By Tikum Mbah Azonga
She was at the torchlight procession
Not out of conviction
But out of a desire to contradict the old man
That`s why she came carrying a peacock
Instead of the legendary swastika.
She wasn`t moved by the recession
Price hikes having meant nothing but falsification
That`s why she decided if she must ram
She must first of all call Bangkok
The missing link was the new basilica.
Copyright 2010
samedi 27 février 2010
vendredi 26 février 2010
OUR NATION, THE BELL AND THE CAT
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The economy is in a shambles
Interest rates have soared
Inflation has skyrocketed
Purchasing power has dropped
The exchange rate is unfavourable
And the balance of trade doesn`t favour us.
And what are our leaders doing about it?
They are feeding themselves fat daily
They are playing snakes and ladders
And pouring champagne on the protruded bellies of concubines
Meanwhile thousands die each day from AIDS or malaria
And poverty, and misery and famine and ignorance.
This country needs a change of direction
We need a new vision
We need new mean and women who are clean outside and inside
We need leaders who`ll want to give something and take nothing
We need leaders prepared to sacrifice it all for the nation
Their name, their families, their honour, their very lives.
That`s who we need
But who will bell the cat?
Please, step forward
Stand up and be counted!
Copyright 2010
The economy is in a shambles
Interest rates have soared
Inflation has skyrocketed
Purchasing power has dropped
The exchange rate is unfavourable
And the balance of trade doesn`t favour us.
And what are our leaders doing about it?
They are feeding themselves fat daily
They are playing snakes and ladders
And pouring champagne on the protruded bellies of concubines
Meanwhile thousands die each day from AIDS or malaria
And poverty, and misery and famine and ignorance.
This country needs a change of direction
We need a new vision
We need new mean and women who are clean outside and inside
We need leaders who`ll want to give something and take nothing
We need leaders prepared to sacrifice it all for the nation
Their name, their families, their honour, their very lives.
That`s who we need
But who will bell the cat?
Please, step forward
Stand up and be counted!
Copyright 2010
VALENTINE SONNET FOR TWO
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
My door is slanted and lacks a front view
It isn`t Baroque or macabre
But it`s poetic enough
I reserved it for Sweet Laura
The day she will finally come calling.
On that day with plenty of stew
We shall forget about all the iron doors coated with rubber
The only thing that will count is our complexion so tough
She can have what she wants, even a sauna
Does the taste of the pudding not lie in the eating?
copyright 2010
My door is slanted and lacks a front view
It isn`t Baroque or macabre
But it`s poetic enough
I reserved it for Sweet Laura
The day she will finally come calling.
On that day with plenty of stew
We shall forget about all the iron doors coated with rubber
The only thing that will count is our complexion so tough
She can have what she wants, even a sauna
Does the taste of the pudding not lie in the eating?
copyright 2010
COMPLICITY OVER A SHILLING
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I am heavy-handed
Yes, I agree
But I`m not a finished Sicilian
So if you came looking for Paul`s lost diary
Well, it`s not here, at least not now.
The only thing you can find here is
The old and obsolete shilling
Grand Pa brought back from the war.
Do you want it?
Copyright 2010
I am heavy-handed
Yes, I agree
But I`m not a finished Sicilian
So if you came looking for Paul`s lost diary
Well, it`s not here, at least not now.
The only thing you can find here is
The old and obsolete shilling
Grand Pa brought back from the war.
Do you want it?
Copyright 2010
THE NO-GO AREA
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I am not a goal post
Neither am I a dust bin.
I am simply tonight`s golden host
All I ask is that you take your sheens in.
copyright 2010
I am not a goal post
Neither am I a dust bin.
I am simply tonight`s golden host
All I ask is that you take your sheens in.
copyright 2010
dimanche 21 février 2010
ONE FOR THE TAYONG DYNASTY
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
(For Maxyne)
They were the two-some duo
In together like the couple next door
Out together like the Joneses of old
Who shopped at Oxford Street every week.
Typical earth signs that they both were
They measured each pace with precision
And each word with empirism
So that nothing was wasted.
From my watchtower
I recorded every move, like a scientist
The restless locks of Maxyne
Those intrusions she kept throwing back.
What a cute figure to behold
Nature’s masterpiece flashed at me
A pearl, no! A rare gem not to let go
God’s gift to the world, right here at Dolce.
What a linguistic mix, Mbatu and Alahtening
Now Molière’s, now the Queen’s
Impeccable, distinct, not languages in contact
What a rare breed? Or is it some Texan hybrid?
From my cradle, two tables away
I get absorbed in the angelic glances
Wonderland, so near, yet so far
Yet, here where I am, I’m engaged.
But is this real, or am I dozing off?
I hope it’s not history repeating itself
So that tomorrow I hear another tale
Of a gendarme, the beauty and the gun shot?
Right now, though, there’s no turning back
I have crossed the Rubicon
So, come what may, the ship will sail on
Albatross or no albatross
Pulling myself together, I camp and wait
Wait for the moment I’ll break free
Break free and fly to this foreign land
Where all that glitters is gold.
Weary of waiting, I decide to jump
For, a Tayong does not wait for things to happen
No, he goes out and makes them happen
That’s why I break the ice with the one present.
This was not despair because being Voltaire’s optimist
I knew the moment would surely come
And it did, without the grass growing under my feet
It came when I heard the toilet flushed.
(For Maxyne)
They were the two-some duo
In together like the couple next door
Out together like the Joneses of old
Who shopped at Oxford Street every week.
Typical earth signs that they both were
They measured each pace with precision
And each word with empirism
So that nothing was wasted.
From my watchtower
I recorded every move, like a scientist
The restless locks of Maxyne
Those intrusions she kept throwing back.
What a cute figure to behold
Nature’s masterpiece flashed at me
A pearl, no! A rare gem not to let go
God’s gift to the world, right here at Dolce.
What a linguistic mix, Mbatu and Alahtening
Now Molière’s, now the Queen’s
Impeccable, distinct, not languages in contact
What a rare breed? Or is it some Texan hybrid?
From my cradle, two tables away
I get absorbed in the angelic glances
Wonderland, so near, yet so far
Yet, here where I am, I’m engaged.
But is this real, or am I dozing off?
I hope it’s not history repeating itself
So that tomorrow I hear another tale
Of a gendarme, the beauty and the gun shot?
Right now, though, there’s no turning back
I have crossed the Rubicon
So, come what may, the ship will sail on
Albatross or no albatross
Pulling myself together, I camp and wait
Wait for the moment I’ll break free
Break free and fly to this foreign land
Where all that glitters is gold.
Weary of waiting, I decide to jump
For, a Tayong does not wait for things to happen
No, he goes out and makes them happen
That’s why I break the ice with the one present.
This was not despair because being Voltaire’s optimist
I knew the moment would surely come
And it did, without the grass growing under my feet
It came when I heard the toilet flushed.
mardi 16 février 2010
HEART OF THE MATTER
(By Tikum Mbah Azonga)
This is no cluster
It`s only a plaster
Or if you like, a platter
Ferried quickly by the Fon`s potter.
Men don`t lose their way
Because they know what next to say
But those called Gray
Are the ones whose wings must be clipped daily.
Copyright 2010
A RARE GEM
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
(For Claudia)
I saw her again yesterday
It was on Planet Boston
As usual she was exuberant and radiant
One would think the sun had come down
Right down here in one swoop
Just for her like the man from the East.
Something inexplicable draws me to her daily
I hardly know what to make of the communion
Perhaps it`s just auras at a high gradient
Her charm is in itself a big crown
Just for her I`ll tie my own silver loop
So that after dinner we can start the feast.
Copyright 2010
(For Claudia)
I saw her again yesterday
It was on Planet Boston
As usual she was exuberant and radiant
One would think the sun had come down
Right down here in one swoop
Just for her like the man from the East.
Something inexplicable draws me to her daily
I hardly know what to make of the communion
Perhaps it`s just auras at a high gradient
Her charm is in itself a big crown
Just for her I`ll tie my own silver loop
So that after dinner we can start the feast.
Copyright 2010
NO ONE`S FOOL
(By Tikum Mbah Azonga)
I`m not your pear tree
Am I even a tree?
So no early morning birds for me
At all times I`ll stay put on my knee.
You can go on with your merry-go-round
I don`t care whether it`s a penny or a pound
As long as the peg`s holes are round
There will be no one around to hound.
Copyright 2010
I`m not your pear tree
Am I even a tree?
So no early morning birds for me
At all times I`ll stay put on my knee.
You can go on with your merry-go-round
I don`t care whether it`s a penny or a pound
As long as the peg`s holes are round
There will be no one around to hound.
Copyright 2010
mercredi 10 février 2010
LA DERNIERE VALSE
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
Les vers de soie
Les mêmes que j`ai pourchassés
Sont de retour
Ils ont fait un retour en force
Tu vois donc que tout n`est pas vanité.
Du coup, j`ai hurlé
Croyant les envoyer en enfer
Mais hélas
Comme j`avais le cœur en folie
Les lampions se sont éteints aussitôt.
Copyright 2010
Les vers de soie
Les mêmes que j`ai pourchassés
Sont de retour
Ils ont fait un retour en force
Tu vois donc que tout n`est pas vanité.
Du coup, j`ai hurlé
Croyant les envoyer en enfer
Mais hélas
Comme j`avais le cœur en folie
Les lampions se sont éteints aussitôt.
Copyright 2010
ARC-EN-CIEL
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
Mon Dieu, que c`est beau!
Cet univers de fers de lance
Ce corps symétrique et architectural
Ce ciel blanc comme l`ange
Cet arbre a multiples branches !
Comme ton royaume est infini
A défaut de la dernière danse
Epargne-moi de l`arrêté préfectoral
Remplace-moi au bureau de change
Et surtout laisse-moi terminer ma dernière tranche.
Copyright 2010
Mon Dieu, que c`est beau!
Cet univers de fers de lance
Ce corps symétrique et architectural
Ce ciel blanc comme l`ange
Cet arbre a multiples branches !
Comme ton royaume est infini
A défaut de la dernière danse
Epargne-moi de l`arrêté préfectoral
Remplace-moi au bureau de change
Et surtout laisse-moi terminer ma dernière tranche.
Copyright 2010
mardi 9 février 2010
IMPERIAL PRESCRIPTION
(For Cynthia)
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
A fresh and healthy person
That’s what this world needs
It’s not a magic wand
Neither is it any elixir or panacea
We need a wholesome person
One who can command and be obeyed
One who can humiliate endemic corruption
One who can reset the chiming clock
And above all, one who can stand the test of time.
We four huddled up here have every reason
To undo the queen’s pleats
But we must swear by the new brand
Despite what was written by the overseer
What we dread most is treason
Because that is justice delayed
Civil service uprightness must come by compunction
Otherwise our efforts will be thwarted by a block
That’s why between vinaigrette and lime, I choose lime.
Copyright 2010
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
A fresh and healthy person
That’s what this world needs
It’s not a magic wand
Neither is it any elixir or panacea
We need a wholesome person
One who can command and be obeyed
One who can humiliate endemic corruption
One who can reset the chiming clock
And above all, one who can stand the test of time.
We four huddled up here have every reason
To undo the queen’s pleats
But we must swear by the new brand
Despite what was written by the overseer
What we dread most is treason
Because that is justice delayed
Civil service uprightness must come by compunction
Otherwise our efforts will be thwarted by a block
That’s why between vinaigrette and lime, I choose lime.
Copyright 2010
RECIPE FOR THE PRIEST
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I like coral reefs
But I prefer sea urchins cooked raw
I don’t mind Chinese chicken soup suey
Forget about the budget lines
And the semester long sessions.
I don’t cherish stagnant creeks
They creak, smell and refuse to thaw
So once the Lord Mayor says his wife is Sue
Call up the journalist Winsome Hines
And fetch the priest for the final intercession.
Copyright 2010
I like coral reefs
But I prefer sea urchins cooked raw
I don’t mind Chinese chicken soup suey
Forget about the budget lines
And the semester long sessions.
I don’t cherish stagnant creeks
They creak, smell and refuse to thaw
So once the Lord Mayor says his wife is Sue
Call up the journalist Winsome Hines
And fetch the priest for the final intercession.
Copyright 2010
THE WAY FORWARD
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Suspend the semester
Take off your boots
And send in your resignation letter
Do it, if that is what you must do.
If you want a barrister
First of all hire two Akum cooks
Ask them for basketsful of nectar
And by all means, set a table for two.
Copyright 2010
COSMIC ISLAND
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
There’s a tiny lake nearby
It protrudes like the hanging gardens of Babylon
It isn’t the Barombi or the Nyos
Neither is it the journeyman of Hindustan.
But it’s all defined by Hornby
And confirmed by politician scientist Dr. Baninlon
The place is a replica of the cosmos
And it makes me dream of the horsemen of Tajikistan.
Copyright 2010
DANCING IN THE VACUUM
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
He clapped each time I spoke
Goldfish twisting and algae weeping
Over there, drowsy looking seals mocking us
For once, I felt I was, guess who?
Another Mobutu in the making.
At the eleventh hour when day broke
And new born babies were still sleeping
He picked up his pocket-size radio and without fuss
He stepped out and ordered dinner for the new
That’s why all alone, I stand here chaffing.
Copyright 2010
He clapped each time I spoke
Goldfish twisting and algae weeping
Over there, drowsy looking seals mocking us
For once, I felt I was, guess who?
Another Mobutu in the making.
At the eleventh hour when day broke
And new born babies were still sleeping
He picked up his pocket-size radio and without fuss
He stepped out and ordered dinner for the new
That’s why all alone, I stand here chaffing.
Copyright 2010
lundi 8 février 2010
DIVINE VISIT
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
(For Prof Daniel Duprey who taught me La Linguistique Générale at the University of Besançon in France)
God came to my place last night
Accompanied by Professor Daniel Duprey
And his retirement papers
Stragely enough, the prof didn`t carry Melcuk
Nor Benveniste
Nor Jakobson.
In eighteen years, he hasn`t changed if I`m right
For fear of picking up the wrong ray
The Virgo man hasn`t wavered by one iota
He moaned about unfairness of life and Kirkuk
Especially as they called someone "arriviste"
But Prof had the latest edition of Ibsen.
Copyright 2010.
(For Prof Daniel Duprey who taught me La Linguistique Générale at the University of Besançon in France)
God came to my place last night
Accompanied by Professor Daniel Duprey
And his retirement papers
Stragely enough, the prof didn`t carry Melcuk
Nor Benveniste
Nor Jakobson.
In eighteen years, he hasn`t changed if I`m right
For fear of picking up the wrong ray
The Virgo man hasn`t wavered by one iota
He moaned about unfairness of life and Kirkuk
Especially as they called someone "arriviste"
But Prof had the latest edition of Ibsen.
Copyright 2010.
BAD MEMORIES
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This old place
This same old place
Is hell on earth
For anyone who has seen a hearth.
It`s not about race
Nor about the pastor`s disgrace
It`s about Christs`s birth
And man`s rebirth.
Copyright 2010
This old place
This same old place
Is hell on earth
For anyone who has seen a hearth.
It`s not about race
Nor about the pastor`s disgrace
It`s about Christs`s birth
And man`s rebirth.
Copyright 2010
SOS CALL
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Call the doctor
Or the fireman
Or the ambulance
Or even the baker
Call someone.
Ring and tell the rector
Tell him the registrar has gone to Bafmen
But without falling into a trance
What he took along was the figure, `One`
And a sandwich for the bursar
In order tobe the number one.
Copyright 2010
Call the doctor
Or the fireman
Or the ambulance
Or even the baker
Call someone.
Ring and tell the rector
Tell him the registrar has gone to Bafmen
But without falling into a trance
What he took along was the figure, `One`
And a sandwich for the bursar
In order tobe the number one.
Copyright 2010
TELL TALE SIGN
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I knew you`d come
It couldn`t have been otherwise
The priest`s altar bird told me so
The town crier posted it on the Council wall.
Copyright 2010
I knew you`d come
It couldn`t have been otherwise
The priest`s altar bird told me so
The town crier posted it on the Council wall.
Copyright 2010
ONE WEIGHT, TWO MEASURES
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
That`s too small
Try again
But mind the rain
In order to break free, walk tall.
copyright 2010
That`s too small
Try again
But mind the rain
In order to break free, walk tall.
copyright 2010
THE CROWNLESS JEWELS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Jewels aren`t anything at all
They`re too loose and too wily
Don`t think it`s about fashion
No, it`s about passion.
copyright 2010
Jewels aren`t anything at all
They`re too loose and too wily
Don`t think it`s about fashion
No, it`s about passion.
copyright 2010
samedi 6 février 2010
QUESTIONS TO MY LOVED ONE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I run a risk
A big risk and I know it
It is the risk of falling in love with you
I don’t love in halves
I love totally, completely and utterly
It is all or nothing
I love with all my being
When I love
I forgo myself
I retreat and send my loved one forward
I no longer exist
I decrease so that she may increase
If I live, I live for her
If I eat I eat for her
If I drink, I drink for her
If I pray I pray for her
If I think I think of her
If I dream I dream of her.
And if death comes to claim her
I will step before her and say to death.
"Spare her and take me."
But I have one question for you
If I fall in love with you
Will you treat me in exactly the same manner?
Copyright 2010
I run a risk
A big risk and I know it
It is the risk of falling in love with you
I don’t love in halves
I love totally, completely and utterly
It is all or nothing
I love with all my being
When I love
I forgo myself
I retreat and send my loved one forward
I no longer exist
I decrease so that she may increase
If I live, I live for her
If I eat I eat for her
If I drink, I drink for her
If I pray I pray for her
If I think I think of her
If I dream I dream of her.
And if death comes to claim her
I will step before her and say to death.
"Spare her and take me."
But I have one question for you
If I fall in love with you
Will you treat me in exactly the same manner?
Copyright 2010
RARING TO GO
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Stoke the embers if you will
Wedge the metal door if you can
But if the butcher runs up the hill
The only thing that can stop him is a jerry can.
copyright 2010
Stoke the embers if you will
Wedge the metal door if you can
But if the butcher runs up the hill
The only thing that can stop him is a jerry can.
copyright 2010
BEFORE THE BISHOP’S EYES
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I won’t stand down
So don’t waste your time
Don’t even think about it
It won’t work.
Why should I?
I too saw her
The beautiful blue princess from nowhere
I saw her small and well clad doggie
As together they sauntered to church
And entered while the homily was on
Monsignor smiled at her
And said nothing about her lateness
Or the fact that she perturbed the peace of Christ’s mass.
But that’s not what troubles me most
What really bothers me is the plaintiff stained glass window
The altar candle
The peaceful and innocent host
The naïve mass boys
The sweet fragrance of the incense
And the snoring of the catechist on the front bench.
Copyright 2010
I won’t stand down
So don’t waste your time
Don’t even think about it
It won’t work.
Why should I?
I too saw her
The beautiful blue princess from nowhere
I saw her small and well clad doggie
As together they sauntered to church
And entered while the homily was on
Monsignor smiled at her
And said nothing about her lateness
Or the fact that she perturbed the peace of Christ’s mass.
But that’s not what troubles me most
What really bothers me is the plaintiff stained glass window
The altar candle
The peaceful and innocent host
The naïve mass boys
The sweet fragrance of the incense
And the snoring of the catechist on the front bench.
Copyright 2010
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