MR. MUM CEE?

Majeed Ali called me “Mr. Mum Cee” today
That was the first thing he had to say
…to me early hours of today
And I am still processing it
That stubborn Dagomba boy in the position of man
Felt I was too strong to be called a woman
Come to think of it
Isn’t he too boyish to be called a man?
But I digress

II
Mr. Baba and Mr. Justice called him out
Asking him to retract his statement
Boy answered with a loud shout
“I’d rather buy guinea fowls than apologize”
In answer to Mr. Baba’s statement of paying if he refused to apologize
Mr. Justice, the ever self aware teacher did say
“Mum Cee is soft and strong
And she does belong to the category of women I like and is a lady”
Still, the stubborn Dagomba boy, Ali, insisted he’d call me whatever he liked
Even Headmaster Mustapher chastised him but he wouldn’t budge


III
It taught me a lot about my setting
That I am in a place
…where mainly men are in the independence race
That some men see me as the competition they wish wasn’t there
While I live the best of my life
…seeing none but days going by
To me, that is fair

IV
So I should be flattered that some know
I’m not one to kowtow
To whims and caprices that blow
To force a certain gender to cower
As the bullies tower
I should be flattered to be seen and heard
Even without talking
Under a bias shed
But I love the woman I am
I love the gender I am
I love my unquenching fire
I love my steamy ice
I love my scary winds
I love my ever horrifying hurricanes
I love the perspectives from all these sides
And I’ll forever remain
The Mum Cee seen differently
…by all depending on reflection of attitudes
Amoafowaa Sefa Cecilia © November 19, 2025.