For us Africans, literature must serve a purpose: to expose, embarrass, and fight corruption and authoritarianism. It is understandable why the African artist is utilitarian.
quote by Ama Ata Aidoo
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Jester’s Kingdom
Inflict a wound
Serve a purpose
Do as you’re told
Serve a purpose
Cut the throat
Save a soul
Let’s see who gives a damn
Worlds forgotten
Blinded pathways
Lost soul’s die
Corruption reigns supreme
Religious hypocrites
Ride the crusaders corpses
Inflict a wound
Serve a purpose
Do as you’re told
Make me proud
A jester’s kingdom
Bastards live above
The broken man
Twist his hand
Pay penance
Thy lord commands thee
Murder innocent children
Convert, destroy, convert, destroy
poem by Paul Fisher
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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If the Soviet Union and the United States have not experienced direct military confrontations, on the other hand, they supported, armed and trained Africans, to fight other Africans.
quote by Omar Bongo
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Don't question a blind man for buying a mirror, it must serve him some purpose.
Africans
Intro: woh nah, na, na, nah, na, nigh
Woh deh, deh, woh
Greetings, is like the first God mankind
On hurt hurt ever pray to is the sun, woh, deh, deh
Den di evil priest, come wid a God name atom
Atom mean one God and one God only
Rasta man discover that is three in one one in three
Blessed be on to thee only trinity for iver, for iver
And iver more, woh, deh, deh, lord, woh
Chorus: we-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e, we are africans
We-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e, free africans
We-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e, we are africans
We-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e, free africans
Verse 1: down the jungle, the quite jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
Farracan led the million man march
Di lion dance tonight
Africans in america
Dem cal dem afro american
But the inhabitants dem fi understand
Sey america a capture land
Europe land is fi european
And is there white man belong
Now the indians who own di land
Naw lives on reservation, but!
Chorus we-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e, woh na, na, na, na, nigh
We are africans, woh lord
Fr-e-e-e-e-e-e-e, woh, na, na, na, na, nigh
Free africans
We-e-e-e-e-e-e , woh, na, na, na, na, nigh
We are africans, lordy, lord
Fr-e-e-e-e-e-e-e, woh, na, na, na, nigh
Free africans
Verse 2: o.j. simpson one ting mi deh warn yuh
Sey fi stick to yuh owner kind, woh
Yuh switch from yuh kind
And yuh nearly serve time
Could a mix up in a babylon
If yuh guilty you know the story
But yuh bless by selassi hands
Now yuh bust di case
Put a smile pon yuh face
And join repartriation
Rodney king, look how bad dem beat him
Pon public television
Full time we get it straight
Dem nuh like we race
Mek we pack up and leave dis place, cause
Chorus
Verse 3: marcus garvey & malcolm & martin luther
A true black man, woh
Anybol, and selassi I mandela dem a ethiopion
Down di jungle di quite jungle
Di lion sleep tonight, woh
Farracon led the million man march
Di lion dance tonight
Chorus: we--e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e, we are africans
Fr-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e, free africans
We--e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e, so go deh, na, na, na, nigh
We are aricans, we all are
We-e-e-e are africans
song performed by by Beenie Man
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Poisoned Succour
God created natural wells for all Africans
their insatiate thirst and hunger to assuage
but African leaders created poison to contaminate
the very wells that is meant to be their lifelines
man created politics that is very dirty in Africa
and poisoned the rich wells that is their succour
and the wells become the bane of the albatross
Oh! African, why kill your adornment on molehills
how long continue to suffer in the midst of plenty?
the offspring of the poison succour are huge
poverty, corruption, conflict, misappropriation
the offshoots of the offspring are many
Angola, Gabon, Nigeria, and Guinea and….
the new entrant is the coast that was full of gold
and now thinks can become the new African tiger
but remember, a tiger must not shout its tigertude
and pop not yet champagne bottles in your Osu castle
lest you tow the same dirty line of your predecessors
and turn your new found blessing into an ugly curse
poem by Dela Bobobee
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Prof. Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe
Because of your encephalon
that boiled of Africanism
a benediction that you cursed
to the custom of Africans
we not,
But regret your absence nowadays
The esculent brains of your mind
the sempiternal thoughts of your head
that stood
amongst memories
of avid Africans in Africa
You left none,
But legacy
though only a few inherited,
many still regret being oblivious
your everlasting perception
In this land,
will forever stay prominent
We not,
But regret your absence,
reveal your spirit
to these doomed generations
do away with irrelevant intents
that most of your children indulge
It was suppose to be Africa,
Long before Your depature
it was suppose to be Africa,
way after your depature
your emphasis,
had always taught us,
that it has always been about
the African children
poem by Anele ''The African Son'' kaPotelwa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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But what is the difference between literature and journalism? Journalism is unreadable and literature is not read. That is all.
Oscar Wilde in The Critic as Artist, (1891)
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Problems Of Africa
Poverty
The absence of all
Ignorance
The knowledge of nothing
Disease
These are our problems
Or so we are told
But hail Kwasi Miredu
Great Ghanaian cum African Philosopher
For thinking about us; for us
And identifying our real problems
Authoritarianism
The obsession with power
Supernaturalism
Notoriously religious people
Anachronism
Seeing as good that which is not
Insurmountable our problems are not
With due diligence and positive sin
We can change this sad plot
Our way out is through African socialization
Creating not the material wealth
But happiness in each and all
poem by Kelvin Karani
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Stop Staring At Them, Harry...
I hope I do not embarrass?
I'm feeling like a child,
With a new toy I cherish.
I'm wishing to let everyone know...
I share it with you,
No one else will do.
I hope I do not embarrass?
I feel as if,
We are experiencing Paris.
That romantic place,
Where hearts embrace.
And love is not hidden.
Those who are smitten...
Have it written on their faces.
I hope I do not embarrass.
And I know we're not in Paris.
But this is something felt,
I feel must be shown.
I hope I do not embarrass...
Pushing you around in this grocery carriage.
And watching the customers' eyes open wide...
As you and I act like children,
On a carnival ride.
'Stop staring at them, Harry.
They're on crack! '
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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Corruption
From the drip drip drip of the teardrops
To the chink chink chink of the cash
To the end end end of the friendships
To the wack wack wack of the bash
Corruption corruption corruption
Rules my soul
Corruption corruption corruption
Rules my soul
From the tick tick tick of your times up
To the yes yes yes of Ill sell
From the fact fact fact of the souless
To the pact pact pact with hell
Corruption corruption corruption
Rules my soul
Corruption corruption corruption
Chills my bones
Corruption corruption corruption
Rules my soul
Corruption corruption corruption
Chills my bones
From the scream scream scream of the babies
To the retch retch retch of the youth
From the lie lie lie of the righteous
To the lost lost lost way I feel
Corruption corruption corruption
Rules my bones
Corruption corruption corruption
Chills my bones
Corruption corruption corruption
Rules my soul
Corruption corruption corruption
Rules my soul
Corruption
Corruption
Order in the court
Decision to abort
The monkey wants to speak
So speak, monkey speak
Speak monkey, speak
Speak monkey, speak
Speak monkey, speak
Everything leads to corruption
Everything leads to corruption
Corruption
song performed by by Iggy Pop
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Protect And Serve?
Police once hired to “Protect and serve”
All citizens in every City, in every State
These days cops serve rampant corruption
By perpetrating wanton brutality n' hate
poem by Ray Lucero
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Africa
Black skins immaculate souls
we are Africans, the pride
of the creator, from kilimanjaro
he veiw the world, that makes
Africa the continent of God.
we are Gold mix with diamond
the wind from the west ship us
out now we are sky, never
desolated we are African.
The ego of mama africa possess
our blood so our tails are far
from dust. Beauty is black so
we are the face of the earth the
home of the seven rivers, the
voices of fascinating creatures
pin the jungle made us believe
that black is the is the race and
Africa the root, in unison we beat
our chest to that.We are Africans.
poem by Enyinwa Okechukwu Enyinwa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Anani
The thick African culture and the thick African lips,
A voice from a village for you to hear at last;
For Anani is deeply asleep from thre troubles of this world,
But he will wake up to the facts of life one day.
To be carried away by the hawk in the name of an adventure!
But man born of woman will still wake up to learn from his past;
For the thick lips of the Africans have something to say.
poem by Edward Kofi Louis
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Blinkers
Edmund Burke wrote “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”.I wrote this in response to some comments on my poem 'African Pirates'
Though we turn the other cheek,
Let it never make us weak,
For the blinkers that we wear,
Are the testimonies we bear.
See man’s inhumanity to man,
Then expose them while you can.
Are you righteous or a sinner?
Let not evil be the winner.
Most today have tunnel vision,
‘Involve me not’, their firm decision,
‘It’s not my fault, I do not care’
‘I’m not thieving silverware’
Please do not let evil prevail,
From your eyes now take the veil,
Stand your ground and boldly fight,
Fight against evil… with all your might.
poem by Alf Hutchison
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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As a columnist, I realize that whatever amount of corruption I expose, half my readers will block it out, although they may get a frisson of joy in the process.
quote by Margaret Carlson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Be above it! Make the world serve your purpose, but do not serve it.
quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Poem On A Sunday #1
nothing is really useless.
even those who only wait, has that function.
waiting.
and it is a sacrifice, just imagine
you, at the train station,
wanting to leave and be somewhere else,
yet you do what you are assigned to
do that whole week,
waiting. It saddens me.
I tremble to some extent.
Like a heavy thud
of impatient feet, throwing away the shoes
that serve no purpose.
on the other hand, i assure you,
everything has a purpose.
the cup, the saucer, the teaspoon
and the white
sugar & the coffee,
they blend and you take your day
sipping.
in your world,
there are lapses, something glitches
you see slipping moments,
and you sigh.
ah, do not worry,
they also do what you are supposed to do,
they serve us &
you serve them
a bowl of cherries, a can of laughter,
a nugget of wisdom,
and time
this time, we note what ponder can do,
what blankness can paint
what seeds can sorrow grow?
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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50 Years on This Physical Earth
50 years on this physical earth,
But husting and busting to make my name known t the world!!
Because, i have a message at hand;
And, it is not easy being born in Africa and being raised in Africa from a very poor family!
For, i can't stop the rain from falling on my head when,
I have no roof!!!
And like what is going on today in East Africa!
With the reflections of one of my Art Works called: 'We don't have aids but hunger'! !
Yes, from the very acts of my mind;
Because i am an African,
And i do know what it means to be in Africa.
Today, i am to thank Father Yahweh for all of His mercy and kindness towards me;
For He had really guided my steps from thr rough paths of an African's own story,
And, let His Mercy endures forever!!
For Africa is for the Africans and we have to know what goes on around us everyday;
And, in the land of Africa i was born,
But, have you to say?!!
Because, i am very proud to be an African!
And like the muse of your love in the land of many waters that satisfies us all.
poem by Edward Kofi Louis
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A cruel beast
Corruption,
A vice so loved.
The voiceless,
Suffer in its hands.
The powerful,
Feast its fruits,
Corruption,
A vice so evil.
Land,
From it emanate.
Mansions,
Like mushroom they sprout.
Cars,
Like bees they swarm.
Corruption,
A vice so evil.
Poverty,
A son to it has become,
Who,
A by-product is,
Corruption,
A vice so evil.
Mercy,
To it is rubbish,
Prosperity,
In its mind constantly dwells.
Corruption,
A vice so evil.
poem by Michael Wamalwa
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Literature has to serve as a moral control of politics.
quote by Yevgeny Yevtushenko
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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