Obaasima

A Mothers’ Day Appelation To A Heroine, Mrs Cecilia Abena Boakyewah Anyimadu, And To All “Ideal Women” Of The World

By: Augustine Anyimadu-Ahenkae

OBAASIMA, the most ideal woman/

Thou hast been the dream of many a noble man/

Thy title hast never been the special prerogative of anyone on our land/

Yet everywhere and anywhere it is used for anyone on our motherland/

Never hast there been any shade of doubt nor argument nor denial/

As to whose magnified bosom this honor properly rests therewithal/

Aye, for so exalted and dignified is thy name, OBAASIMA/

That whomsoever we dare call such must without a shade of doubt be Obaasima/

Obaasima, thou art the paragon of virtue, poise, solidity, elegance, enterprise/

Beauty, nay, stunning beauty with brains, character, humility, as men do please/

Along such lines and more do we thee declare, for thy life, toil and good heart/

Thou art the true OBAASIMA, Eno Abena Boakyewah, Obaasima indeed thou art/

OBAASIMA, the heroine of heroines/

Thou hast fought wars and conquered, conquered for multitudes/

OBAA YAA ASANTEWAH conquered via the gun, dared enter where men but flee/

But thou OBAASIMA, whenever and wherever fate so shines on us to meet thee/

Thou conquers for our families challenges from which many a man flees/

Aye, challenges not only domestic, but encompassing well-being of whole families/

Your rare combination of grace and virtue confound many a maiden, more so today/

Thy kind is rare, thy complete package is not all too common in our modern day/

Lucky are the men who find you in their lifetimes, but luckier still, surely mother/

Are the families you toil for, the offspring you train, those privileged to call thee mother/

Ours is that luck, ours is that joy, ours is that uncommon privilege to have known thee/

How fitting then is our tribute, How justified is our appellation, how right is our salute to thee./

OBAASIMA! Eno Abena Boakyewah, in thee is personified the ideal woman anywhere/

Thy sacrifice knew no bounds, thy love’s flame was unquenchable, burning everywhere/

“Maame, I need to pay my WAEC exams fees otherwise I can’t write my O Level exams/

Omama Boakyewah would sell her cloth – the only one left then, after rest sold for similar exams/

Ah Maame you fought a good fight, you died having well completed your earthly task/

Auntie Abena, you just came from a long trip from three markets, so we thee ask/

When art thou going to take some rest for thyself, Maame, Obaasima/

These WATONKYENE boneshakers have shaken all thy bones, ad ultima/

The gaping valleys called pot holes on our crooked Sikampoano roads aggravate thy pains/

Only those who experience it know the pain sitting in these boxes on roads, roads worsened by rains/

But tell you I, that sitting in the greyhound buses from New York to Columbus, back and forth/

In my knees felt I thy pain thou hast all these years on our behalf borne, back and forth/

Ah, thou hast fought a good fight, mother dear, God bless thee/

Mmaasima mu Obaasima, Salute we thee/

It is mothers’ day today, dear mother of mothers/

A day to celebrate the joy of motherhood, a day to appreciate all mothers/

Truly speaking, the precious fact of motherhood is good a cause to celebrate/

But for all ideal women the world over need we all the more celebrate/

Ideal women, beautiful in beholders’ eyes, but more important than comeliness/

Is the fact of the pains you go through, the sacrifices, the love, bravery, kindness/

Please accept, on a day like this, on behalf of the rest of us – children, husbands, society/

Through thee to all our mothers, an AYEKOO to you who brighten our EWIASE community/

Happy mothers’ Day, Obaasima, Dammirifa Due to thee and those that have fallen/

And to the Mmaasima that remain with us give we our salutation with gratitude laden./

© Augustine Anyimadu-Ahenkae

Culled, with adaptation from the original “OBAASIMA, AN APPELATION FOR A FALLEN HEROINE, MRS CECILIA ANYIMADU” By same Author.

Mothers’ Day, 2014.