WHAM! – An Ode to An Oman That Mourned

The cock just crowed

The dew just slowed

Time just mellowed

The sun just woke

Realisation just stroke

Thoughts in my mind just rolled

Reality rudely woke

Put my mind in thinking mode

Ei, it is so true

Can’t deny again no more

The Omanhene goes home

To his ancestors join

From Odomankoma his passage procured

Ten days, and then seven

Processing took

Time just became due

The King goes home

We can do no more

His place not here

His abound so far

Asomdwehene

Nantie yie

Damirifa due

Due due ni amanihunu

For Sikaman that mourned

Our sensibility found

In sadness we gathered

Our senses hitherto shattered

Vituperations evaporated

Tintinnabulations abated

Punches airborne pulsated

Yet collectively we moderated

Found us our heart

Found us our soul

Found us our Sikamanness

Found us our true Bibininess

Found that though we speak

As are fruits from different trees

We share one root

We shared one y3funu

We all exited the womb

Of Ama Ghana!

WHAM!

Say it in Mugabeman

Say it not in Mugabeman

Trepidation ensues

Confusion emanates

WHAT!

Said it in Sikaman

Happened in Attakrom

Diawuoman rose up

Jerrykope united

Limanntanga acted

Acheampongmanso decided

Busiachi enacted

Kotokaman consolidated

Osagyefokrom shone the way

Yet again

Showed that the spirit

That made

The land of

Danquah

Akuffo

Akuffo-Addo

Afrifa

Ako-Adjei

Ofori-Atta

Obetsebi-Lamptey

The shining star of Abibiman

The land of

Yaa Asantewaa

Kwegyir-Aggrey

Prempeh

Preman-Ntow

Anokye

Adu-Boahene

Paa Grant

Annan

Ansah

Baako

Ankomah

Dumor

Atongo

Ahortovie

Tetteh

Mensah

Kofi

Effe

Nunekpeku

This land

Your land

My land

This immortal spirit

Of our ancestors

That lives and

Breathes in us

This collective

Together

Came

Up

Permeated

Every

Cloak

That divided us

And we found

It

A

Permeable

Screen

Mpanyinfuo bu b3 bi s3

Y3 su mpo a

Y3 gyae 3him

Though we cry

We pause to blow

Our nose

You cannot cry

And think

So permit me

To pause and think

To put my crying

On abeyance

Albeit for a second

And ask you

To consider

WHAM!

What Happened After Mills!

We showed that we

Can be one

In thought

In speech

In deed

In action

The King goes home today

And on Monday

Though we mourn on

We lift up the pieces

And we move on

Shall we move on

As we did before

The Black Tuesday?

Shall we move on

As though nothing touched us?

Opanyin Obama

Kasa

"So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism;

Of service and responsibility

where each of us resolves to pitch in

And work harder and

Look after not only ourselves,

But each other.

Let us remember that

We rise or fall as one nation;

As one people.

Let us resist the temptation

To fall back on the same

Partisanship and pettiness

And immaturity

that has poisoned our politics for so long.

As Lincoln said

'We are not enemies but friends

Though passion may have strained

It must not break our bonds of affection.'"

Mo ne kasa Barack Obama

Nante yie

Asomdwehene

Nante yie Obenefuo Fiifi

You taught many in the classroom

Whilst you lived

In dying, you gave your ultimate lecture

Tweredeapon Kwame

Fa wo nsie yie

Damirifa due

Due

Due ni amanihunu

Fare thee well

President John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills

© Nana A Damoah, August 2012, Lagos, Nigeria