Shades of Grey - Kwadwo Kwarteng

Our Mother tells us of her children
in ages past, who listened to her voice
and spoke the very words she taught them.
They wove their garments to harmonize
with her body and planted a gourd tree in her honour.
She poured out her spirit unto this tree
as they watered it with care.
From its fruit, they made a calabash
and drank therein the riches of life.
Then as the Great Fire of the sky
retired beyond the Endless River one day, she saw
a mighty canoe emerge from its dying embers
for her sandy shores.
Her children ran to greet a stranger
whose voice ensnared their minds.
He charmed them with strange magic
so quickly, they exchanged their cloths for his clothes,
tied funny ropes around their necks and covered their feet
with hide so their toes did not show.
They forgot the words Mother taught them
and learned to speak a strange tongue.
They neglected her gourd tree, leaving it to shrivel
for they now bowed to another; his own.
Then they bestowed on him their riches for his thunder sticks
and betrayed their kin for his drunken water.
Drunken it made them so they turned on one another
with these thunder sticks that pillaged and killed.
The gourd of oneness has fallen
far from its tree, shattered and scattered
along the rocky paths of perpetual change.
Mother looked on and realized
that as the rains came and went,
charcoal and chalk became alike.
Now, we, Mother’s grandchildren,
continue in the footsteps
of ancestors and strangers,
not knowing which is which.
I now look at my reflection
in kindred faces
and I see that I too
am just another
shade of grey.

Author Profile - Kwadwo Kwarteng

Biography:

Kwadwo Kwarteng is a young contemporary Ghanaian writer who thinks of poetry as a masterpiece of knowledge painted in different shades of words on a canvas.

He is resident in Ghana and currently works with THE MBAASEM FOUNDATION which seeks to raise awareness on women's issues and support women writers.

Five Questions with Kwadwo Kwarteng:

1. The history recounted in this poem is explored often in African poetry and fiction. This makes it difficult to add something fresh to the story. In my mind, you do this succesfully with the lines "we... continue in the footsteps / of ancestors and strangers, / not knowing which is which." What brought you to these lines? Was this idea an original inspiration for the poem, or did they come to you in the midst of composition?

These words came to me in the spur of the moment. They sort of flowed spontaneously into the poem.


2. Do you think that the history, and effects, of colonialism, are "required writing" for African poets? Many would argue that, at one point or another, all poets must try their hand at poems on love, death, sex, etc. They must deal with these "big issues". Do you agree? And do you think that grappling with colonialism is another of those unavoidable "big issues" for African poets?

"Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility." - William Wordsworth

Personally, I don't think any topic should be "required writing" for poets. The most beautiful poems are those that are drawn from inspiration and spontaneity.

That aside, I am also of the opinion that African history must be told from an African's perspective. We understand better the effects of colonialism on our culture and must address this issue through all forms of media including creative writing.

I believe that given the present age of globalization, reversing the repercussions of colonialism is like climbing up a very slippery slope. The best we can do is to preserve our culture by gathering as much of our history as possible, chronicling it and teaching it to everyone. This makes colonialism an unavoidable subject.


3. Your poems that we have published previously on this site were very sonically charged, often percussive. This poem is much less so. Is this because it was written at a different period in your writing life? Or do you adapt your form to suit your subject matter? Or something else entirely?

I decided to try out something different with this poem. Yes, it was written during a different period in my writing life, but I also made it a narrative poem so it would not be cryptic. I wanted to communicate the message as clearly as possible with imagery.


4. Can you tell us a bit about the Mbaasem Foundation, and your role in it? Are there ways our readers can get involved in helping the foundation achieve its goals?

The Mbaasem Foundation was founded by in 2000 by the Ghanaian academic, writer and poet Prof. Ama Ata Aidoo. The foundation is a registered NGO that supports and promotes women's writing in Ghana.

It launched the Ghana Women Writers Forum (GWWF) in November 2009 to help women writers in Ghana to develop their writing to publishable standards. GWWF is open to all women writers in Ghana and Ghanaian citizens living abroad. I work with the foundation as a Research Assistant.

Mbaasem holds a series writing workshops open to the general public periodically.

For further information, please go to: http://mbaasemghana.org/wp/


5. Are you working on any new writing projects of your own at the moment? New poems?

I am working on new poems and prose. Expect to peruse them in the near future.

Contact Kwadwo:

kwadwokwarteng(at)gmail.com

Favourite Poems of 2010

Readers' Picks:

TRƆTRƆ by Kwadwo Kwarteng (Issue 4.3, January 16th - 22nd, 2010)

Comments on TRƆTRƆ:

"I love the way Kwadwo Kwarteng explored sounds to paint a vivid picture in the mind of readers, about an experience most of us have witnessed! Whoever reads the poem can imagine what to expect in the "Trotro" on any day." - Oteng Owusu

"Kwarteng has the potential/ability of breathing life into each sound - be it chaotic or serene. And the life-span [of the poem] is long and enduring in the ears of those who cherish rhythm." - Darko Antwi

Silence by Samuel Adjei Ntow (Issue 4.8, February 20th - 26th, 2010)

Comments on Silence:

"With a very good command of the English language, and the highest order of figurative speech, Ntow uses the trance-like Silence to express both the interior and exterior relationship between a social organism and its environment." - Darko Antwi

"This is a good work. Indeed these [things] do happen through the night in Ghanaian settings and for Ntow to have captured the details in his work makes it wonderful. Well done." - Nana Agyemang Ofosu

The Deer Hunt by Mariska Taylor-Darko (Issue 4.38, September 25th - October 1st, 2010)

Comments on The Deer Hunt:

"I chose this poem based on three broad categories: 1. Its descriptive screenplay quality, appropriate POV and clever use of imagery, 2. Its socio-cultural significance, and 3. Its potential as a reference point in literature books for educational purposes." - Dela Bobobee (Read Dela's essay on The Deer Hunt here)

"This title stands the chance of being a key literature in any modern Ghanaian collection of cultural importance." - Darko Antwi

Staff Picks:

Swear Note by L.S. Mensah (Issue 4.29, July 17th - 23rd, 2010)

Comments on Swear Note:

"I love this piece because it addresses a serious and emotional issue in our modern society using various figures of speech and animations that put your mind to work and make you visualize the brutal activities that women under trokosi go through. I am sure any women's organisation would love to use this piece for advocacy" - Julian Adomako-Gyimah

"L.S. Mensah's use of the specular is apt for the theme of mirrors in this poem. She uses the same words in reverse structure to capture an ancient African saying: "if you point at a person with your index finger, remember the rest are pointing at you."" - Prince Mensah

old dust made new by Daniela Elza (Issue 4.11, March 13th - 19th, 2010)

Comments on old dust made new:

"Daniela uses spaces to create a sparse landscape and a staccato of varied emotions in a poem that captures Harmattan in all its glory and grimness. " - Prince Mensah

"I personally haven't experienced Harmattan for a while and this piece brings back memories, particularly of when I was a kid and had little control about the damage that this season caused our hands and lips. Great work. " - Julian Adomako-Gyimah

The Burial of Saint Domeabra by Darko Antwi (Issue 4.36, September 11th - 17th, 2010)

Comment on The Burial of Saint Domeabra:

"Poet and critic Darko Antwi delivers a loaded sermon in his poem about transience. More hidden is his indictment of culture in playing games with a person's reputation. Darko's poem is international in reach, even though it is local in description. "The Burial of Saint Domeabra" is a palatable piece of work: it contains an array of food for thought." - Prince Mensah

TRƆTRƆ - Kwadwo Kwarteng

It shivers and shakes
quivers and quakes
squeaking, creaking, shrieking.
It tumbles and rumbles,
albeit mumbles and grumbles
from passengers on thistles and brambles
with whose lives it gambles.
Going on safari,
short cut through an alley –
it takes them on a Dakar Rally.
Driver and mate
are subject to hate;
“We are late!”
is the ubiquitous state.
The mate, short of change
precariously balanced, dangling strange
engages in heated verbal exchange
with tempers rising in range.
At each stop
bodies flip-flop like hip-hop,
weary waiters wallop
to join jiggly jalopy’s lop.
Clothed in pealing paint and rust
seats coated with dust
serrated sills slicing soft skins
ripping clothes off in ribbons.
Clad on its back, spread
‘The Lord is my Shepherd’
or other words of faith to be read
by fellows with little sense in the head.
Prayers silently sail against a breakdown
right in the middle of town,
engaging demons in divine duel
lest there is sudden shortage of fuel.
Clutching valuables from that thief
nearing home, they sigh in relief
intending to make the exit brief,
shout with passion and strong belief
Bus stop!

Author Profile - Kwadwo Kwarteng

Biography:

Kwadwo Kwarteng is a young contemporary Ghanaian writer who thinks of poetry as a masterpiece of knowledge painted in different shades of words on a canvas.

He is resident in Ghana and currently works with THE MBAASEM FOUNDATION which seeks to raise awareness on women's issues and support women writers.

Five Questions with Kwadwo Kwarteng:

1. You have a sharp sense of rhythm and rhyme. How did you develop this? Did you read particular poets who inspired you in this regard?

I can't account for my sense of rhythm and rhyme. None of my favourite poets uses this style of writing. Sometimes, I find the words; other times the words find me.


2. Do you read your poems out loud as you edit them? If so, how do you think that affects their development?

No, I don't read my poems out loud as I edit them. I only read them out loud when they're done. What helps me to develop my poems is the rhythm in my typing. I prefer to type my poems straight from my mind to my PC using a word-processor. That way, I see it as it takes form and edit it to my style.


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

I leave my poems to my readers to decide how they inteprete it, feel it and relate to it.


4. You definitely sound like a TRƆTRƆ veteran. Do you have any good stories from your travels?

Now that's a good question. One I'd like to share... It happened on my way to the office one Saturday. I had to take two different TRƆTRƆs to get to work (hectic, but necessary). As I got to my final stop and prepared to alight, I felt a sudden tug on my shirt and a shredding sound. No one had to tell me what had happened. In reflex action, I froze and slowly shrank back to my seat. Then I turned to see how bad the damage was. The lower end of the back of my shirt was caught in one of the hinges of the seat (the one closest to the door in front of the mate, if you know the sitting arrangement of Benz 207 TRƆTRƆs). I quietly unhooked what was left of it from the seat and alighted without saying a word. I haven't been able to wear that shirt since.


5. Do you have any new poems or projects that you are working on which our readers may be interested in?

I write as I have new experiences and am inspired by them, so there will be more where that came from.

Contact Kwadwo:

kwadwokwarteng(at)gmail.com

Odomankoma's Drummer - Kwadwo Kwarteng

Rapid is the tapping
on the borrowed drum,
hammering a tune it learned
in Odomankoma's class of
dondo-logy.
It beats a beat with its beak
so hard and fast
the dondo cannot help
but lose pieces of itself.

Pradada-dada, tap tap
Prododo-dodo, dondo.

A rhythm unknown
to any mortal ear
but the woodpecker's,
who really knows
and understands
Odomankoma's
favourite tune.

Author Profile - Kwadwo Kwarteng

Biography:

Kwadwo Kwarteng is a young contemporary Ghanaian writer who thinks of poetry as a masterpiece of knowledge painted in different shades of words on a canvas.

He is resident in Ghana and currently works with the Accra Institute of English Proficiency (AIEPro).

Five Questions with Kwadwo Kwarteng:

1. How long have you been writing poetry?

I've been writing poetry for about 2 years.


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

My favourite poet is Langston Hughes. However, the following have influenced my writing to some extent: Maya Angelou, Kwesi Brew, Wole Soyinka, John Pepper Clarke and playwright Ebo Whyte.


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

I hope to inspire other creative writers, inform readers and inculcate the love for African culture and humanity as a whole. I believe African culture, despite its idiosyncrasies, has a lot in common with other cultures around the world. That is why I don't believe in racism or any such chauvinistic ideologies. I hope my writing will elaborate on that.

4. How important are Akan belief and history to your writing?

The Akans are the largest ethnic group in Ghana. They constitute about 45% of our population and have seared their mark on our history. Their history, folklores, belief systems and culture may seem like fairytales to most modern Ghanaians, but I believe there are some truths and lessons to be learned from many of these legends.

Our ancestors erred in passing precious information orally from one generation to the other without documenting them. That is why stories about Okomfo Anokye, Yaa Asantewaa, Tweneboa Kodua, among others, have become myths instead of history. I am not a strict adherent of Akan traditional beliefs. I only intend to retell forgotten stories, hopefully passing on our moral values to the present generation and posterity.


5. Do you think poetry can help keep Akan culture alive and thriving? If so, what role do you think contemporary English-language poetry, such as your poem here, can play?

Poetry offers a kaleidoscope of perspectives to any subject. This unique quality enables it to say different things to each reader. Though poetry is given little publicity in Ghana, it is still possible to communicate through this art. Indeed, Akan culture will be given a new lease to life if more poems were written about it.

Since English is a widely spoken language, contemporary English poetry that is easy to read and understand, will allow Akan culture to transcend the boundries of Ghana to many countries all over the globe.

Contact Kwadwo:

kwadwokwarteng(at)gmail.com