NATURE AGAINST INVENTIONS

There is the UK’s follow my leader,

Double ’Dutch, hopscotch

And the general blind man’s buff.

Long ago in Africa; Ghana,

We the children giggled and laughed

As we, like little angels with no serious assignments,

Circled in kneeling as a chosen chose the smart or the dull

For our admiration or booing,

While we sang:

 

“Antowakyire ei

Tinkon!

Dwaaso mankani,

Tinkon!

ἐtↄ a na yἐ die,

Tinkon!

Yenni no kwa,

Tinkon!

Tinkon kon kon kon,

Tinkon!”

 

A little aging for the lads

Took us not from these circles.

We formed the thoughtless and happy circles of songs and drumming

While we, like voices walking in the caves,

Echoed our heart’s thirst and hunger for hearts

As we closed our eyes to the deafening shyness and sang:

 

“Obi nferἐ Nana Serwaa mma me

Obi nferἐ Nana Serwaa mma me,

Nana Serwaa nim me a ἐmmaa wↄnue,

Nana Serwaa nim me a ἐmmaa wↄnue,

Eeee, bonua ba eeee

Eeee, bonua ba eee

ἐmmaa bἐku mmἐἐma eeee

ἐmmaa bἐku mmἐἐma eeee…”

As the lasses danced to the beautiful rhythms of Maame Adowa.

 

 

We loved the grave salt eaters who had seen so much

Because they travelled into the land of light and darkness way before we

Swam into some stomach rivers

We sat around them as they told us tales of the cunning spider; kweku Ananse

And how like a greedy and wise know all,

He outwitted the strong,

Cheated the weak,

Embarrassed the proud,

Amassed wealth

And is caught by nemesis

Always being saved by the cornered web.

 

Now we have travelled through time,

And I weep, seeing as time starters are glued

To the dark, watching in anticipation their little gadgets,

Learning ridiculously, things meant for the ripe,

Laughing with no perspiration

And no sunshine on their faces.

Whoever brought to life these little gadgetry beings

Has eliminated innocence from our midst

And has succeeded in making nature and culture redundant.

Amoafowaa Sefa Cecilia © 2014.