un-cool Herty…
             Fool, you are an arrogant and self-absorbed bastard
             You should have died in your mum’s womb
             You do not know the meaning of the word love
             You have no regard for the human being
             You treat everybody like shit, fool
             I hope your money burns the sea…
Then he began…
He began to indulge
Indulge in this new discovery
Not drinking, of course not!
But thinking…

He was thinking…
             For the first time in my life I am thinking
             For the first time in my life I think I understand wisdom
             Yeeeeeeees; this must be wisdom, I am now a thinker.
But why did it take so long for him to develop?
God bless Herty, but how to be re-born?
How to avoid the scorn, and looks of disdain?
How to gain respect without a flaunt of wealth…?
             Knowing that this is how my life would turn up
             I wish I were born in abject poverty
             Shit! Damn the silver and gold spoons
             Shit! Not shit spoons, but fingers and hands…
             I wish I were born an orphan or the like
             Miserable, poor, homeless and hungry…

So that’s why they ask…
Would you be a well-fed slave or a hungry free man?
             Shit! I wish I had an unhappy childhood
             At least my adulthood would be happy
             I wish I were ridiculed and laughed at as a child
             I wish I had no money for school and walked
             Long miles daily,
So that’s why they say
A journey of a thousand miles to adulthood begins with a step
(He chuckles)
(He chuckles to himself, of course, to who else?)
             Shit! Knowing the future would be brighter
             I wish I were the kid who studied with candles
             Because he had no electricity
             Studying till the candle died out each night
             Knowing the future is brighter than candlelight.

Yes, he must, before it's too late
Why did it take this long for him to come home?
             I must share this wisdom with the world
             Yes, I must be unselfish for once
             I’m afraid it may already be too late for me…

His fifth concubine was due for delivery in a month
With a grin as wide as Lake Bosumtwi-
             I promise that child won’t be so unfortunate
             Herty I am not a fool,
             I’m a thinking fool…

3 comments:

colleen said...

that was really good!!!! did you write it...i know u were a poet u know but i never knew u were this good

Darko Antwi said...

When a writer is brimming with this grace of imagination, we can only conclude that Andy Aryeetey is a brilliant author.

Welldone Andy.

Unknown said...

Thank you Darko