They say Afua Kumankomah
…called on Odomankomah
..to bless Kwame Ankomah
For choosing her over Adomah
In front of all the people of Kromansah
II
They say her back barked to scare the air
…and even blinded eyes
…before her thanksgiving
Her chest was the prized home
…all hungry emotions fed from in fantasy
They say her face was like one carved on the birthday
…of the Ahunu abobirim himself
They say she had the wealthiest body
…in the whole of Kromansah
III
They say months travelled not many moons
The sun travelled not many nights
The moon lit not many dark nights
When Afua Kumankomah began to shrink
They say it was so swift
…the comparison would be like water sucked from its holding rubber
And it sent minds scampering in wonderland
IV
They say she neither spoke nor yoked
…not with family
…nor with friends
But the worry written on her
…made a little mouse relocate
…to spy on her in her little fenced hut
IVb
Kwame Ankomah sat all day
…and the suma!
Foods never left his earthenware
…Ogidi agradaa never left his krowa,
…taking shiver possession of his hands,
So cooking fire sucked out the juices of Afua
Stress stole her beauty
Tiredness stole her senses
V
They say nights were the worst
Kwame Ankomah drilled and grilled
Kwame Ankomah mined and manned
Oh he heckled and suckled!
And when she resisted
He accused and abused her
…and then acted amused at her pain
After, he refused her sleep
…with his motorcading nose nkrɔmo horn
And with his aggression, suppressed her scorn
VI
They say she went from sleeping on the flat floor
…of societal finger pointing
To sleeping on a rosy bed masking a thorn mattress
They say her shame came from the threats
…that a cat gave the spying mouse
…as the mouse’s fret gave way to its mouth’s diarrhea
They say a dog stood close by, heard and barked
And that was how the whole village heard of her ordeal
VII
They say she took her pot
…and headed for the stream
Only for the village to hear Akosua Duku’s screams
Even Asuo Arija vomited her out of its belly
To the rocks of its shores
They say it was the worse day for womanhood
As her adagya laid in front of Arija
Revealing it all to the strong and struggling suja
VIII
They continued their say
But my ears spat out the rest
They will always have a say
They will always report a say
They will always shoot a say
They will always cry a say
But never remember their said
…which directed deeds to feed their saying
And they always make their saying the judge of their subjects
Such sad suckers!
Amoafowaa Sefa Cecilia © October 24, 2019
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