ORDERS IN THE FACE OF ANGER

Once upon a time,
A king met his subjects under the biggest tree
…in his village
Some subjects started coughing like choking goats to signal doubt
…of his ruling
The king in anger
Shouted that whoever coughs
…even if it is he himself
…must be beheaded immediately

II
He spoke loudly through his linguist
Barking orders
Shouting commands
Until his throat itched
He then felt it coming
…the accursed cough threatening him with his own orders

III
He tried suppressing the cough
But his itchy throat made it tough
He felt things were going to get rough
…and he was right

IV
All the commotion in his throat
…made him distracted
There were murmurs among the audience
Eyes began to roll
…hiding only after meeting his
His anger at the lack of order
…made him shout
“Do you not see your king standing right in front…ahka ahka ahka!”
The coughs were successive
And formed a quiet cloud on even the branches of the tree
…making silence take seat
…at the meeting ground

IV
His entourage knelt down
Crying and bidding him farewell
As the executioners prepared
…to carry out the bidding of the king
…on the king
The Kingmaker, through the Okyeame sorrowfully told the king
“I wish I could step on your words
…to save you from yourself my king
But words spat out by a king of your stature
…can never be taken back
…to be re-eaten
Shame does not befit an Akan child
And you’re an Akan true and true
I know you will choose death when it is paired with shame
So my king fare thee well! “

V
Just when the executioners were about to decapitate him
The village drunk
…who could barely stand on his feet
Began shouting
“When you reach the land of our ancestors
Explain to them that the noose you knotted
…was actually the one that yanked, I mean hanged you
Even I know better to weave a death trap
…on a road I am plying
Whoever makes these kings
…must shape their hunger for anger
Thinking anger can quench the danger of being disrespected
Isn’t it better to be alcohol drunk
…than power drunk?
Walk well in your own hell”

VI
That ended the tale
Of the king whose anger
Took his life
Teaching the whole of Akowiah a lesson
To tame their mouths even in the face anger
As King Abrokwah’s tale tells itself
…to minds who try
To stop them from falling into the same danger
Which turned a proud king into a begging and screaming king
…who tasted the sword of his own executioners
Amoafowaa Sefa Cecilia October 7, 2020