The Divorce

Fudzikomele, who will believe this?

I walked through the front door,

And you said, “Get Out of my Face!”

You said, “Else, you will find yourself finished.”

Today, I walked through the front door again,

And you said: “Look at the time! Look at the time!”

Thank you; I stepped out through the front door again

I didn’t see a thousand flaming trees on the road.
Instead, hills fell over each other, royally, to greet me.

By daily dying, I’ve learned to be.

I hope my silences are accurate and true

Maybe, it’s true, in the dark eyes begin to see better.

The Jewel

This morning you and I are being toasted

In every alley of the village because you are mine. 
The day I met you was a wish come true for the women. 

Grandma says: your smile brings out the best in the village,
The women also say you are the greatest gift ever.
It’s the way you smile and laugh and show your love.

Ever since you came, the sky shows a new shade of blue. 
It is brighter, like the gods are revealing their feelings;
And we melt every day when we look into your eyes. 

With you we will make it through every thick and thin;
As long as you are with me like the pea is to the pod, 

Our heart will grow together to weather every storm.  

One thing do I ask of you: can you never say never;

Can you always be loving and kind, so gentle, and so sweet, 
And with you by my side, life will be simply complete.

The Presence

Your presence dissolved everything I was

and made me the object of love’s affections.

I remember looking in your eyes one day

and wondered how I can make it out to you?

I wasn't expecting to fall in love so easily.

All the same I gave myself to you completely

and there aren't regrets to make me weep.

Soon we were a pair to be admired in the alleys.

We had the kind of love told only in fairy tales.

I accepted you, and you embraced me.

The meeting itself was simple, but endearing.

When first I saw you behind the mud-house,

you looked so elegant and I was very shy 

I lost my tongue and you took my breath away.

Meeting you was my dream come true.

I’ve never known a love so true, as undeniable

as the one I felt for you deep inside me.

Each night I saw you in a new light, you glow so brightly,

so tenderly, very endearing, and when you welcome me 
into your arms, I feel complete, full of admiration.

Now that you are in Accra, will someone take my place?

I know we won’t have the time to spend together,

But, please forever keep me close to your heart.

Don't let the village curse me with laughter on the streets.

I’ll be here, can you remain the love I knew?

She's Out

Don’t ask me who or why

All I know is that she's out of my heart,

She drifted with the whirlwind long ago

And I don't know whether to laugh or to cry.

Despite my sad and faded face,

Though there are shadows on my brow

Truth be told, not often a robin comes to build its nest

Upon the leafless bough.

I once welcomed her royally into my arms,

That was years ago, but awful was her faithfulness
And it cuts like a knife, especially

When you want to keep your love deep inside you.

Now she's out and she knows

My love can’t wait on indecision.

What Is Dying?

What is dying?

I am standing on the seashore alone
Like a ship about to sail this morn.

But the morning breeze is far from me.

How do I sail? Am I not a dead man?

At the seashore I see many ships sailing freely.
Mine is an object and I stand watching her
Till at last the sun fades from the horizon.

What is dying and am I not as well dead?

I looked up across and someone at my side said,

“Your boat is gone!” and I wondered “But gone where?”
“Surely, it’s gone from my sight,” I thought to myself.
What is dying if this is not death?

Today I’m a mast, a hull and a spar to all ships,
I bear the load of living freights to their destinations.
But soon, I’ll be diminished in size and I’ll be

Lost to sight, totally lost to all faces, to all voices
If there were love, someone would say, “Where is he?”
And other voices would take up a glad shout,

And they would find me alone in the hay-store.
Without a love, I’ve been dead many years ago.

And God said: who can bring these dead bones to life?

The Year Is Now Dead, What Next?

We have come to where the sidewalk ends

And tonight, when the dreary bell rings at Midnight

Each of us will ponder over each second of our days

When we were weak and weary yet life went on

Some with thanksgiving will remember God’s grace

Like many mothers mourning for their children in the storms

Others like wives bereft of husbands and fathers singing dirges
For the loss of their flesh, with their spirit misplaced in tears

While blissfully some drums would thrill with champagne

In august and royal homes where lights glow, yet we can’t forget
Songs of sorrow the music of desolation of many wearing masks
Just to drown their songs of lamentations carried for miles

Do you remember how you once baked bread with your sweat

Then dare not to forget and never forget the ABCD of our lives

Armory, Bullet, Calamity, Devastation in “I can’t breathe”

They walk through lives of children of our Motherland

You may have experienced freedom from want
But I understand freedom has more colors than one
In fact more than I can explain today or tomorrow

In the Mouth of Wealth there are wounded souls

Can we have God with songs in the future

Straighten limbs of men and women to glow

Enter into tomorrow where life's visions never vanish

And dreams live on and we no more bath in tears

Will you celebrate the me and mine and sing of the self again

Let’s leave behind that place where the smoke blows dim

To go to where our desires are and our hopes profound

Now that the Old Year is dead and a New Year is born

Let’s go to where the moon shall be bright when we are dust

To where the stars are starry in the time of our darkness

Let’s pause now at the place where the sidewalk ends with all

And on the new street we dance with our innermost hearts out

Can’t Find Another You

Darling I’m knee deep in loving you

I done got deeper than I wanted to
It’ll probably drown me before I’m through
Because I can't find another you

When first we met I wanted Love

And you brought it down to me
I wanted you to stay but the next day
You flew away to the far end of the world

I thought I’d wade easily through my tears 
Instead it wet my feet and drenched my beard

Too late to find a dried place on another route 
So I just keep sinking deeper in your love

Today I’m knee deep in loving you
I’m done got deeper than I wanted to
It’ll probably drown me before I’m through
Because I’m knee deep in loving you

My Love and All

Last night I fell asleep
And saw you dancing in my dreams
Just like the autumn leaves
Have fallen for you, all for you

And you changed my life
You changed my ways
I don't even recognize myself again
It must be a reflection of you, that made it

I can't remember the last time I felt love like this
I can't imagine living life without you by my side
Day after day you find a way to make me cry
Really, I can't remember the last time I felt love like this

My arms still hold you tight like in my dreams
I want to keep you warm in the coldest night
Where my hand would pull your hair right back

Away from your eyes for you to look into my face

If I knew just how to do it, I'd hang the moon,

And the stars around you to adorn the horizon
But I couldn't make it more beautiful than you
Darling nothing compares to you, my love and all

Where I Come From

where we come from, joy
floats around us like clouds
the way leaves rustle in the breeze
and love and beauty swing in our embraces
and smile with all our senses from sunrise till sundown

where I come from dreams do not rest on fences
when the cock crows the young and old rise
take to the road with sparkling powerful arms
songs work-songs harvest-songs and jolly-songs 

hold us tightly in fragrant dances
and kinship are to us scents of magnolia and frangipani
and rituals of the elders look toward the skies
from where cometh our Help of Ages

where I come from on every village lane

and on footpaths you could see something lovely

you can see our children's smiles white and glistening  
young girls in braids as precious as gold 
the swing of their hips the rhythm in their gait
the smile on soft-brown cheek and the movement of the eyes
leave the lanky brother in the heat blowing kisses in the air

once I heard low bass voices crooning

on a Saturday afternoon when the Rainmaker

came out of the forest with the Dipo girls

the magical flowers of breasts lost many in the garden of chimera
and they disguised their racing pounding hearts
in the melody of the music in their heads

strangers who won't be for long be spectators
left with their manhood shooting loudly ahead of them

where I come from are many things to sing about
not these hard core blues low bass voices crooning
nasty cruising thoughts on corrugated Freeways 
turning nouns into verbs and fetching dreams
strewn with bones that melt melodies to huge fires
but with my smiles and deep dark eyes

I’ll continue to see there's so much to life than gold teeth

For a Friend

seeing the sun rise with glow this morn
its rays dancing among the leaves in the grove
I saw my tears dry like dew on village lanes
and for once, I found again the lost smile
that was missing for a long time

seeing the moon with the choir this night
this heart holds hope like a rock
to see this old heartache in love's cradle leave

maybe I no longer will cry at night
as if all my dearest friends are gone

Yours Only

When the Sun rises today

I want to be the Smile on your face,
The First thought that comes to you,
I want to be the Joy in your heart
When you walk through the day.
I want to be the last voice,
the only Laughter, the perfect Kiss,
In the comfort of your arms.
I Want To Be Yours, and only Yours.

If I could be any part of you today

I would be your Tear,
To be conceived in your heart, born in your eyes,
Dance on your cheeks, fall on your lips

And Die in your bosom.

Just to Be Yours and Yours only.

I want to hold you tight.
Kiss your lips, and hug you forever.
I want to make you feel wanted
I want you to feel my love and Call you mine.
My sweetheart, my Only true Sweetheart.

MySelf Again

The tree in that sickening pot
could have grown tall like the baobab

on the side of the mountain, but you carved it,

and forced it to the size you want.

Every day you whittle him and tell yourself

how lucky, tiny tree, to have a pot to grow in.

And you bound its feet, crippled its brain,

muddled its hands and dwarfed its growth.

It is our nature to grow.

One day, when you wake from your dreamland

you no longer can cup my constant image in your eyes.

There will be a grave attention in your eyes

and without words you’ll survey me and my world.

There the dim past and the present will mingle

in an opened-mouth amazement.

In all tenderness, truth and untruths will struggle;

and you no longer will keep me like chattel slaves,

cramped in roach infected shacks of your inner senses..

Your sickening pot would be gone;

my growth would be mine.

Good Night My Love

When the jostle and flurry of the day goes silent

My heart beats for you;

And it gets louder and apparent when the sun goes down.

When night takes over day; I start missing you

In ways unimaginable.

When the stars lit up the dark night sky

I feel like staring into your dreamy eyes

When it is time for bed; I wish you were by my side

So we can both go together on a dreamy ride

Kissing one another good night

Post-Its of Love

helplessly yours;
I’m devoted to you after tasting your kiss;
truly, I’m lovingly yours with an eye on that elegance
kissing your smile and making my day;
please savor this while falling asleep;
I’m dreaming of you and missing your arms;
so, holding onto feelings that’s true as days are cherished;
my heart is never alone, you’re always on my mind;
is your heart on loan, it’s like drifting away;
dear, let’s bring back old memories with bliss
where with just your kiss I shiver through the body; 
choking on words and screaming for your mercy
I am your love and all
till the waters in the Ocean run dry