And before I pass, one last request
Do not stand on my buried earth
Do not weep, to wet this earth
It holds my casket, do not sink me further
Do not ask, how I was in my last days
Don’t break glass in my honour
Don’t talk of me in joyful memory
Don’t shake hands of old acquaintance
Do not dress in the finest silk
Do not mourn my death
Do not collect silver to bury me
Do not sit in silent wonder
Do not cuddle in condolence
Do not ask the priest for last rites
Do not speak well of me in eulogy
Do not write list of stranger’s names
Do not with names on my obituary
Do not with signed books of condolence
Do not bring pretence to my burial
I want no tears from the crocodile
It is my last right to be honoured
Kodjo Deynoo is 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.
To the souls of men that stand at a distance
At the edge of rivers before crossing
Costumes of one's role and characters played
Are soon without that much sway to hold, empty shells
Indeed silence becomes of us all in time due
So do not cry, it is more than what we can will
When at the river's crossing our names are called
To count, on account, when shepherds call sheep
A sobering feeling we witness, for one thy name mentioned
Steps foot on the river's walk, vanishing behind the fog
Cast as a list of names on inscribed scroll for mortal ends
To have been blessed with life, our names do appear
Waiting patiently, closer to the river's edge on age count
Yet as close, it is only when thy name is mentioned
That one with tickets crosses this rivers of spent life
No one knows where it ends, to know true faith
The curtains of fog hide view from inquisitive eyes
So I do not know from a distance where my President went
His name came up "Prof. John Atta Mills" on mortal scroll
A' he crossed the river and vanished in the distance behind t' fog
Kodjo Deynoo is 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.
And there were the forefathers
How I remember them
All seated around tables,
The notion of a dream
Sankofa, this is our land to be built on
Heritage, this is our destiny
Dreams of a united continent
Colourful riches
Of this here land seen in
Reflections of what we wear,
This is our fabric
This is our clay
And ants build skyscrapers with it,
Birds leave architecture on acacia trees
That stand with majesty
Watch the cream of the sun
Shower the land with beauty,
At sunset stands
Paradise here on earth
And others will,
And do, envy
For just a fraction
What we have, we own
But our leaders
Heads went missing
Over the want of greed
Of selfish self-indulgence
And a notion in motion
Sometimes, too often,
Goes without directions
So I sit and cry around headless tables
Biography:
Kodjo Deynoo grew up in Dansoman, then moved to St. Johns near Achimota. He left Ghana in his early twenties and since then has been living in the UK. He just completed an MSc in construction project management and now works with an interior fit out construction company in Bristol, UK. He sees himself as more of a Dansoman guy, as he spent his first decade there.
He blogs at http://poetrysoundbites.blogspot.com/ and tweets at @Kodjo_Poetry.
Five Questions with Kodjo:
1. How long have you been writing poetry?
I have been writing poetry since my teenage years. I would scribble things on paper and then lose them. Then a friend bought me a little green book on my birthday, with a few of my own quotes she had written in. From then on I only wrote in that book. My elder sister then encouraged me to open up a blog a year later. That was in 2009, so I guess I would say 2008.
2. Who are your favourite poets? Which poets have most informed and inspired your work?
I will first mention Pablo Neruda. I could add a few more names, but I am going to only add Phillis Wheatley. Hers is an inspiring story that I feel a lot more people should get to know.
3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?
When I write poetry, it is more to do with the underlying message it conveys, which is mostly defined in a social sense. I like to challenge conceptions and encourage others to think and not just accept the status quo. I hope to, in my little way, help change what needs changing for a better future.
4. You run a blog where you publish your own poetry. What inspired you to set this up? Are you satisfied with your poems being published on your own blog, or do you have a desire to see them published in magazines, journals, other websites, etc., as well?
I needed a platform to share my work. I felt that the more I shared my work and the more people read my work, the more inspired I would become to write further. And with 250 hits a day on the blog I was proved right.
Like every up and coming artist I want my work to be recognised for its worth, and there is no better way than to have it published, and hopefully used in schools. That is my ambition for my work.
5. A visit to your blog reveals that you are constantly publishing new poems. Do you write every day? How many hours a week do you devote to writing poetry?
Those around me suffer the most, because not only do I write everyday, I have to have reading sessions with anyone who will listen. My mind works on overdrive, fueled by my passion for poetry. As of writing up this interview, this day I have written three poems which will feature on my blog in the coming days.
Contact Kodjo:
Email: kodjodeynoo(at)gmail.com
Blog: http://poetrysoundbites.blogspot.com/
