Keta - Andy Kwawukume

Where the ravenous sea eats the land, the homes
And the graves of the ancestors.
Exiles have your sons and daughters become
Refugees to roam in strange lands
Haunted by the ancestral spirits no longer at rest.
What untold sins not atoned for did you commit?
Our tongues are weary from wailing.

But Keta, you were once a maiden fair.
Your sandy palmy beaches stretched far.
Your fair goods sought after by suitors near and far.
Agudayevuwo covet you,
and the road to damnation on which you were led,
as the spirits of the sea wreck vengeance in appeasement
must come to an end.

And so you shall rise again, Keta,
Like the Phoenix from the sea
And your grandsons and daughters shall regale in you.
And suitors near and far shall once again
seek your fair goods.
And the music and dance shall last to the wee hours,
as we forever celebrate your re-birth.


"Keta" is part four of our five-part series of poems on Keta. Our final installment will be posted next week.

Author Profile - Andy Kwawukume

Biography:

Andy Yao Kwawukume was born to Mr. and Mrs. Alfred and Constancia Kwawukume of Anloga, in Accra on 2 June, 1955. He attended Avete Primary and Middle Schools, Anloga, then Anlo Secondary School, Anloga, and Mawuli School, Ho. He took his university schooling at the University of Ghana, receiving a BA (Hons) in Political Science with Philosophy in 1980.

He taught in both Ghana and Nigeria before moving to Norway for further studies. He later worked in Bergen, Norway, before moving to London, where he now runs his own business.

Five Questions with Andy Kwawukume:

1. What inspired you to write "Keta"?

I was inspired to write the poem "Keta" because I know Keta and its (tragic) history and had actually written a poem on Keta before - in 1970 - just as others have done.


2. Who are your favourite poets? Do you have any favourite poems about Keta?

Years ago, R. Tagore and Wordsworth were my favourite poets. I think the poem "The Sea Eats the Land at Home" is my favourite and most influential on Keta.


3. Have you ever been to Keta? If so, when was your last visit?

I have been to Keta several times, and my last visit was in 2003.


4. What comes to your mind when you first think of Keta, or hear someone mention it?

The sea erosion and the destruction of the town are things which come to my mind about Keta.


5. Do you think it is possible for people to understand Keta without having personally visited?

No, I don't think even people who have been to Keta can understand Keta and what has happened to the town. It is incomprehensible and that is the allure about Keta. To learn that where the sea rages now, there was land, buildings, graves, palm plantations, names of places, white beaches, is simply beyond grasping!

Contact Andy:

cyandyk(at)tiscali.co.uk