Death Looks Different on You - Agbleze Selorm

- dedicated to the late Alfred Kwaku Doe Agbleze

Death looks different on you
Young one that steals from the aged
They say the robbed that smiles steals from the thief
Your smile this day is theft to death
It is a baffle of the mind
It is a break of tradition
In our land
The dead young are supposed to frown
But what is this excitement behind your eyelids
What is this joy your lips can’t speak
Death is ugly
Yours is beautiful
Death is cold
Yours is warm
What is this fire within your body
What is this beauty emerging from beneath your skin
The vultures have lost their flight
There is no wind of pain to lift their wings
The women’s wail is not of pain
It is of confusion
What is this excitement that creeps into the air
What is this peace that comforts the heart
Young one that steals from the aged

Author Profile - Agbleze Selorm

Biography:

Agbleze Selorm was born in April 1987 to Mr. Geoffrey Agbleze and Ms. Akambi Esinam. Selorm is a former student of Mawuli school, Ho and is currently reading Bsc. Agricultural science in the University of Ghana, Legon. He resides at Denu, in the Volta region of Ghana and likes reading and writing poetry as well as engaging in educative discussions.

Five Questions with Agbleze Selorm:

1. Was this poem inspired by a real experience? If not, what inspiration did you draw upon?

Yes, this poem was inspired by a real experience. It was inspired by a wake keeping at which my late brother was laid in state. This was not an ordinary funeral because though he died young, not even his mother was able to feel a full level of pain. The atmosphere was filled with peace and comfort. This was a clear indication that he died “saved”.


2. We've yet to profile a poem of yours that included punctuation. Why do you choose to write without punctuation? What do you see as the benefits and drawbacks of this choice?

That is a big question. I believe that the reading of my poems is directed by line breaks and certain key words such as what, how, who, when etc. that give a tone to the poems. The breaks replace commas and full stops while the key words make sure that questions and other sentence forms are read in the right tone. The strange benefit of this style is the freedom that the words enjoy, a drawback may be the fact that this style does not obey the “rules” and may sometimes make it difficult for certain lines to be read properly.


3. Do you intend for your poems, primarily, to be read on the page, or to be performed?

Primarily, I only send my poems out for it to be read on the page so that any criticisms or observations will help carve my writing into excellence. However, a performance of any of them is a welcomed idea.


4. How important are outside editors, critics, etc. to the development of your writing?

Outside critics are the furnace, hammers and chisels that shape my writing towards an excellent standard. I believe that their various views from all angles give a summary of audiences’ thoughts about my writing. However, I always make sure that my poems in the end still carry the uniqueness I desire while preserving the message in its completeness.


5. It has been more than three since you were profiled on OGOV. What has happened in your life since then? In your writing life?

My life within the period had been filled with the demands of academics, personal growth, and entrepreneurial endeavours. I had shown little faithfulness towards poetry however, a few of my most cherished pieces were written within the period.

Contact Agbleze:

agblezes(at)yahoo.com

Favourite Poems of 2007

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 Agbleze Selorm (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

You are the rain - Agbleze Selorm

You are the rain
That watered the twin-bearing grain
The rain on whose waters the hunters sailed
Hunters against whom the gods failed
The waters on which floated her blood
The blood of my black lady love

You are the rain
That washed her supposed ignorance
And gave her children the fishers hook
Hand-in-hand with a fattened maggot of liberty
From the sappers of the sacrifice altars
And slavery to dumb woods
You have spared some the erect graves
And blinding feathers' rage
Of the fifth landing stage
And liberated virgins of shackles
Shackles forged for their fathers ankles

You are the rain
Dressed in rainbow colours
That burdens my love
With the children of borrowed cowries
And enslaves her to women of her kind
Because you are the rain
That watered the twin-bearing grain

Author Profile - Agbleze Selorm

Biography:

Agbleze Selorm was born in April 1987 to Mr. Geoffrey Agbleze and Ms. Akambi Esinam. Selorm is a former student of Mawuli school, Ho and is currently reading Bsc. Agricultural science in the University of Ghana, Legon. He resides at Denu, in the Volta region of Ghana and likes reading and writing poetry as well as engaging in educative discussions.

Five Questions with Agbleze Selorm:

1. "You are the rain" takes on a special meaning in regards to the recent devastating floods in Northern Ghana. As terrible a toll as the floods had on the North, they also filled the Akosombo reservoir and allowed for an (at least temporary) end to the power-outage cycles that have crippled the country. Can you speak more of these two faces of water?

Water is an essential part of our lives and it expresses its usefulness in different ways and to different extents. This ranges from the first bath after birth to the last bath before burial. However, water in other terms is a danger to life and property.

Water in its clean form is health, water in the contaminated form is death. Water in just enough quantities is useful for plant growth but water in excessive quantities destroys our crops. Water is wonderful under control and very destructive when in control. Jacob (in The Bible) was right when he used water to describe the unstable nature of his son, Reuben (Genesis 49:4).

These two faces of water (its usefulness and destructiveness) were thus of great inspirational use to me as I tried to touch on the effects of colonialism on Ghana, and Africa as a whole, in this poem, "You Are The Rain."


2. Who do you write for? For yourself? Your local community? Society in general? Who do you imagine you are communicating with when you write?

Well, most of the poems I write are letters to my soul, that is to say that I try to represent what I felt or thought, real or imagined, in words so that I can read and appreciate it fully. However, in recent times, my poems have been directed to anyone who might just stumble over them.


3. Given Ghana's political struggles, do you feel a need to make your poems 'political'?

I do not really feel the need to make my poems political. Nevertheless, I am currently feeling a slight shift of my usual topics from expressing internal thoughts to more external and social issues. Maybe politics might be the next victim.


4. Who do you turn to for support in your writing? Are there other writers who review and comment on your work? If not, would you like more of this?

I do not turn to anyone specifically for support in my writing. Most of my friends to whom I submit my poems for admiration and comments are not writers. I will therefore be very grateful to enjoy more reviews of my poems by fellow writers.


5. How do you find the distribution of poetic admiration and discussion at Legon between African and European writers? Is it balanced? Or is one side emphasised to the detriment of the other?

I do not have a clear idea of the distribution of academic poetry discussion between African and European writers on campus as this is mostly undertaken by the literature students. However, Open Air Theatre, a radio discussion programme on poetry organized by Radio Univers (the University's official radio station) discusses poems submitted to them by writers, and these are mostly African.

Contact Agbleze:

agblezes(at)yahoo.com

Agbleze's Past Profiles:

Issue 1.14, June 23rd-29th, 2007

Thoughts - Agbleze Selorm

As you laid there in mute
I heard you mention my name
Could you hear me at the other side of the river?
By my window I saw you pass by stripped of mortality
Reminding me of those days we spent together
Down the rocky beaches
Casting wishes upon the setting sun
Tears are nothing
But the heart’s speech in liquid
They are of no use now
For they give not life
'Til the day I feel your warm embrace
I will continue to wonder
If you could hear me at the other side of the river.

Author Profile - Agbleze Selorm

Biography:

Agbleze Selorm was born in April 1987 to Mr. Geoffrey Agbleze and Ms. Akambi Esinam. Selorm is a former student of Mawuli school, Ho and is currently reading Bsc. Agricultural science in the University of Ghana, Legon. He resides at Denu, in the Volta region of Ghana and likes reading and writing poetry as well as engaging in educative discussions.

Five Questions with Agbleze Selorm:

1. How long have you been writing poetry?

I have been writing for the past five years, however I wrote my first poem in class three entitled "the cat."


2. What got you interested in writing poetry? Was there any poetry-related activity at Mawuli school?

I got into poetry because to me it was a simple way of telling hidden tales and emphasizing issues of concern about life and society.

Poetry at Mawuli school was a way of expressing thoughts on the notice board and it was employed by students to express their views on situations.


3. Who are your favorite poets? Which poets have most inspired you and informed your work?

I do admire and draw inspiration from the works of many poets, however Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali, David Diop and Kofi Awoonor are my favorite poets. I admire the detailed pictures they paint with their words and the simple elegance of their expressions. An example is Mtshali's "An Abandoned Bundle".


4. What is your opinion about the state of poetry in Ghana today? The state of poetry on the campus at the University of Ghana, Legon?

I believe that poetry in Ghana is silent and its place taken over by contemporary music. Poetry in most cases has been reduced to "chew and pour" in the academic institutions, thus the burning flame of admiration has been quenched to a large extent.

Although this attitude has found its way into the University of Ghana, there has been a few meetings and poetry recitals held on campus. Radio Universe, the University's official radio station also holds a program on poetry every Sunday. These could be the start of a much needed uplifting of campus poetry.


5. What do you think needs to be done to promote and strengthen African poetry?

I think that avenues should be created through which African poems can be exhibited in Africa and beyond just like One Ghana, One Voice and interactions between African poets should be intensified through meetings. Outstanding poets should be rewarded and the growing generation should be taught simple African poetry and rhymes. They shall then grow to appreciate the history and tales of their land.

Contact Agbleze:

agblezes(at)yahoo.com