We all know that the pen is mightier than the sword,
But some days ago the sword thought it was mightier than the pen
They lie bad!
The pen is mightier than the sword!
Long after the ra ta tat tat of the guns have echoed away,
The ink from the pen will stay,
The words from the mighty oak will never fade away
The pen is mightier than the sword!
Long after we've forgotten the names of those who wielded the axe,
Long after their names disappear from memory,
The name Awoonor will stay,
The discharges of ink from his pen will remain etched in everyone's minds
His death will open a gateway for others to do what they love
What they feel and what they desire - to be storytellers.
The lie the idiots tried to feed us no go hold
The randomness of their sword chose a wrong victim
Because as long as we live, as long as we breathe, as long as we read,
Our storyteller will live on.
The pen is mightier than the sword,
Professor Kofi Awoonor, your last days were spent storytelling and creating
But your last day was not really your last day,
But an ascendancy into another realm of storytellers long gone.
They lie bad!
Truly, the pen is mightier than the sword.
They lie bad!
Long live the pen of Kofi Awoonor.
Mariska Taylor-Darko is a regular contributor to One Ghana, One Voice
This poem is part of our series of poems in memory of Kofi Awoonor. You can learn more about Awoonor and the series here.
3 comments:
I feel like repeating a comment I have, in few hours ago, made at Facebook. Here it goes: A time of weeping. Nevertheless, a time that has sought the best out of Ghanaian poets. It's brilliant by far!
Mariska our poet, welldone!
Thank You Darko Antwi -
The Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword
Mariska! Welcome back home to OGOV!!! Indeed in African cultural milieu, funeral is usually an occasion for family reunion. I am very happy to see Mariska taken her rightful place among the chief mourners at Kofi Awoonor series. Thanks for your contribution too.
Now, coming to your poem. The title of this poem is the first thing that strikes curiosity in the reader. “The Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword” To really do justice to this poem has taken me deep into research of this inspiring phrase…. “Inspiring” in the sense that, the pen has become metaphorically synonymous with the writer, which by inference makes me and other writers, ”stronger” than the “sword” which also stands for “force and brutality”. Therefore using this phrase as a title of poem for mourning Kofi Awoonor whose illustrious life was brought to an abrupt end by terrorists is quite apt and subtly straight to the point.
Well done, Mariska.I guess I should do a very indepth analysis of this fascination poem.
PS. Expect upcoming continuation. coming.
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