Santa's reindeer were ready for Christmas,
but then Rudolph developed some stiffness.
They asked his son Robbie
to do the job and he
agreed, which was most serendipitous.
Veronica and her friend Monica
joined loved ones to celebrate Hanukkah.
They sang songs of the season
giving very good reason
for Monica to play harmonica.
Meanwhile, Madonna and her friend Tonya
went to Togo to celebrate Kwanzaa.
Upon arriving, alas,
they both inhaled some burned grass,
which authorities called marijuana.
Categories:
togo, holiday,
Form: Limerick
Mother said she drempt
and saw into a gloomy depth
where she glimpsed
souls engulfed
within the world's
wounds.
Mother said she saw
where demons traipsed
back and forth into the twelfth
of hell,
while anxious
angels
kept a watch amongst
the dreaming adze*
lest they awake the monster
waiting in the nothing.
* Adze: a vampiric being in Ewe folklore, told by the people of Togo and Ghana.
Categories:
togo, dream, fantasy,
Form: Verse
Sometimes, me and mine fight;
And I feel like I should just take a flight;
To either Toronto or Morocco,
Or Chagga or even Togo;
But I stay and forgive,
Because, I have come to believe,
In what we call love;
When, instead, we are stupid in love.
In any relationship, we have to tolerate,
Simply because our interests correlate;
This, one fresh in love may not relate.
He has slapped me several times before,
But that did not automatically make him my foe.
In these matters, we do not just get rid of the fragrance,
For it is one journey that requires a lot of patience,
Lest we lose it all due to our impatience!
Categories:
togo, anger, love,
Form: Rhyme
Let Nigeria indignantly confront her biggest problem,
Before it turns her scandalous emblem;
Back to life nurse her quitting economy;
Long ceased to be relevant to her agronomy
More appearances make in the world cup
To with the greats sup
And in mind keep that a failure to Togo
Will mean “No where to go”…
Also, Nigeria should start swiveling her presiding
To promptly cripple baleful insurgency;
Into the nostrils of her laws breathe God’s commandment
That wouldn’t beg a tomorrow’s amendment
And her greatness start reasserting in Africa
To this point impress on Voice of America
Categories:
togo, anxiety, appreciation, celebration, encouraging,
Form: Rhyme
Fading light of day
robins search for a last meal
summertime takeout
Categories:
togo, appreciation, bird, food, insect,
Form: Haiku
Rupengo rukave irwo nduri yangu
Kunditaridza ziMuonde
ZiMuonde rakonzera manyongori
Rikaveiro roita kuti muruwa muve nokutya
Mufungo ukave wekupiduka kwakasauka
ZiMuonde randionza
Kufunganya nezvaro mumisha
Yongove ziMuonde, kugara pamimvuri
Rondidzimba mwoyo wangu nhete
Ndikati kuridzura ndingaone huni
Izvo rinoririma kupfuta chiutsu
Choti togo kutitosvora maiso
ZiMuonde kundipa unhapwa
Rangu demo rogomara
Kurikuda kuti riwe
Simba ndiro ndapera negobo
Rupengo rikave ino nhetembo
Vavariro kurikuda kuriwisa chose
Ndaitiwo zvimwe kuudiridzira
Ramangwana raizove nechiedza
Izvo kwaitove kusika moto mumaiso
Mvuto kuramba yopfuta
Ndotsva hangu mwana wevhu
Muonde kundipa rudziyo rwakafumuka
Kutiwo zvimwe ndikarima paumire
Muonde ungamerawo mabazi
Ndowana mumvuri wezororo
Izvo ondipa donhodzo kuwangu muviri
Shuviro yove yokukuwisa , ZiMuonde.
Asi mudzi wako ove damba nevhu
Categories:
togo, anger,
Form: Blank verse
It's in a turtle soup shop where I'm employed
It's my duty to cook vomit-inducing soup turtle
which no decent human palate could stand;
a horrid job and a salary which is even worse,
an insult to my brilliant overdeveloped mind;
Not to mention the iniquitous schedule,
though there's something much worse:
the appalling uniform which is an insult
to a nonfrivolous mind like mine;
and in no way instrumental in contributing
to social elegance but a pathological attack
on good taste and gumption!
a distorted regurgitation of undigested
food for thought!
A lavender cup with the grotesque company logo!
The unsightly checked fuchsia and gray pants!
And to top it all: a striped khaki and purple poncho!
My odious uniform! Imported from Togo!
A lovely idea had the company's honcho!
An idea that my Togolese friend rejects!
I hug him! I look up to him!
'Cause he abhors both poncho and honcho!
Cripes! Yikes!
Dinner's ready! Yucky turtle soup I shall regurgitate!
Categories:
togo, absence, angst, bereavement, native
Form: Light Verse
The Blood of Martyrs
“He stood aloof the ***** youth
What of his future?”
Peter Abrahams
When the guns thunder
In Cameroon or Côte-d’Ivoire
In Mali or Burkina Faso
Limitless martyrs
Disappear!
Beads of blood still pearling
Running from the martyrs’ hot bodies
I vainly ask to know:
Why are the ill-stricken dictators so greedy
And their peoples so eloquently silent?
Gabon- Togo-Cameroon- Tunisia- Egypt-
Zimbabwe-Burkina Faso
What is going on?
What of our time? What of man?
Nothing but words.
Words of those who see with
Somebody’s eye
Or
Those who have gained
Nothing of their heritage
If not Samory’s puzzle.
Meanwhile
The spring keeps growing
Swallowing creeds to bear greeds
In spite of Ebola and the wars
In spite of Aids killing thousands of people
In spite of the minority who with the help
Of the majority eat from the fruit
Of the majority’s vote
In spite of growing desert….
N’Gaoundéré, 16th February 2010
Categories:
togo, patriotic, peace,
Form: Free verse
one day I’ll be a shining star
one day I’ll shine my rays down on those who are deserving of my bright rays
one day I’ll understand why I had Togo through everything I’ve been through
one day you won’t recognize the person you see today
one day will be the day it won't seem like just another day
one day I’ll be able to forget all the memories I don’t want to remember
one day I’ll be remembering all the amazing people who have been there for me
one day my hardest darkest times will be forgotten forever
one day the family and friends will have guided me to my shining light
one day you will be the one to look up to me for answers
one day my answers will have been my question when I was you
Categories:
togo, growing up, inspirational, life,
Form: Free verse
Long have me feet walked..bare upon de earth of mother Afreeca.
Days, passing in a flow’r chain round de brow of de morn.
De sacred drum calls wid de heart beattin of de Hougan’s soul
Afreeca’s soul ...
Long, long, de walkin from village mounta’n citie
to the hounfour ... de temple of de people.
We walk joy’us, and penit’nt and pleadin‘.
Mama carries de food gift fer Ogou Balanjo on her head,
corn meal she ‘as ground fine. "Ah, de poor sick child"
De glass beads aroun‘ Mama’s neck shine
like her tears in de sun an de sweat on her skin.
We ‘ear de rattlin‘ and de drummin.
Dust of de many feet rises.
'undreds and thousands of worshipers pack de square
in front of de temple and dance red, gold, orange swirl
honorin‘ our parents and der parents.
Long, long, we dance, we dance, and de Loa arrive ...
Mama falls possessed by Ogou Balanjo ...
De white robes of de pure at heart, and does wid de white faces
dance de prayers, de priests returns from de sacred grove
white rock, egg white of wealth and happiness
de year will be good ... de sick child will heal ...
Long, long, the world has spun in a daisy chain
Around de sun............
Categories:
togo, caregiving, childhood, dance, dedication,
Form: Free verse