RIP Awoonor - Andy Aryeetey

Oofee n'ats3 bo ay3...

My voice tiptoes
For you are asleep
My eyes shoo my hands
For you are at peace.

H33 , Nuumo l3 eje mli
Etee Faa naa, ebaaa d)))nn
Kofi went to the market place
but did not return.
The bullets killed the man
but not his legacy.

So dry your tears.
Mrs Awoonor kpayaafo!
Ao! Esa gbele kpakpa
shi kpayaafo!

Ebaafee musu ak3 ebaagbo
Nakai gbele y3 eman
No hew)l3, kpayaafo.

The bullets killed the man
but not his legacy.

If you say that guns do not kill people,
just as pens do not write mistakes;
then plant seeds of compassion in your children,
for who can uproot trees of wickedness?

Mankind is limited by hind-sight
Denominators such as religion
should not separate us.
The bullets killed the man
but not his legacy.

Kofi Awoonor, R.I.P.
Roam in Paradise.
Better still,
return if possible.

Andy Aryeetey performing "RIP Awoonor":





Andy Aryeetey is a 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.

Favourite Poems of 2012

Readers' Picks

When the War Came to Ghana by Andy Aryeetey (November 24th, 2012)

Comments on When the War Came to Ghana:

"With comical images of horror, "When the War Came to Ghana” cleverly drills at the agitation and wranglings which lurk behind Ghana’s peaceful facade. The essence of the message is everything except the endorsement of violence." - Darko Antwi

"Aryeetey is a good poet who is unafraid of telling his society what he sees in the mirror. " - Prince Mensah

"Great piece. I laughed and sighed at the realities of Ghanaian politics and life." - Bernadette Poku

The Still Small Voice by Dela Bobobee (January 21st, 2012)

Comments on A Still Small Voice:

"Dela's poem is a somber call for introspection - as individuals and as a society. It was the first poem to be featured in 2012 and made a world of impact for me by its thematic choices. We might seek the high and lofty or knock on the doors of fate and destiny but weaving through our dreams and actions is the still small voice. The voice of our conscience. The sound of our ideals. The noise of our souls. The aural essence of our spirits. 'The Still Small Voice' is a poem to be read over and over again. It is layered with meanings and laden with reminders to listen to the nudging of our higher angels. In 'The Still Small Voice', Dela Bobobee seeks to preempt a repeat of generational mistakes that have been the bane of many countries in the struggle for social progress. The poet becomes prophet, priest and propagandist for 'the still small voice'. To balance idealism with realism, Mr. Bobobee challenges his readers with another weapon: the past-

if we have done it before
then we can still do it again

Such poetry is hard to find and I definitely consider it as one of the best I have ever read on One Ghana, One Voice." - Prince Mensah

"The Still Small Voice comes from God. This is the voice that speaks to every human heart, whether sinful or righteous. "The Still Small Voice" is a prophetic poem." - Dominic Arituo

"Didactic and very African. I really enjoy not only reading [Dela's] poems but also studying them thoroughly..." - Martin Elorm Dogbo

Our President Died: A Poem for Mills by Nana Yaw Sarpong (August 9th, 2012)

Comments on Our President Died: A Poem for Mills:

"Each poem by Nana Yaw Sarpong inspires respect. "Our President Died: A Poem for Mills" is particularly sovereign, per figurative language. It threads on a plot which the average poet would consider as tightrope. When solidarity is expressed unreservedly, as this poem has, then the author’s objectivity should be praised. " - Darko Antwi

"The tributes we received following President Mills' death were overflowing, both in their praise and their quantity. Nana Yaw Sarpong's was one of the best, most challenging, and most interesting." - Rob Taylor

Staff Picks

O! Jebu! Stared At The Beginning As Ananse Tickled Himself In The End by Novisi Dzitrie (January 28th, 2012)

Comments on O! Jebu! Stared At The Beginning As Ananse Tickled Himself In The End:

"This poem employs mythology and legend to explain the mundane. By doing this, Novisi Dzitrie continues the ageless tradition in African cultures that teaches wisdom and knowledge through folklore. Nowadays, African poets try to sound like Western poets in their themes and techniques but a poet like Novisi is to be praised. He takes the old and makes it new. He moves ahead by connecting with the past. "O! Jebu!..." is allegory through poetic devices, a superb example of a distinctive essence in African literature - the commingling of tangibles and intangibles as a device to understand existence. " - Prince Mensah

"Novisi Dzitrie is a writer whose literature has the flair to attract obsessive public admiration. His wits are so sharp, and his imagery so refined." - Darko Antwi

"A wonderful, playful poem. It got my vote based on the title alone!" - Rob Taylor

Memories of the Electricity Company of Ghana by Kofi A. Amoako (February 4th, 2012)

Comments on Memories of the Electricity Company of Ghana:

"Kofi A. Amoako, a Toronto-based Ghanaian poet, was a wonderful new arrival here at OGOV in 2012. We featured four of his poems over the course of the year, and any one of them could have been selected here. "Memories" was his first, most playful, and perhaps most filled with love for his home country." - Rob Taylor

"I love this poem! What an insight into life in Ghana. I will be visiting soon and I hope the power is on and off when needed!" - Moira

Tapestry by Darko Antwi (November 3rd, 2012)

Comments on Tapestry:

"It was a pleasure to watch "Tapestry" develop on our site. Originally written in response to Jabulani Mzinyathi's sharp-edged poem "french conference in the drc" and posted in the comment section, we were able to watch Darko Antwi work through a number of iterations before arriving at the final poem. And what a final poem it is: simple in language and yet weaving a complicated and beautiful tapestry of languages and ideas." - Rob Taylor

""Tapestry" is a trapeze between one's native tongue and another tongue - essential for wordsmiths, important to seekers of wisdom. We really do not know this wide world until we understand it in another person's language." - Prince Mensah

When the War Came to Ghana - Andy Aryeetey

What was kpokpoi?
It was the rich man’s meal
Araba Last-Stop could no longer afford.
Sophisticated Akwele was no longer beyond
the reach of Ato, the fitter.
He made her strip at knife point
and ‘fitted’ something into her.

The Ga’s had mobilised their forces.
Eight-year old skilled men
taking commands from fifty-year old war commandos.
Attack on Ewes was mandatory
and a husband was to murder his beautiful Ewe wife.

The Anlos had sought Togbi’s guidance
and most powers were consolidated
in a few local heroes
believed to be bullet-proof, impervious to knives.
The Akans’ plan was to find out if they were bomb-proof.

Officials who were never at the battlefield
Were the professors and scientists of various ethnic groups.
Labelled most wanted, their lives were most sought after.
A lecturer sent his students to battle, they died there.

There were no more rural areas,
The inhabitants were extinct
Though others died through natural disasters
such as collapsing caves and underground hideouts.

The University of Ghana was bombed.
First came the pillars of the Registry
Then the lecture halls and every lecturer’s bungalow.
The safe houses were for a selected few.
Medical personnel, mostly.
To be deemed elite was a dangerous honour.
You would top the list of targets to be terminated.
Most celebrities tried to escape the country
but were denied visas.

It was no longer safe to call a place a home
a hideout was more suitable
and a family’s hideout changed address weekly.
A family consisted of one’s ethnic group
mobilised in a location.
Sometimes ability to speak two local languages
saved one’s life.

Akans molested Ga’s
and Ga children beat up Akan fathers.
Who was a school child?
He was a soldier in combat training.
Who was a girl?
She was an incubator.
Yet it was not a world to bring babies into.

Ghana was on the map for bloody reasons.
Foreign philanthropists sent aid to greedy leaders.
Three presidents were assassinated
and the party system was in chaos.
The local media was ethnocentric
and later each ethnic group elected their own president.

I could not afford a plate of banku and tilapia
and gari was hard to come by.
What do you mean by street children?
‘You dey see your body’ in ancient Ghana.
You are the street child.

To survive I gave up running and joined the family army.
This piece was my last.
My remains were found in a pile of papers
torn from my diary, a future writer.

Peace from the ‘monkey tail’ seller.
Peace from the ‘too gb33′ seller.
Buy peace from the Asaana seller -
the traditional Coca-Cola.
Peace is priceless.
Toshii Maame give me peace.

Author Profile - Andy Aryeetey

Biography:

Andy Aryeetey is primarily an art lover. He is a poet, spoken word artiste and an occasional short-story writer. His works have been featured in some newspapers in Ghana-including the Weekend Globe and the Mirror- online at kpokplomaja.com, akwantuo.org and The Writers Project of Ghana, and in a few anthologies. He enjoys having a good laugh and always has 'playful' thoughts. His other interests include football, movies and nature.

Five Questions with Andy:

1. You wrote this poem in preparation for the 2012 election. How fearful are you, really, that what the "future writer" describes might come to pass?

I was initially more afraid when I had a nightmare concerning those things described than I am now. However having said that, chaos, however small should be prevented. Who knows what it can develop into in the near future?


2. What cracks and pressure points do you see in Ghanaian society, leading up to this election, that drove you to write this piece?

The media first of all keep reporting highly controversial issues, some of them being provoking. People are saying all sorts of things on the radio, which can easily be interpreted as promoting violence. Political rivalry in Ghana leads to various pressure points as each party seems capable of doing or saying anything against the other in the name of competition - these acts go against the country.


3. Forgive my ignorance, but there are a few references in this poem that escape me, such as "too gb33" and "Toshii Maame". Could you explain these references (if they are meant to be understood, that is)?

I am a Ga, and usually draw my imagery from my roots. Anyone who understands the language will grasp the concept easily. To help you, "too gb33" literally means "Goat balls" but refers to 'bofrot' which is a ball-like Ghanaian doughnut. Toshii Maame refers to Toshii's mother, the down-to-earth, poor, humble woman who sells simple foodstuffs and items (She represents the proletariat, the true ambassadors of peace). I used to buy 'adun lee' ('monkey tail') and 'bofrot' from one little girl called Toshii (but she was rude and arrogant when selling to you, the very opposite of her mother).


4. What effect do you hope for this poem to have on the reader? Do you think poetry can influence attitudes around an election one way or the other?

I hope for a reader to experience a nightmare whilst digesting the poem, wake up at its end and realise how important peace is to our nation even with all our problems. I believe poetry can influence attitudes towards an election and even attitudes towards the promotion of peace. Anyone who experiences my nightmare should realise that peace is priceless.


5. Are you still at Legon? If so, how are your studies going? If not, what are yo up to now?

I completed Legon this year. I am now doing my national service but I'm still a student. I'm currently studying Accounting and soon to add I.T. to that as well. It's challenging and time-consuming but I'm for it.

Contact Andy:

andy_aryeetey(at)yahoo.com

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…

Author Profile - Andy Aryeetey

Biography:

Andy Aryeetey was born on February 23rd, 1989 and is an old boy of PRESEC, Legon where he occasionally performed in dramas, plays and the like. He was a member of their editorial board and was judged the best poet for his batch. He is currently a combined major student - political science and sociology - at the University of Ghana with two more years to go. Apart from writing and performing, he likes playing football and watching movies.

Five Questions with Andy:

1. How long have you been writing poetry?

I have been writing poetry for as long as I remember, since primary two. I used to be picked to recite in school plays and functions. I think this triggered my love for the art.


2. Who are your favourite poets? Which poets have most inspired and informed your poetry?

My favourite poets are Mutabaruka, Maya Angelou and D.H. Lawrence. However, I must say that I have been most inspired and influenced in my poetry (mostly the performance aspect) by my primary two French tutor Monsieur Kousalima. Though not on the international scene, that teacher was a great poet and performer to me by all standards (wherever you are Monsieur, merci beaucoup). I am also fond of the writings of Martin Egblewogbe and Kojo Laing.


3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?

I hope my poetry first of all inspires interest in the art by "non-believers". If not for anything at all, I like a well appreciated piece of art. Creativity should not be a rolling stone, we can rest it on the minds of all who hitherto wouldn't have any interest in poetry or art. I hope that people will learn to appreciate art when reading my pieces, because there are so many ways to tell a story and stand for a message through poetry. With different views and takes on your piece, in the end, you say more than you intended to.


4. Tell us a bit more about the editorial board at PRESEC. What activities did this group get up to?

In PRESEC, the editorial board was the main literary stronghold of the school. Apart from seeing to the publishing of a school magazine, we were like the school's own whistle blower. With carefully chosen pseudonyms, we posted weekly articles exposing clandestine activities, unfair policies, and gross student misbehaviour. There were many times that the editorial board would get into trouble for telling on a master, but it did not deter our course. Sadly, I have currently gotten wind that its efficacy is waining.


5. How do you find the poetry scene at Legon? Is there much activity these days?

I have met so many talented writers and poets in Legon. I think the platforms for performance are gradually on the rise. You can hardly say it's an area of great interest at Legon, so I believe to gain recognition and exposure it is up to us the writers to be sturdy on our course. We have a few shows periodically and I can say that things are starting to look up.

Fortnightly, there are shows at Nubuke foundation (the talkparties), and weekly poetry shows on Radio Universe. Also, the Academy of Young Writers-Ghana (AYW-G), a 360 degree Creative Arts network for young people in Ghana, organizes shows periodically on campus. I'm a member of the academy and our goal is to tap into the creative abilities of young people. There is more work to be done and I believe we are taking a step in the right direction. I believe that one day, poetry and the arts will be taken to the next level in Ghana. It begins with us.

Contact Andy:

andy_aryeetey(at)yahoo.com