​MURDEROUS DRUMS

Fetch the myth that struck the bamboo
And woke the sounds of chaos

At a time when sleep is most sweetest

In the royal palace

“Ama Mpapahene ne fontonfrom retwe kora

Wɔ nananom nsamanfo ahenkrom!”
II

Arrest the mice whose blood lured the teeth of vampires

To our Bragoro festival

And dug out rich “amoasene”

Rained on by brand new wombs

To the horror of fleeing warriors

“Kon-kon-kon ne kan-kan-kan de abɔ ani

Wɔ nananom nsamanfo dabrɛ oo”
III

Get the hands who married hay to a lighted match

And made the hot sun their witness

Housing them close to the country of barns

After a tiresome harvest

“Wɔn de asemkese adane abaa

Rebɔ animguase dondo wɔ amanaman agua so”
IV

Now silent but defeaning sounds

Gobble the sounds of royalty

Unplugging the veins of ears from all perfect beings

Turning wise men into unsuccessful mouth readers

In a kingdom of sages

“Animguase a asheshɛ Ghanafo ntaade

Ɛresa ‘afrɛfrɛ’ asa wɔ amansan awukugua so

Ah agya Anansesɛm abrɛ agu!”
V

The mouth whose words

Led the lost little soul in the dark 

Into the den of evil spirits

When rain mated clay

Shall surely get the  dreaded visit

Too bad, its neighbours would welcome the feared feet

As salt diggers welcome heavy rains on a sunny day

“Nkwasiasɛm a ɛso Asantifo nkutokwee”
VI

For now, beehives have been invaded

The thief soiling each home with the stolen honey

What can one do but attempt a cleaning?

Let breasts wake to make their milk sumptuous

And hard chests stand to teach threaded paths

To prevent toddlers from bee hunting

Who can piece together spilled milk?

Amoafowaa Sefa Cecilia ©July 22, 2017

Photo Credit: Google pics