Lullaby of Tears - Dextro

A gloomy Tuesday has bedeviled our dear nation
The silky curtain of the castle has torn to shreds
A rainbow of sorrow has painted the skies of our joyful nation
Our elders say ‘sea never dry’
But this sea of national joy has dehydrated beyond recovery
Our dear hearts have been terribly pierced
Streams of melancholy flow through our disturbed eyes
A lullaby of tears is our only resort
Our eyes have refused to see
Our eardrums have refused to vibrate
Our lips have zipped from within
We are speechless!
Could this be one of the tales of Shakespeare
Or a mere Kwaku Anase and Okonori story
By Maame Dokono and Dr. Rokoto on ‘By the fire side’?
How I wish it was!
The copper bullet has mercilessly ravaged the spirit of our dear nation
The curtains have been drawn on the performance of a legend
The sky-flying kite has been entangled by the pylons on high
Akati has abruptly withered the heart of the fertile cocoa tree
The mighty baobab tree has finally taken a painful bow
A crab cannot be eaten in silence
But this hairy academic crab of ours has been digested in noisy hush
A thousand times were you killed by the lips
But a thousand and one times did you resurrect
You stood firm like the slogan on Accra Hearts of Oak
You never said die!
You were a cat with nine lives
A beheaded cockroach which continued to survive for days on end
You led your people fearlessly but with utmost humility
Through thick and thin
You stood firm for your beliefs and faith
You were a lion-hearted dove with the wings of an eagle
Our trembling lips are in dire want for qualified vocabularies
To depict your god-fearing and humble persona
Three times in our hearts have we mentioned your peaceful name
But three times have you failed to respond
Your loud absence has taken the wind out of our rugged sails
Umbrellas of grief and agony shield our troubled heads
A ‘galamsey’ of bottomless holes have mercilessly raped our spirits
You have responded to Kwame Nkrumah’s invitation and left us wailing
But your precious memory will indelibly glue to our heart of hearts
So shall your great works endlessly cling to our thought of thoughts
Safe journey to the other side of the river, Prof
Rest joyously in the rosy bosom of the Maker
Ascend in peace to partake in the glory of the King
PROFESSOR JOHN EVANS FIIFI ATTAH MILLS!
ASOMDWEE HENE!
You shall never walk alone!!
R.I.P.!!!

Dextro is a Ghanaian poet and a past contributor to One Ghana, One Voice.

If you have a poem in memory of President Mills, please send it to us at oneghanaonevoice(at)gmail(dot)com.

Thunder Africana - Dextro

Kpra! Kpra!! Gboom!!!
Chichi! Chichi!! Gboom!!!
So piercing and intimidating
Enough to cause early abortion
Yet enough to instill the fear of God into flinstone hearts
It’s so fierce but comforting
It roars but purrs
The painful seed with milky harvest
That is Thunder Africana!
The ‘John the Baptist’
Who paves the way for the messiah
The praise-singer who introduces the celestial aquatic grains
The muscular voice that speaks
And the earth trembles.
Kpra! Kpra!! Gboom!!!
That’s your melodious ringtone
Intertwined with electrifying vibrations.
Boisterous and ponderous.
Carry on Thunder Africana!
Carry on!
Carry on and roll out your timorous dice
For without your gains
We’re without our rains.

Author Profile - Dextro

Biography:

Born in the 'world bank' of second-hand spare car parts, Abossey-Okai in Accra, Dextro is a poet and novelist. He writes for Andee Comics Ltd. He is a graduate of University of Ghana, Legon. He is also a part-time farmer and is the farm operations officer with Santo Granja.

Five Questions with Dextro:

1. How long have you been writing poetry?

I have been writing poetry since 2001. That was when I entered into Senior Secondary School in Accra Academy. The very first poem I wrote was a comic poem entitled "Keysoap".


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

Kofi Anyidoho, Kofi Awoonor and Prof. Atukwei Okai have been my favourites. Prof. Atukwei Okai's mastery of the English language and his ability to employ the perfect literary devices for the right situation with ease has really inspired me. He is also very flexible with his choice of words depending on the genre of poem and the messages he wants to put across.


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

I hope to tackle some of society's pressing and fundemental issues by bringing them to the fore. Secondly, I wish to provide refreshment to the minds and spirits of people especially during stressful times like these.


4. Were you interested in poetry when you were at Legon? If so, did you get up to any poetry-related activity on campus?

I didn't really give poetry much attention during my days in Legon. I was more into entertainment and sports during that times.


5. Tells us a bit about your work with Andee Comics. Do your poetry and comics overlap in your mind? Does one inspire or influence the other?

I was just writing bedtime stories for conversion into cartoons and 3Ds at Andee Comics.

Contact Dextro:

solsackey(at)yahoo.com