By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The president`s speech was subtle
But it wasn`t Isaac Newton
He had all the right articulations
And spelt out all the right policies
But who was listening?
Copyright 2010
vendredi 31 décembre 2010
IN BED WITH AWAN ANGOB`S CAT
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This is Awan`s cat
The new one with sparkling eyes
Not the black one that got missing
Tonight I`ll climb on Awan`s plank bed
Call up the cat
And together we`ll pull up the old blanket
And play hide and seek
Then while Pussie purrs in her sleep
I will listen attentively
So that when Awan awakes
I`ll tell her everything.
Copyright 2010
This is Awan`s cat
The new one with sparkling eyes
Not the black one that got missing
Tonight I`ll climb on Awan`s plank bed
Call up the cat
And together we`ll pull up the old blanket
And play hide and seek
Then while Pussie purrs in her sleep
I will listen attentively
So that when Awan awakes
I`ll tell her everything.
Copyright 2010
LESSONS FROM PARIS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I like the silver runways of Paris
They are like Paradise on earth
Liberty, Equality and Fraternity
That`s what it`s all about
When shall we ever learn?
Copyright 2010
I like the silver runways of Paris
They are like Paradise on earth
Liberty, Equality and Fraternity
That`s what it`s all about
When shall we ever learn?
Copyright 2010
DANGER OF THE GUSTS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Many have said it before
So, I`m not reinventing the wheel
When the great gusts rise
Tye`ll bring down everything
Even the sky.
Copyright 2010
Many have said it before
So, I`m not reinventing the wheel
When the great gusts rise
Tye`ll bring down everything
Even the sky.
Copyright 2010
THREE QUICK STEPS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The steps are steep
Like those of the White House
But if we`re snappy
We`ll beat them to it.
Copyright 2010
The steps are steep
Like those of the White House
But if we`re snappy
We`ll beat them to it.
Copyright 2010
THE JOKER AND THE EAR
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The ear doesn`t hear any longer
Even when it goes to school
But if you call it a fool
It labels you a miserable joker.
Copyright 2010
The ear doesn`t hear any longer
Even when it goes to school
But if you call it a fool
It labels you a miserable joker.
Copyright 2010
COMMON ENEMIES
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
My enemies are back
And back in force
Were not we all black
I would have sought recourse.
Copyright 2010
My enemies are back
And back in force
Were not we all black
I would have sought recourse.
Copyright 2010
THE ONE ON TRIAL
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The glare was forbidding
That`s why she squinted
Anyone who accuses her of fondling
Must first prove he hasn`t deserted.
Copyright 2010
The glare was forbidding
That`s why she squinted
Anyone who accuses her of fondling
Must first prove he hasn`t deserted.
Copyright 2010
NO FLOOR FOR SEA MONSTERS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The sea monsters are back
And back with a vengeance
When the delayed ship sails in
No crew member will have the floor.
Copyright 2010
The sea monsters are back
And back with a vengeance
When the delayed ship sails in
No crew member will have the floor.
Copyright 2010
STRIKING A BALANCE
By Tiukm Mbah Azonga
Golden lamps aren`t really what we want
Send us bags of rice and salt
It`s not nickel or cobalt
Just what is remaining of the old grant.
Copyright 2010
Golden lamps aren`t really what we want
Send us bags of rice and salt
It`s not nickel or cobalt
Just what is remaining of the old grant.
Copyright 2010
TEARS THAT DO NOT DROP
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Tears aren`t good
Despite what the priest says
But if you think they`re food
Then ferry them us in trays.
Copyright 2010
Tears aren`t good
Despite what the priest says
But if you think they`re food
Then ferry them us in trays.
Copyright 2010
SALVATION FOR A FEW
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This is the day the Lord has appointed
Nothing slippery or winged shall walk
Only beleaguered mothers down with the flu
Shall travel the whole length
All alone.
Copyright 2010
This is the day the Lord has appointed
Nothing slippery or winged shall walk
Only beleaguered mothers down with the flu
Shall travel the whole length
All alone.
Copyright 2010
ODD MESSAGES FROM ARABIA
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
My old man spoke first
But his speech was a heap of stones
The the Holy One coughed
And his cough was perfumed air from Arabia.
Copyright 2010
My old man spoke first
But his speech was a heap of stones
The the Holy One coughed
And his cough was perfumed air from Arabia.
Copyright 2010
THE SUNDAY READER
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
She came on a Sunday
And read from Luke
Although she said she was no crook
I knew we`d prove her wrong some day.
Copyright 2010
She came on a Sunday
And read from Luke
Although she said she was no crook
I knew we`d prove her wrong some day.
Copyright 2010
SHELVES OF DOUGH
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
We have enough
For our boys and ourselves
So just look on the shelves
And send me some dough.
Copyright 2010
We have enough
For our boys and ourselves
So just look on the shelves
And send me some dough.
Copyright 2010
IN SEARCH OF THE CAMPASS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I stood before the brook
Like some new Douala crook
Surely, if I wasn`t rude
I would soon again be en route.
Copyright 2010
I stood before the brook
Like some new Douala crook
Surely, if I wasn`t rude
I would soon again be en route.
Copyright 2010
STEADY ON THE PATH
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I wasn`t in wrath
I wasn`t even upset
I was only seeking the path
Before the much vaunted sunset.
Copyright 2010
I wasn`t in wrath
I wasn`t even upset
I was only seeking the path
Before the much vaunted sunset.
Copyright 2010
THE PALM OF GOD`S SERVANT
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
His palms are moist
Like those of Mr Davidson
Where then is the Lord`s relic
If not once more buried in relics?
Copyright 2010
His palms are moist
Like those of Mr Davidson
Where then is the Lord`s relic
If not once more buried in relics?
Copyright 2010
THE CODE OF CONDUCT
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Watch when I speak
And listen when I yawn
Across the bridge
The good Lord will unfailingly take note.
Copyright 2010
Watch when I speak
And listen when I yawn
Across the bridge
The good Lord will unfailingly take note.
Copyright 2010
THE NATION WE SET ABLAZE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I sincerely think that we erred
We didn`t break the sword, yes
But we fanned the flames
That`s why the nation is on fire.
Copyright 2010
I sincerely think that we erred
We didn`t break the sword, yes
But we fanned the flames
That`s why the nation is on fire.
Copyright 2010
THE PILOT, THE VICE CHANCELLOR AND I
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
When I put up my hand
The pilot looks away
When I then cross the bar
The Vice Chancellor giggles.
Copyright 2010
When I put up my hand
The pilot looks away
When I then cross the bar
The Vice Chancellor giggles.
Copyright 2010
jeudi 30 décembre 2010
THE POLITICS OF VISA FEES
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This was one of the hundreds of political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 prime time news of the CRTV National Radio Station in Yaounde between 2000 and 2005. This particular one was occasioned by an increase in visa application fees by the USA embassy in Yaounde. It was broadcast of 24 October 2002.
__________________________________
The fee increase by any standards is steep because by going up from CFA 45 5000 to 70 000, it registers a hefty jump of 53.84 per cent. In concrete terms, the policy means that visa applicants must henceforth find the extra outlay of CFA24 500 to add to the CFA45 500 they were charged before, for there to be any hope of obtaining a visa for Uncle Sam`s land of opportunities.
As if to rub it in, the text states that the fee must be paid in advance, whether or not the visa is granted. The small print so to speak, adds that a small fee is charged if the visa is granted. So, the few candidates who survive the first stage of payment are made to pay a second fee.
The reason given for the fee increase is the need to bring the fee in line with the actual cost of administering the non-immigrant visas in the post September 11 environment, an obvious reference to the terrorist bombings that saw the blowing up of the World Trade Centre twin buildings in New York. To put the new visa requirement in another way, each non-immigrant visa applicant for the United States is being indirectly asked to pay for the fight against Ben Laden, the rich Saudi religious fanatic whom the US holds responsible for the serious dent to American national pride and invincibility.
That in itself is not a bad idea since it is right for all possible measures to be taken to deal international terrorism a deadly blow. Nonetheless, the sharp rise in visa fees once more raises the question of the manner in which visa applicants are treated. This, of course, applies not only to those traveling to the US but really also those traveling to any of the other world great powers. Some of those favourite destinations are France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Spain and Russia, to name those, since all of those countries seem to apply a similar policy characterized by a disposition geared more towards rejecting a visa application than accepting it, even if the applicant meets all the stipulated conditions.
Although Cameroonians not directly involved in the visa application process may not know it, approaching the embassies of theses countries with a view to travelling to the latter is nothing short of a nightmare. In many cases, once a visa fee is paid, it becomes non-refundable, regardless of the outcome of the application. As we can see, in this domain, there is no “money-back guarantee”, which means that for once, the customer is not king. Yet, a new application entails a new payment of the visa fee. Some embassies even go as far as proclaiming that provision of all the required documents and even success at the interview and subsequent granting of the visa are no guarantees that the applicant will necessarily be granted entry into the country they are traveling.
Visa officials are clearly a law unto themselves because not only do embassies systematically reject the majority of visa applications, some of the reasons for which these rejections are made are simply ridiculous. These include the pretext that an applicant is unlikely to return to his or her country after visiting or studying in the foreign country. Other reasons are that the candidate is traveling abroad to study a course that is offered in his or her own country, as though the freedom to travel and visit and study had been withdrawn. Sometimes, embassies reject an application without giving a reason, which makes it difficult for the applicant to tell what went wrong with the process, or why so much invested time finally became a mere waste.
Although one can understand that these countries need to control the number of foreigners entering their national territories, it must also be said that unorthodox refusal methods can only encourage illegality on the part of applicants determined to beat the embassies at their own game.
Frankly, embassies would do well to be more civil with applicants by treating them as worthy customers for whom they are where they are and without whom they would be nowhere. Immigration officials should be more humane, diplomatic and transparent. It would also help if our own authorities take a more supervisory look at what is going on in foreign embassies, rather than just issue a blank cheque by assuming that all is well, when in fact, it is not.
Copyright 2010
This was one of the hundreds of political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 prime time news of the CRTV National Radio Station in Yaounde between 2000 and 2005. This particular one was occasioned by an increase in visa application fees by the USA embassy in Yaounde. It was broadcast of 24 October 2002.
__________________________________
The fee increase by any standards is steep because by going up from CFA 45 5000 to 70 000, it registers a hefty jump of 53.84 per cent. In concrete terms, the policy means that visa applicants must henceforth find the extra outlay of CFA24 500 to add to the CFA45 500 they were charged before, for there to be any hope of obtaining a visa for Uncle Sam`s land of opportunities.
As if to rub it in, the text states that the fee must be paid in advance, whether or not the visa is granted. The small print so to speak, adds that a small fee is charged if the visa is granted. So, the few candidates who survive the first stage of payment are made to pay a second fee.
The reason given for the fee increase is the need to bring the fee in line with the actual cost of administering the non-immigrant visas in the post September 11 environment, an obvious reference to the terrorist bombings that saw the blowing up of the World Trade Centre twin buildings in New York. To put the new visa requirement in another way, each non-immigrant visa applicant for the United States is being indirectly asked to pay for the fight against Ben Laden, the rich Saudi religious fanatic whom the US holds responsible for the serious dent to American national pride and invincibility.
That in itself is not a bad idea since it is right for all possible measures to be taken to deal international terrorism a deadly blow. Nonetheless, the sharp rise in visa fees once more raises the question of the manner in which visa applicants are treated. This, of course, applies not only to those traveling to the US but really also those traveling to any of the other world great powers. Some of those favourite destinations are France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Spain and Russia, to name those, since all of those countries seem to apply a similar policy characterized by a disposition geared more towards rejecting a visa application than accepting it, even if the applicant meets all the stipulated conditions.
Although Cameroonians not directly involved in the visa application process may not know it, approaching the embassies of theses countries with a view to travelling to the latter is nothing short of a nightmare. In many cases, once a visa fee is paid, it becomes non-refundable, regardless of the outcome of the application. As we can see, in this domain, there is no “money-back guarantee”, which means that for once, the customer is not king. Yet, a new application entails a new payment of the visa fee. Some embassies even go as far as proclaiming that provision of all the required documents and even success at the interview and subsequent granting of the visa are no guarantees that the applicant will necessarily be granted entry into the country they are traveling.
Visa officials are clearly a law unto themselves because not only do embassies systematically reject the majority of visa applications, some of the reasons for which these rejections are made are simply ridiculous. These include the pretext that an applicant is unlikely to return to his or her country after visiting or studying in the foreign country. Other reasons are that the candidate is traveling abroad to study a course that is offered in his or her own country, as though the freedom to travel and visit and study had been withdrawn. Sometimes, embassies reject an application without giving a reason, which makes it difficult for the applicant to tell what went wrong with the process, or why so much invested time finally became a mere waste.
Although one can understand that these countries need to control the number of foreigners entering their national territories, it must also be said that unorthodox refusal methods can only encourage illegality on the part of applicants determined to beat the embassies at their own game.
Frankly, embassies would do well to be more civil with applicants by treating them as worthy customers for whom they are where they are and without whom they would be nowhere. Immigration officials should be more humane, diplomatic and transparent. It would also help if our own authorities take a more supervisory look at what is going on in foreign embassies, rather than just issue a blank cheque by assuming that all is well, when in fact, it is not.
Copyright 2010
TWENTY YEARS OF PAUL BIYA
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This was one of the hundreds of political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 prime time news of the CRTV National Radio Station in Yaounde between 2000 and 2005. This particular paper was a preview of celebrations marking President Paul Biya`s twenty years at the helm of Cameroon on 6 November 2002. The paper was broadcast on 30 October 2002.
___________________________________________________
Whatever way one looks at it, twenty years is a long time and in a multiparty state like Cameroon, it deserves commendation, for being a veritable demonstration of staying power, despite all the odds.
As we have pointed out, twenty years is a thankfully long time and contrary to what some opposition members may want us to believe when they intimate that nothing, not even a single thing, has been achieved in that period, the point must be made that such an assessment is subjective, unrealistic and demonstrates that its proponents are simply being economical with the truth. As a matter of fact, if the opposition does not go about things with objectivity, history is likely to prove them wrong. Worse still, when they in turn eventually get to power and are paid back in their own coins, they will feel the pinch. That is why the game of politics becomes more meaningful and purposeful when it is rid of unbridled emotionalism, personal interest and the rush to attack persons and individual instead of focusing the debate on issues and policies.
A look at Paul Biya`s twenty years in power leads to some inevitable conclusions in terms of achievements. During the epoch our country has enjoyed unbroken and enviable peace, to the extent of being perceived as “an island of peace in a sea of turbulence”. This is in contrast to neighbouring countries which have staggered from one crisis to another and in some cases, sunk into fits of trauma. Since peace engenders many subsidiary attributes, Cameroon has been consequently able to boost and nurture other areas such as agriculture, public health, the environment, rural development, the armed forces, foreign affairs, women and youth matters. The educational sector has been expanded, notably with the breaking up of the erstwhile Ministry of National Education into three separate ministries: the Ministry of Basic Education, the ministry of Secondary Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, etc. In fact, within the last ten years or so, our country has seen an unprecedented number of international events being hosted in Yaounde and some of the other cities. The latter point means that the international community recognizes that we deserve and enjoy certain leadership roles.
But then again, no one is suggesting that it has all been a bed of roses for us Cameroonians. Far from it! There are still many areas in which more work is needed. These include the poverty reduction and under development, health, unemployment, corrpuption and bad governance.
For democracy to have any real meaning in our country, opposition politicians whose role is indispensable must be flexible enough to look at both sides of the coin. That does not mean they are supporting Paul Biya. It simply means they are calling a spade a spade. That is why they should have joined the world in commending Paul Biya for his role in the peaceful resolution of the Bakassi dispute that for years pitted Nigeria against Cameroon. It may sound paradoxical, but the truth is that Cameroon can only have one president at a time.
Copyright 2010
mercredi 29 décembre 2010
WHY WE LOVE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Mbonshu, you wonder why we love at all
We love
We all do, don`t we?
Because we feel insecure
And unfulfilled
Because we`re messed up.
So like the round ball
We seek a partner, a treasure trove
Whether on land or at sea
And call it our own property and tenure
It doesn`t matter whether it was willed or unwilled
We just want a top up, another top up.
Copyright 2010
Mbonshu, you wonder why we love at all
We love
We all do, don`t we?
Because we feel insecure
And unfulfilled
Because we`re messed up.
So like the round ball
We seek a partner, a treasure trove
Whether on land or at sea
And call it our own property and tenure
It doesn`t matter whether it was willed or unwilled
We just want a top up, another top up.
Copyright 2010
THE FINAL NUMBER
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I have run the race
And fought the good fight
Today I`m at my tether`s end
The die is cast
And the curtains, drawn.
But like Gbagbo, I`ll go at my own pace
Because I know my right
I have no more fences to mend
I know the Lord`s kingdom is vast
The only thing I want right now is another prawn.
Copyright 2010
I have run the race
And fought the good fight
Today I`m at my tether`s end
The die is cast
And the curtains, drawn.
But like Gbagbo, I`ll go at my own pace
Because I know my right
I have no more fences to mend
I know the Lord`s kingdom is vast
The only thing I want right now is another prawn.
Copyright 2010
FRERES VOISINS
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
Quelle idée gardez-vous du Gabon?
Son histoire riche et accablante ?
Son peuple comblé de bonheur ?
Ses irrésistibles plages rapaces et profondes ?
Ou son président charismatique et insaisissable ?
Son de cloche ou cloche de son
Qu`importe ? Ses femmes sont aussi envoutantes
Son Cameroun voisin vit aux premières heures
Le soir il est épuisé et attend le retour des ondes
Mais sera-t-il aussi infatigable et inlassable ?
Copyright 2010
Quelle idée gardez-vous du Gabon?
Son histoire riche et accablante ?
Son peuple comblé de bonheur ?
Ses irrésistibles plages rapaces et profondes ?
Ou son président charismatique et insaisissable ?
Son de cloche ou cloche de son
Qu`importe ? Ses femmes sont aussi envoutantes
Son Cameroun voisin vit aux premières heures
Le soir il est épuisé et attend le retour des ondes
Mais sera-t-il aussi infatigable et inlassable ?
Copyright 2010
UNLIKE A SAPELE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Don`t mistake me for a sapele
A sapele is a plant
But I`m not
I think and feel and act
And I have dominion
Before me the sapele is nothing
It`s speechless
Powerless
Impotent
So how do you liken me to it?
Copyright 2010
Don`t mistake me for a sapele
A sapele is a plant
But I`m not
I think and feel and act
And I have dominion
Before me the sapele is nothing
It`s speechless
Powerless
Impotent
So how do you liken me to it?
Copyright 2010
CONCURRENCE DELOYALE?
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
(A Augustine)
Le Cameroun est naturellement béni
Oui, mais la population est maudite
Voilà l`appréciation du côté du Togo
Qu`elle soit bonne ou mauvaise
Qu`elle soit acceptée où rejetée.
Souvent il faut savoir regarder la vérité en face
C`est-à-dire, prendre le taureau par les cornes
C`est la seule façon de survivre
Dans un monde où les pays sont en perpétuelle concurrence
Et où les vieux refusent de grandir.
Copyright 2010.
(A Augustine)
Le Cameroun est naturellement béni
Oui, mais la population est maudite
Voilà l`appréciation du côté du Togo
Qu`elle soit bonne ou mauvaise
Qu`elle soit acceptée où rejetée.
Souvent il faut savoir regarder la vérité en face
C`est-à-dire, prendre le taureau par les cornes
C`est la seule façon de survivre
Dans un monde où les pays sont en perpétuelle concurrence
Et où les vieux refusent de grandir.
Copyright 2010.
HERE TO SERVE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
We`re all God`s handmaids
Not drowning men
Or worse still, dying horses
We`re willing guinea pigs
And the last able-bodied seamen.
Copyright 2010.
We`re all God`s handmaids
Not drowning men
Or worse still, dying horses
We`re willing guinea pigs
And the last able-bodied seamen.
Copyright 2010.
BLOWING HOT AND COLD
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
If it`s really hot, well, blow it
If it`s still hot, try oiling it
If that fails, send for the archbishop in person
He`ll bring his Sunday missal.
Copyright 2010
If it`s really hot, well, blow it
If it`s still hot, try oiling it
If that fails, send for the archbishop in person
He`ll bring his Sunday missal.
Copyright 2010
LANDRESSES ON SUNDAY
(For Gideon Kweti)
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Don`t pile on the strawberries
They`re bitter enough already
Instead, do egg on the laundresses
They`re ready and raring to go.
But for God`s sake, don`t come in lorries
Lest everyone thinks we`re heady
Instead, come resplendent in your Sunday best dresses
For once, forget about the hoe.
Copyright 2010
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Don`t pile on the strawberries
They`re bitter enough already
Instead, do egg on the laundresses
They`re ready and raring to go.
But for God`s sake, don`t come in lorries
Lest everyone thinks we`re heady
Instead, come resplendent in your Sunday best dresses
For once, forget about the hoe.
Copyright 2010
LA REGLE DU JEU
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
(A Cecile Annie)
Ne fais pas à autrui
Ce que tu ne voudras
Qu`on te fasse
Ce serait très risqué
Car, ce qui est arrive à Jacques
Peut également arriver à Severin
Personne n`est à l`abri.
Mémé si on se refugie dans le Toundra
Et que comme Tsimi Evouna, on se livre à la casse
Sans se soucier du fisc
On risque toujours des claques
A condition qu`on ne soit Célestin
Dans ce cas, le seul refuge c`est Kribi.
Copyright 2010
(A Cecile Annie)
Ne fais pas à autrui
Ce que tu ne voudras
Qu`on te fasse
Ce serait très risqué
Car, ce qui est arrive à Jacques
Peut également arriver à Severin
Personne n`est à l`abri.
Mémé si on se refugie dans le Toundra
Et que comme Tsimi Evouna, on se livre à la casse
Sans se soucier du fisc
On risque toujours des claques
A condition qu`on ne soit Célestin
Dans ce cas, le seul refuge c`est Kribi.
Copyright 2010
THE SWAPPED ROLES
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
While with Sakwe and Tomdio I lit candles at the sacristy
She sold groundnuts and akra to the workers
She did so, even more than the preacher
Believing she was fighting human adversity.
Copyright 2010
While with Sakwe and Tomdio I lit candles at the sacristy
She sold groundnuts and akra to the workers
She did so, even more than the preacher
Believing she was fighting human adversity.
Copyright 2010
FRERES SYMBOLIQUES
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
Le temps et l`espace
Sont des frères
Ils fournissent aux matériaux poétiques
Un surplus, une plus value
Alors, désormais
Les langues de feu
Des jeunes filles sans voix
Le corbillard de Fofé
La rouge incandescence de la présidence
Les palais chauds du roi Bandjoun
Le vieux pont de Koutaba
Alors, dis-je
Oubliez tout
Et rebroussez chemin.
Copyright 2010
Le temps et l`espace
Sont des frères
Ils fournissent aux matériaux poétiques
Un surplus, une plus value
Alors, désormais
Les langues de feu
Des jeunes filles sans voix
Le corbillard de Fofé
La rouge incandescence de la présidence
Les palais chauds du roi Bandjoun
Le vieux pont de Koutaba
Alors, dis-je
Oubliez tout
Et rebroussez chemin.
Copyright 2010
OBIA`S QUESTION ABOUT MY BOOK OF POEMS
Obia asked me the question during our interaction on Facebook
Hi Obia, I saw your question. Unfortunately, you were already offline.
The answer is that I thought of how I could contribute to the ongoing fight against HIV AIDS, considering its ravaging nature and the ultimate impact on society. I decided to write a book and since I had already published poetry books before, I decided that this book would be another poetry book. I also decided that I would write some of the poems in English as I am English-speaking and some in French as I am a teacher of French (and Spanish) and also because we are a bilingual country.
When I approached the then Permanent Secretary in charge of the National AIDS Control Committee (NACC) and the then Minister of Public Health, they liked the idea and gave me some financial support which enabled me to publish the first five hundred copies of the book. Among the poems in the collection were two I did in French and another two I did in English on the work of First Lady Chantal Biya in the HIV AIDS battle, notably through her NGOs, the Chantal Biya Foundation and African Synergies. When the book came out, I wrote to her and enclosed a copy. She promptly reacted by asking me to translate the two poems in English into French and the two in French into English. I did and she ordered and paid for a hundred copies which I understand she distributed for use to the nursery and primary schools that fall within the Presidency of the Republic on the national territory.
This year, I used my own means and produced more copies. I also proposed the book to the National Book Commission for Secondary Schools. As you know, they took it for Forms 1,2,3, 5 and the Lower 6th as well as the Francophone 6eme, 5eme, 2nde AB and 2nde C.
Now, friends and compatriots like you can obtain copies for personal reading and distribution to close relations, notably the young, for sensitization against this dreaded pandemic.
Copyright 2010
Hi Obia, I saw your question. Unfortunately, you were already offline.
The answer is that I thought of how I could contribute to the ongoing fight against HIV AIDS, considering its ravaging nature and the ultimate impact on society. I decided to write a book and since I had already published poetry books before, I decided that this book would be another poetry book. I also decided that I would write some of the poems in English as I am English-speaking and some in French as I am a teacher of French (and Spanish) and also because we are a bilingual country.
When I approached the then Permanent Secretary in charge of the National AIDS Control Committee (NACC) and the then Minister of Public Health, they liked the idea and gave me some financial support which enabled me to publish the first five hundred copies of the book. Among the poems in the collection were two I did in French and another two I did in English on the work of First Lady Chantal Biya in the HIV AIDS battle, notably through her NGOs, the Chantal Biya Foundation and African Synergies. When the book came out, I wrote to her and enclosed a copy. She promptly reacted by asking me to translate the two poems in English into French and the two in French into English. I did and she ordered and paid for a hundred copies which I understand she distributed for use to the nursery and primary schools that fall within the Presidency of the Republic on the national territory.
This year, I used my own means and produced more copies. I also proposed the book to the National Book Commission for Secondary Schools. As you know, they took it for Forms 1,2,3, 5 and the Lower 6th as well as the Francophone 6eme, 5eme, 2nde AB and 2nde C.
Now, friends and compatriots like you can obtain copies for personal reading and distribution to close relations, notably the young, for sensitization against this dreaded pandemic.
Copyright 2010
L`UNIVERS MENTEUR
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
L`univers divin ?
Mais lequel ?
Celui qui existe
Ou celui qui mourut en 1789 ?
Celui qui tourne et contourne le globe
Ou celui qui met en cause les riverains ?
Celui qui taille sur mesure
Ou celui qui avoue ouvertement s9n innocence ?
Qu`importe ?
Ici bas
Tout est bonnet blanc et blanc bonnet.
Copyright 2010
L`univers divin ?
Mais lequel ?
Celui qui existe
Ou celui qui mourut en 1789 ?
Celui qui tourne et contourne le globe
Ou celui qui met en cause les riverains ?
Celui qui taille sur mesure
Ou celui qui avoue ouvertement s9n innocence ?
Qu`importe ?
Ici bas
Tout est bonnet blanc et blanc bonnet.
Copyright 2010
MON MEILLEUR AMI
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
Le clair de lune
Cette imminence grise
Ne me mentira jamais
Elle me donnera toujours gain de cause
Je suis son feu d`artifice
Son rayon de livres d`or
Son caractère intrinsèque
Son ultime solution.
Copyright 2010
Le clair de lune
Cette imminence grise
Ne me mentira jamais
Elle me donnera toujours gain de cause
Je suis son feu d`artifice
Son rayon de livres d`or
Son caractère intrinsèque
Son ultime solution.
Copyright 2010
C`EST QUI LE POETE?
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
Le poète?
Mais c`est un créateur
Le créateur par excellence
C`est le jour
Et c`est la nuit
C`est la lumière
Et c`est le noir
C`est la vérité
Et ce sont les mensonges
C`est la beauté
Et la laideur
C`est le paradis
Et l`enfer
C`est Dieu
Et le diable.
Copyright 2010
Le poète?
Mais c`est un créateur
Le créateur par excellence
C`est le jour
Et c`est la nuit
C`est la lumière
Et c`est le noir
C`est la vérité
Et ce sont les mensonges
C`est la beauté
Et la laideur
C`est le paradis
Et l`enfer
C`est Dieu
Et le diable.
Copyright 2010
GOODS OF BURDEN
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
We didn`t send them back
So don`t hold us to it
How could we
When we didn`t have the secret code?
Copyright 2010
We didn`t send them back
So don`t hold us to it
How could we
When we didn`t have the secret code?
Copyright 2010
mardi 28 décembre 2010
DU TIC AU TAC
Par Tikum Mbah Azonga
Sur terre
Tout roule
Au paradis
Tout s`illusionne.
Qui pourra donc chanter l`hymne régional
Sans murmurer le nom du Sous Préfet?
Qui proclamera son nonchalance
Juste pour se marrer?
Copyright 2010
Sur terre
Tout roule
Au paradis
Tout s`illusionne.
Qui pourra donc chanter l`hymne régional
Sans murmurer le nom du Sous Préfet?
Qui proclamera son nonchalance
Juste pour se marrer?
Copyright 2010
LILIES AS DAY AND NIGHT
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Lilies aren`t all the dame
Just as tulips too differ
They all have joints, yes
But their receptacles point in different directions
That`s why one is day
And the other, night.
Copyright 2010
Lilies aren`t all the dame
Just as tulips too differ
They all have joints, yes
But their receptacles point in different directions
That`s why one is day
And the other, night.
Copyright 2010
THE RUN AWAY RIVER
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The river ran along, alone, all alone
And not even the pastor could match it
Flat-bottomed prostitutes brought wheel barrows
And saber-rattling men cried out for blood
As if they were another Bismark
The Iron Chancellor
So why didn`t they stop the river?
Copyright 2010
The river ran along, alone, all alone
And not even the pastor could match it
Flat-bottomed prostitutes brought wheel barrows
And saber-rattling men cried out for blood
As if they were another Bismark
The Iron Chancellor
So why didn`t they stop the river?
Copyright 2010
PACED FOOTSTEPS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I`m not in a hurry
I`ve slowed down
Unless you think me a clown
Whom you`re out to bury.
Copyright 2010
I`m not in a hurry
I`ve slowed down
Unless you think me a clown
Whom you`re out to bury.
Copyright 2010
HOW TO DO IT
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
How do they do this thing?
How on earth do they do it?
Do they start by tattooing
And then fill up and top up
With ginger from Ngaoundere?
I don`t get it
Despite my vision
And what they showed me
Does that mean
The macrocosm is lower than the microcosm
And the shoulders higher than the head?
Copyright 2010
How do they do this thing?
How on earth do they do it?
Do they start by tattooing
And then fill up and top up
With ginger from Ngaoundere?
I don`t get it
Despite my vision
And what they showed me
Does that mean
The macrocosm is lower than the microcosm
And the shoulders higher than the head?
Copyright 2010
THE PRESIDENT`S VISIT
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
No birds chirped
No serpents hissed
No toads croaked
No horses brayed.
But everyone including the Commissioner
Clamored for a garland
Then an empty altar bowl
And cowrie beads without the dames
All of that
Just to make the loudest noise for the president.
Copyright 2010
No birds chirped
No serpents hissed
No toads croaked
No horses brayed.
But everyone including the Commissioner
Clamored for a garland
Then an empty altar bowl
And cowrie beads without the dames
All of that
Just to make the loudest noise for the president.
Copyright 2010
HIBISCUS FOR THE BEES
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I see a hibiscus flower
Taller than the pope`s tower
But if the mask is pulled off
The fertile bees will fly off.
Copyright 2010
I see a hibiscus flower
Taller than the pope`s tower
But if the mask is pulled off
The fertile bees will fly off.
Copyright 2010
A BOWL OF LOVE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
For my one and only Emilia
Oh, sweet glory
What can irk you so?
Why do you cough?
Why do you sneeze?
Come to me this instant
And I`ll give you rest
Peace
Attention
Affection And above all, love.
Copyright 2010
For my one and only Emilia
Oh, sweet glory
What can irk you so?
Why do you cough?
Why do you sneeze?
Come to me this instant
And I`ll give you rest
Peace
Attention
Affection And above all, love.
Copyright 2010
BAIT FOR TRISHA
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The horror is over
So tell Trisha to return
Our treasures are once more visible
And the orchard branches, resplendent
What more does she want?
Copyright 2010
The horror is over
So tell Trisha to return
Our treasures are once more visible
And the orchard branches, resplendent
What more does she want?
Copyright 2010
THE GREEN CARD
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Out of this country
I`m nobody
That`s why I won`t trade my soul
For Uncle Sam`s card.
My umbilical chord is interred here
So are my ancestors
Above all, my future is rooted here
Even if I fly out, I must still fly in
Some day.
Copyright 2010
Out of this country
I`m nobody
That`s why I won`t trade my soul
For Uncle Sam`s card.
My umbilical chord is interred here
So are my ancestors
Above all, my future is rooted here
Even if I fly out, I must still fly in
Some day.
Copyright 2010
SUNDAY IN BOMBAY
By Tikum Mah Azonga
Did you say, Bombay
Or Sunday?
Whatever it was
Fetch my umbrella
My scarlet scarf
And my wind cheater
And tell the prince I`m on my way.
Copyright 2010
Did you say, Bombay
Or Sunday?
Whatever it was
Fetch my umbrella
My scarlet scarf
And my wind cheater
And tell the prince I`m on my way.
Copyright 2010
THE SPOUND OF SILENCE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
If we`re here today, boys
It`s for the sake of the parish priest
And not the best man`s toys
So if you have your cell phones with you
Please, put them off.
Copyright 2010
If we`re here today, boys
It`s for the sake of the parish priest
And not the best man`s toys
So if you have your cell phones with you
Please, put them off.
Copyright 2010
AWRY
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Some see it
Some hear it
Others feel it
Yet others like us dream it.
Saddled horses with not enough to carry
Kids too hungry to hurry
That was the picture painted by Gwari
Only because no one would give anyone any garri.
Copyright 2010
Some see it
Some hear it
Others feel it
Yet others like us dream it.
Saddled horses with not enough to carry
Kids too hungry to hurry
That was the picture painted by Gwari
Only because no one would give anyone any garri.
Copyright 2010
LONG LIVE THE QUEEN
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I had Kenyan tea
And the river bank
A handful of warriors
And out I went
To greet the newly crowned queen.
Copyright 2010
I had Kenyan tea
And the river bank
A handful of warriors
And out I went
To greet the newly crowned queen.
Copyright 2010
STRANGE PREMONITION
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
It`s tail was grey
And it`s forequarters, smoke-coated
But where were Mr Bechem and Pa Haman?
Even Kate in all her wisdom
Couldn`t have predicted this unfolding.
Copyright 2010.
It`s tail was grey
And it`s forequarters, smoke-coated
But where were Mr Bechem and Pa Haman?
Even Kate in all her wisdom
Couldn`t have predicted this unfolding.
Copyright 2010.
lundi 27 décembre 2010
A RABBIT ON THE RUN
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Look at that one
Just look at it
With his rabbit ears
He`ll soon shed tears.
He thinks he owns the road
But he doesn`t know he`s just a toad
If you declare him null and void
He`ll instead think he`s buoyed.
Copyright 2010
Look at that one
Just look at it
With his rabbit ears
He`ll soon shed tears.
He thinks he owns the road
But he doesn`t know he`s just a toad
If you declare him null and void
He`ll instead think he`s buoyed.
Copyright 2010
GOD AS A BIG GUN
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Our God isn`t a small man
No, he`s a real big gun
And a smoking one too
Only he can fire himself
No one else can
Not even you.
copyright 2010
Our God isn`t a small man
No, he`s a real big gun
And a smoking one too
Only he can fire himself
No one else can
Not even you.
copyright 2010
LIVING AS A DIASPORAN
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Response to a question put to me by MICRO WAVE on camnetwork.
Yes, Micro Wave. My answer to your question is that I have lived outside of Cameroon. I was three years in France and fifteen years in Britain.
In the end I came to realize that I was helping the "nationals" of those countries to realize their national dreams at my expense, including paying taxes to them and cleaning up their backyard and educating their young ones. Even so, I was saddled with the additional battle of having to justify each day that I was "good enough" to study, live and work in their country. But then, that never stopped them from wondering loudly to me why I had to leave my "bush country where people live on trees with monkeys" in order to "invade" them, take away their jobs and even women.
Here in Cameroon, I still fight battles. But there`s a marked difference: they`re MY battles, in my own backyard; and I pay taxes to my own country. A lot of us in the Diaspora moan about Paul Biya. Some even upload on to this forum, photographs that according to them depict Cameroon as a "bad" country. That may be so. But your Texas or DC neighbour who sees the images will still identify them with you, whether you like it or not. It`s an albatross around our necks. And talking about uploading pictures, since you live in the US, why not also upload those of George Bush`s atrocities in Iraq or the spoils of the oil spill, or the abject poverty in the slums of America. In the end, we are like "civilized African monkeys" mounting the stage to entertain our White neighbours, thinking that we are vilifying the country of our birth.
Paul Biya may be a bad president. Yes, but what are you doing to give us a better one? Are you throwing in your weight behind a credible opposition leader who can take over? Paul Biya may have brought immense suffering to Cameroonians. But what have you done to alleviate it apart from shouting from your ivory tower? This is Christmas. Did you send Father Christmas gifts here for any of the children? How many wells have you sunk in the rural areas in a bid to provide potable water? How many children have you sponsored in school? Have you ever reacted to any disaster here in Cameroon, such as the Lake Nyos explosion, the Nsam Fire Disaster, the Mount Cameroon eruption, etc? In short, what do we have to show for all the talking?
While Billy is using his camera to mock the country, NGOs such as PLAN INTERNATIONAL are using theirs to mobilize funds for rural development in the country. Find out for yourself the work done by this and other NGOs so far.
I hear some people say Paul Biya should be stopped from running for president again. But tell us how, where and when. Tell us who will do it, accompanied by whom. This reminds me of the clan of mice that moaned the fact that the house cat was decimating their numbers. So after deliberating in a meeting, the mice decided that the best thing to do would be to tie a bell round the neck of the cat so that it would alert them whenever the predator was approaching. When it now came to who actually would tie the bell round the cat`s neck, everyone stepped backwards and there was no one to do it. Like I once said, it is not by wishing that Paul Biya will not run that he will also not run. As far as I am concerned, if the constitution allows him to run, he should run. But the constitution also allows others to run such as the opposition parties and single candidates of the lack of Kah Wallah. At least she is not just talking! Aren`t we tired of making exactly the same noises day in day out?
S.T, Muna once aptly remarked that “people come and go but the nation remains”. Paul Biya is not the first president of Cameroon and will surely not be the last. Even so, there is enough room for all of us in the”house”. The next elections are in 2018, as things stand. Those of us who find next year`s elections too close can look ahead. After all, politics is like football. It`s not screaming and hurling abuse. It is strategizing and self control.
Copyright 2010
Response to a question put to me by MICRO WAVE on camnetwork.
Yes, Micro Wave. My answer to your question is that I have lived outside of Cameroon. I was three years in France and fifteen years in Britain.
In the end I came to realize that I was helping the "nationals" of those countries to realize their national dreams at my expense, including paying taxes to them and cleaning up their backyard and educating their young ones. Even so, I was saddled with the additional battle of having to justify each day that I was "good enough" to study, live and work in their country. But then, that never stopped them from wondering loudly to me why I had to leave my "bush country where people live on trees with monkeys" in order to "invade" them, take away their jobs and even women.
Here in Cameroon, I still fight battles. But there`s a marked difference: they`re MY battles, in my own backyard; and I pay taxes to my own country. A lot of us in the Diaspora moan about Paul Biya. Some even upload on to this forum, photographs that according to them depict Cameroon as a "bad" country. That may be so. But your Texas or DC neighbour who sees the images will still identify them with you, whether you like it or not. It`s an albatross around our necks. And talking about uploading pictures, since you live in the US, why not also upload those of George Bush`s atrocities in Iraq or the spoils of the oil spill, or the abject poverty in the slums of America. In the end, we are like "civilized African monkeys" mounting the stage to entertain our White neighbours, thinking that we are vilifying the country of our birth.
Paul Biya may be a bad president. Yes, but what are you doing to give us a better one? Are you throwing in your weight behind a credible opposition leader who can take over? Paul Biya may have brought immense suffering to Cameroonians. But what have you done to alleviate it apart from shouting from your ivory tower? This is Christmas. Did you send Father Christmas gifts here for any of the children? How many wells have you sunk in the rural areas in a bid to provide potable water? How many children have you sponsored in school? Have you ever reacted to any disaster here in Cameroon, such as the Lake Nyos explosion, the Nsam Fire Disaster, the Mount Cameroon eruption, etc? In short, what do we have to show for all the talking?
While Billy is using his camera to mock the country, NGOs such as PLAN INTERNATIONAL are using theirs to mobilize funds for rural development in the country. Find out for yourself the work done by this and other NGOs so far.
I hear some people say Paul Biya should be stopped from running for president again. But tell us how, where and when. Tell us who will do it, accompanied by whom. This reminds me of the clan of mice that moaned the fact that the house cat was decimating their numbers. So after deliberating in a meeting, the mice decided that the best thing to do would be to tie a bell round the neck of the cat so that it would alert them whenever the predator was approaching. When it now came to who actually would tie the bell round the cat`s neck, everyone stepped backwards and there was no one to do it. Like I once said, it is not by wishing that Paul Biya will not run that he will also not run. As far as I am concerned, if the constitution allows him to run, he should run. But the constitution also allows others to run such as the opposition parties and single candidates of the lack of Kah Wallah. At least she is not just talking! Aren`t we tired of making exactly the same noises day in day out?
S.T, Muna once aptly remarked that “people come and go but the nation remains”. Paul Biya is not the first president of Cameroon and will surely not be the last. Even so, there is enough room for all of us in the”house”. The next elections are in 2018, as things stand. Those of us who find next year`s elections too close can look ahead. After all, politics is like football. It`s not screaming and hurling abuse. It is strategizing and self control.
Copyright 2010
mercredi 22 décembre 2010
MESSAGE TO MBU (BAFORCHU) SONS AND DAUGHTERS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Please note that we now have our own website discussion forum which has already brought together hundreds of us from all over the world. The latest news and other burning issues about the community are always immediately relayed on the forum so that they reach signed up members instantly. Members are also able to participate in discussions.The forum is interactive.
To sign up, simply send a textless email, that is, a blank email with no message whatsoever to:
.
If that fails, then email me on either or tikumazonga@rocketmail.com.
Miyaka
TMA
Mbudca_global Coordinator
Copyright 2010
Please note that we now have our own website discussion forum which has already brought together hundreds of us from all over the world. The latest news and other burning issues about the community are always immediately relayed on the forum so that they reach signed up members instantly. Members are also able to participate in discussions.The forum is interactive.
To sign up, simply send a textless email, that is, a blank email with no message whatsoever to:
If that fails, then email me on either
Miyaka
TMA
Mbudca_global Coordinator
Copyright 2010
mardi 21 décembre 2010
CHICKENS TOO GOOD FOR CHRISTMAS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Have the chickens not come home?
Don`t they know it`s Christmas today?
Or do they simply take us for new gnomes
And our kindred for wrapped gifts for the Lamas?
Copyright 2010
Have the chickens not come home?
Don`t they know it`s Christmas today?
Or do they simply take us for new gnomes
And our kindred for wrapped gifts for the Lamas?
Copyright 2010
THE MISSING PARCEL
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Where did you send it?
And how did you send it?
If you did so from Kousseri
Shouldn`t it have been from Kribi?
Copyright 2010
Where did you send it?
And how did you send it?
If you did so from Kousseri
Shouldn`t it have been from Kribi?
Copyright 2010
GOD, THE GREATEST
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Wake me Lord, when I`m asleep
Feed me Lord, when I`m hungry
Pour down the drink Lord, when I`m thirsty
Give me hearing Lord, when I`m dumb
Give me sight Lord, when I`m blind
Whisk me away, Lord when I`m tempted
Turn me around Lord, when I turn away.
Make me your slave Lord, when I disown you
Gag my mouth Lord, when I curse you
Tie my legs Lord, when I walk away from you
Tag me Lord, when I confuse you
Smack me Lord, when I don`t worship you
Flatten me like bread flour on the table, oh Lord
If I question you.
For who am I , if not your wanton sheep?
Who am I if not your holy temple?
What am I if not an unworthy child?
What am I if not a mere parasite?
I am nothing but trouble to you?
What is my future without you, if not a bleak one?
That`s why when I`m downcast, you cheer me up
When I`m weak at the knees, you carry me
When I sneeze, you pat me on the back
When I weep, you wipe my tears.
Who else is greater than thou
Who on this whole wide earth?
Nobody
None
Only you
Because you are the greatest.
Copyright 2010
Wake me Lord, when I`m asleep
Feed me Lord, when I`m hungry
Pour down the drink Lord, when I`m thirsty
Give me hearing Lord, when I`m dumb
Give me sight Lord, when I`m blind
Whisk me away, Lord when I`m tempted
Turn me around Lord, when I turn away.
Make me your slave Lord, when I disown you
Gag my mouth Lord, when I curse you
Tie my legs Lord, when I walk away from you
Tag me Lord, when I confuse you
Smack me Lord, when I don`t worship you
Flatten me like bread flour on the table, oh Lord
If I question you.
For who am I , if not your wanton sheep?
Who am I if not your holy temple?
What am I if not an unworthy child?
What am I if not a mere parasite?
I am nothing but trouble to you?
What is my future without you, if not a bleak one?
That`s why when I`m downcast, you cheer me up
When I`m weak at the knees, you carry me
When I sneeze, you pat me on the back
When I weep, you wipe my tears.
Who else is greater than thou
Who on this whole wide earth?
Nobody
None
Only you
Because you are the greatest.
Copyright 2010
THE LORD AS MY FORTRESS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Not only does my own soul sing
It pines for the Lord
When I`m wounded and afflicted
And have no more straw to draw
I turn to him for comfort and solace
He is my rock, by barricade, my fortress and my refuge.
He is my life, my future and my destiny.
Copyright 2010
Not only does my own soul sing
It pines for the Lord
When I`m wounded and afflicted
And have no more straw to draw
I turn to him for comfort and solace
He is my rock, by barricade, my fortress and my refuge.
He is my life, my future and my destiny.
Copyright 2010
UNRESOLVED PARISH MATTERS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Are you about to leave
Or are you just ready to heave?
If the parish announces another wedding
Then what do we do about family planning?
Copyright 2010
Are you about to leave
Or are you just ready to heave?
If the parish announces another wedding
Then what do we do about family planning?
Copyright 2010
LOGS TOO SHORT FOR THE LORD
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Will these few logs do?
Or shall we again send for the handyman?
If we don`t want another boo
Let`s plot and execute like the last journeyman.
Copyright 2010
Will these few logs do?
Or shall we again send for the handyman?
If we don`t want another boo
Let`s plot and execute like the last journeyman.
Copyright 2010
HUCKELBERRIES WITH NO OVERSEER
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Our huckleberries have let us down
They have come without their premolars
Of what use then are April shoots
If there will be no one to count them?
Copyright 2010
Our huckleberries have let us down
They have come without their premolars
Of what use then are April shoots
If there will be no one to count them?
Copyright 2010
lundi 20 décembre 2010
THE EGG MEN FROM MEIGANGA
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
We`re all egg men
Even you
So don`t start blowing hot and cold
That won`t get you anywhere.
We`re not in Meiganga because we like it
Meiganga was forced on us by the wind
You see? The wind again
So beware of egg men.
Copyright 2010
We`re all egg men
Even you
So don`t start blowing hot and cold
That won`t get you anywhere.
We`re not in Meiganga because we like it
Meiganga was forced on us by the wind
You see? The wind again
So beware of egg men.
Copyright 2010
HISTORY AS A FALL
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
History is a lesson for all
That`s why it`s said pride goes before a fall
So if Mobutu goes unnoticed
We shall all go barefaced.
Copyright 2010
History is a lesson for all
That`s why it`s said pride goes before a fall
So if Mobutu goes unnoticed
We shall all go barefaced.
Copyright 2010
UNITY STARS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Cities aren`t http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifnecessarily stars
Although they may possess stars
So if for once Unity Palace stars in a play
Then for once all Cameroonians have had their day.
Copyright 2010
Cities aren`t http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifnecessarily stars
Although they may possess stars
So if for once Unity Palace stars in a play
Then for once all Cameroonians have had their day.
Copyright 2010
dimanche 12 décembre 2010
THE BIYA-FRU NDI MEETING
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Copy of a reply sent to Mbunwe Charles on FACEBOOK
Hi Mbunwe,
I read your comments on the BIYA-FRU NDI meeting. You talk about “fighting Biya.” That`s fine. It`s your democratic and civic right. But every action should have an aim, an objective. What is yours in the fight? Is it to create a vacuum in the country? What do you fight him with? Words? The ballot box? A military coup? What option have you chosen? And what is your timetable? Who are the people in your fight? What is their remuneration? What is your source of funding? And for how long will you hold out?
You caption your photo of the Biya-Fru Ndi as one in which Fru Ndi is "begging for money". Is that not just an assumption? Were you there and heard him asking? How much did he ask for? How much was he given? Was in cash or by cheque or by travellers` cheques or by bank transfer, etc?
Whatever way you view it, by sitting down and talking – at last, at long last – the two men have shown a great act of statesmanship. Israelis and the Palestinians have sat down and talked; Cameroon and Nigerian have sat down and talked. Even the Holy Bible recommends dialogue that when there is a conflict between people dialogue should be used to solve it. So why shouldn’t Biya and Fru Ndi sit down and talk? It`s healthy for the country and for world peace.
Thanks for your friendship invitation. I have responded positively.
Copyright 2010
Copy of a reply sent to Mbunwe Charles on FACEBOOK
Hi Mbunwe,
I read your comments on the BIYA-FRU NDI meeting. You talk about “fighting Biya.” That`s fine. It`s your democratic and civic right. But every action should have an aim, an objective. What is yours in the fight? Is it to create a vacuum in the country? What do you fight him with? Words? The ballot box? A military coup? What option have you chosen? And what is your timetable? Who are the people in your fight? What is their remuneration? What is your source of funding? And for how long will you hold out?
You caption your photo of the Biya-Fru Ndi as one in which Fru Ndi is "begging for money". Is that not just an assumption? Were you there and heard him asking? How much did he ask for? How much was he given? Was in cash or by cheque or by travellers` cheques or by bank transfer, etc?
Whatever way you view it, by sitting down and talking – at last, at long last – the two men have shown a great act of statesmanship. Israelis and the Palestinians have sat down and talked; Cameroon and Nigerian have sat down and talked. Even the Holy Bible recommends dialogue that when there is a conflict between people dialogue should be used to solve it. So why shouldn’t Biya and Fru Ndi sit down and talk? It`s healthy for the country and for world peace.
Thanks for your friendship invitation. I have responded positively.
Copyright 2010
samedi 4 décembre 2010
THE LONG RANGE GENERAL
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I`m no renegade general
I`m a commander of integrity and serenity
I don`t fear my troops
My troops fear me.
My jurisdiction is national
And my watchword, intensity
I can move in swoops
Just like I can shoot like a bee.
Copyright 2010
I`m no renegade general
I`m a commander of integrity and serenity
I don`t fear my troops
My troops fear me.
My jurisdiction is national
And my watchword, intensity
I can move in swoops
Just like I can shoot like a bee.
Copyright 2010
CHANGED LANGUAGE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
They didn`t deny it
They accepted everything
That was then
And this is now
Today they swore they knew nothing about them
It was news, they said
Surely, someone framing them.
Copyright 2010
They didn`t deny it
They accepted everything
That was then
And this is now
Today they swore they knew nothing about them
It was news, they said
Surely, someone framing them.
Copyright 2010
OVER AND DONE WITH
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
It`s over
It`s all over
So, forget it
Never again shall it happen
Never.
Not in my lifetime
So you may as well forget it all.
Copyright 2010
It`s over
It`s all over
So, forget it
Never again shall it happen
Never.
Not in my lifetime
So you may as well forget it all.
Copyright 2010
A HOLOW SHAM
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Yes, I will say it again
I will even shout it if you want
This blackened roof top of a sanctuary
Is the worst hollow sham I`ve even seen
Go and tell the governor
If you like.
Copyright 2010
Yes, I will say it again
I will even shout it if you want
This blackened roof top of a sanctuary
Is the worst hollow sham I`ve even seen
Go and tell the governor
If you like.
Copyright 2010
THE WEIGHT OF BRICKS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The charge is high, too high
If a single brick weighs a ton
Then what would we expect of the cross
If it wasn`t carried by our Lord?
Copyright 2010
The charge is high, too high
If a single brick weighs a ton
Then what would we expect of the cross
If it wasn`t carried by our Lord?
Copyright 2010
THE MISTAKEN VOICE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I dialed your number
But instead of your voice
I heard that of the curator
Isn`t there some mistake?
Copyright 2010
I dialed your number
But instead of your voice
I heard that of the curator
Isn`t there some mistake?
Copyright 2010
ELEVEN AS THE TIME
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
My first and only class is at eleven
Distant and far from Hardy`s madding crowd
So when the choir Mistress complains of the cold
I don`t know which spaniel to take first.
Copyright 2010
My first and only class is at eleven
Distant and far from Hardy`s madding crowd
So when the choir Mistress complains of the cold
I don`t know which spaniel to take first.
Copyright 2010
mercredi 1 décembre 2010
A SLIP OF THE TONGUE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Did he really say that?
Or are you kidding?
Does he know what he`s up against
Or does he think that because his retired uncle owns the town
Everyone is now his slave?
All they can do is feed themselves fat
And keep everyone else, even the widows dangling
And then turn round and accuse everyone else of betraying angst
Does that tart really know he’s a clown?
Yet the lout thinks that in the entire world he alone is brave.
Copyright 2010
Did he really say that?
Or are you kidding?
Does he know what he`s up against
Or does he think that because his retired uncle owns the town
Everyone is now his slave?
All they can do is feed themselves fat
And keep everyone else, even the widows dangling
And then turn round and accuse everyone else of betraying angst
Does that tart really know he’s a clown?
Yet the lout thinks that in the entire world he alone is brave.
Copyright 2010
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