(For Azah)
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I'm very pretty
And I thank God for that
Although beauty is visual and physical
It's also profound,spaceless and divine.
Unless the Almighty designs it
Then it's all papered-over cracks
And padded window dressing
That's why every Sunday at Small Mankon
I join my folks at mass
So that together we can praise him
Honor him, worship him and adore him.
copyright 2009
Giving praises to GOD through your poetry is very interesting.Why because looking at this poem you have indirectly through Azah thanked God for rendering her beautiful in his own image.
RépondreSupprimerThanks. Azah is a real person who lives in Bamenda. The poet noticed her and took an interest in her during mass at the Small Mankon Catholic Church earlier this year. In the conversation the poet asked her for a phrase which he could use as the opening shot of a poem on her. Out of her mouth came the phrase: "I am very pretty." And she really is.
RépondreSupprimerTMA
People get inspired in different ways.Azah was the source of inspiration in this case.Like her we all have to thank God for who and what we are.
RépondreSupprimerHow do you write your poems? are they as a result of your imagination or from true life experiences.Because when i read your responses i realize that there is always a story behind the poem and the stories do not look like an imagination. they rather look real.
RépondreSupprimerHi Sidouane and Micheal.
RépondreSupprimerThanks for your messages.
Writing poetry is one of the easiest things one can do, provided one receives the right guidance.
Some ten years ago, the International NGO, PLAN INTERNATIONAL, hired me as a consultant to train children they had drawn from Cameroonian villages in partnership with PLAN.
My mission was to give them a one-day workshop on the writing of poetry. At the end of the day, each of them had acquired enough skills to be able to right at last one poem. Those poems were published in the maiden edition of the PLAN CAMEROON children`s magazine called EYEKE.
The children were taken from Classes 5, 6 and 7 of the Primary School and Forms 1, 2 and 3 of the Secondary School. They were from and around Bamessing and Babessi in Ngohketunjia Division, Njinikom in Boyo Division, and Nyen in Momo Division.
Interestingly, one of the participants who was in Form 3 at GBHS Bamessing at the time, later enrolled at JMC here in Buea and graduated last year. Shortly after the workshop, he wrote to me and we have stayed in touch since then. His name is Bibi Cletus.
So if children at that level could do it, what more of adults at your level?
TMA