By Tikum Mbah Azonga
An impromptu reaction to the massive group of charred bodies Funge Diffang posted on Facebook today.
Those bodies aren`t bullet-riddled
They`re charred
They`re lined up
Displayed
Exhibited
Paraded
Arranged, massed up, jumbled up, shuffled, and reshuffled like a Pack of cards
See how bare they are!
Naked
Unclad
Shamed
Humiliated
Betrayed objects of base value.
Yet they`re human
Even if
Silent
Mute
Uncomplaining
Acquiescent
Oblivious
They too are to someone, somewhere, some how
Husbands
Wives
Fathers
Mothers
Uncles and aunts
Grandparents
Sons and daughters .
Nephews and nieces
So, whose greed is it?
Whose shame?
Whose disgrace ?
Whose humiliation ?
Whose betrayal?
If not ours
We who still live and behold and ponder and contemplate and wonder
We who still have it all on our laps
Partners in crime
We live to be haunted for ever
By those sordid image
By those macabre images
By those
By this heinous crime
By this dastardly crime
Man`s inhumanity to man
It`s all so disgusting
So repelling
So repugnant
So low
So below-the-belt
So squalid
So foul
So grubby\
So chilly
So horrid
So ghastly
So grisly
So ghoulish
So gruesome
So grisly.
But we`re all guilty
We all have blood dripping
From our pens
From our mouths
From our ears
From our nostrils
From our private parts
From our breath
From our very being
From our space
From our world
From our very being.
When the time comes
The moment of atonement
We shall all give an account
All of all
Singly and collectively
We shall answer questions
Searching questions
Answer for ourselves and for them
Right or wrong
For we are responsible
We are also responsible
This world is one, global
And echo one of us
Is his brother`s keeper.
Copyright 2011
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est TIKUM MBAH AZONGA LEADERSHIP POEMS. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est TIKUM MBAH AZONGA LEADERSHIP POEMS. Afficher tous les articles
mardi 12 avril 2011
samedi 26 mars 2011
THE EMIR`S RAIN
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Ask yourself the question again
Is your content larger than life?
And if the Emir were once more to provoke the rain
Who do you think would remmber the stands?
Copyright 2011
Ask yourself the question again
Is your content larger than life?
And if the Emir were once more to provoke the rain
Who do you think would remmber the stands?
Copyright 2011
jeudi 24 mars 2011
HERE COMES THE MASTER
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Fling out the red carpet
Call out the servants
Wheel out the kids
The master is here.
The men of grace returned him home
Come then and let us make merry
Send a message to Rome
And ask the pope to send back Mary.
Copyrighgt 2011
Fling out the red carpet
Call out the servants
Wheel out the kids
The master is here.
The men of grace returned him home
Come then and let us make merry
Send a message to Rome
And ask the pope to send back Mary.
Copyrighgt 2011
mardi 15 mars 2011
BAREFOOTED FOR THE POPE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I own nothing but my bare feet
My tinderboxes and golden cymbals all went
They went with the wind
Now that the pope wants me
To sing and dance waltz for two
What shall I tell the parish priest?
Copyright 2011
I own nothing but my bare feet
My tinderboxes and golden cymbals all went
They went with the wind
Now that the pope wants me
To sing and dance waltz for two
What shall I tell the parish priest?
Copyright 2011
samedi 12 février 2011
SENTENCE BEFORE TRIAL
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
The last man was out
So there was no need to venture in
Only the lame wishes of the bride
Or at the very least
The stained necklace of the pastor`s wife
Could dare the marooned king
And put a foot forward
That was why when the last of the Kaisers
Bellowed and camouflaged like a Bafang pig
Everyone quickly dug up their Nagasaki pearls and vanished.
The last man was out
So there was no need to venture in
Only the lame wishes of the bride
Or at the very least
The stained necklace of the pastor`s wife
Could dare the marooned king
And put a foot forward
That was why when the last of the Kaisers
Bellowed and camouflaged like a Bafang pig
Everyone quickly dug up their Nagasaki pearls and vanished.
mercredi 26 janvier 2011
THE FIFTH DOSE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Surely, a sledgehammer isn`t enough
We need God`s eternal wheelbarrow, and to boot, his will
So that once we wind the wind mill
All table birds will be rid of their cough.
Copyright 2011
Surely, a sledgehammer isn`t enough
We need God`s eternal wheelbarrow, and to boot, his will
So that once we wind the wind mill
All table birds will be rid of their cough.
Copyright 2011
RETURN MATCH
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I will strike back
And match him dollar for dollar
We use the dollar
His ugly wings must be clipped
For too long
The idiot has dictated the pace
So, finally, who are we if not
Toothless dogs
And Lame ducks?
Copyright 2011
I will strike back
And match him dollar for dollar
We use the dollar
His ugly wings must be clipped
For too long
The idiot has dictated the pace
So, finally, who are we if not
Toothless dogs
And Lame ducks?
Copyright 2011
jeudi 20 janvier 2011
MY ASSIGNED TASK
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I wasn`t an idiot
Although everyone thought I was
I was the standard bearer
That`s why OI darn socks for auction.
Copyright 2011
I wasn`t an idiot
Although everyone thought I was
I was the standard bearer
That`s why OI darn socks for auction.
Copyright 2011
MOUTH OF THE QUEEN
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Let the mouths speak
Let them all speak
But give them no vinaigrette
In case verbal strokes
All the way from Newcastle
Whet the queen`s dampened appetite.
Copyright 2011
Let the mouths speak
Let them all speak
But give them no vinaigrette
In case verbal strokes
All the way from Newcastle
Whet the queen`s dampened appetite.
Copyright 2011
samedi 15 janvier 2011
THE VEXATIOUS QUESTION OF MEMOIRS
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This paper is an adaptation of an earlier one I delivered on the Cameroon National Radio Station on the 29th of June 2005 with a view to raising general awareness on the need for statesmen to write their memoirs. It was occasioned by the passing away in 2005 of Nzo Ekanghaki, former cabinet minister of Cameroon and perhaps above all, former Secretary General of the OAU. The paper was one of the daily political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 a.m. prime time national and world news on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaoundé, between 2002 and 2005.
When the recent death of Now Ekanghaki was made known recently, it touched the hearts of many people not only in Cameroon or Africa, but even around the world. President Paul Biya sent condolence messages to his widow and dispatched a special representative to the funeral. Outside of Cameroon Nzo was mourned in a number of countries among which were Ethiopia, Sudan and Nigeria.
Such a reaction is hardly surprising for Nzo made his mark in his life time in many ways. At a young age he quickly became a minister and soon acceded to the coveted post of Secretary General of the Organization of African Unity, thus succeeding the Guinean Diallo Telli. One factor that contributed to Nzo´s acceptance in the post was obviously that as a Cameroonian he spoke both French and English well. Another factor was what Nzo was the right man at the right place and at the right time for, he came up at a time when Heads of States within the OAU were fed up with his predecessor, Diallo Telli, and were determined to get rid of him. No wonder, Ivory Coast President Houphouet Boigny is quoted as having once shouted at Diallo and saying : “Lorsque nous avons demandé un Secrétaire Général, nous ne voulions pas un Général, mais un Secrétaire”, which means, "When we asked for a Secretary General, we didn’t mean a General but a Secretary".
Nzo´s tenure at the OAU will obviously be remembered for a long time to come because unlike many African leaders he took observers by surprise when he resigned from his post of Secretary General as a result of the corruption charges that arose from his relationship with Tiny Rowlands, boss of Lonrho, an international firm based in the then hated apartheid Republic of South Africa, and the fact that he as Secretary General had gone as far as committing the OAU through a consultancy contract with Lonrho. Eyewitnesses who were at the OAU headquarters in Addis Ababa at the time Nzo threw the bomb shell remember that his own president, Ahmadou Ahidjo, walked out of the conference hall as a sign of disappointment with Nzo. Perhaps as a providential measure of comfort to Ahidjo or perhaps thanks to the latter's lobbying skills, Nzo was succeeded as Secretary General of the OAU by another Cameroonian, William Aurélien Eteki Mboumoua. However that is another story.
Nzo Ekanghaki is by no means the only top Cameroonian to have died in recent years. His predecessors in the matter include Ahmadou Ahidjo himself, N.N. Mbile, Mgr Andre Wouking, Mgr Jean Zoa, Christian Tobie Kuo, Samuel Eboua, François Sengat Kuo, Victor Ayissi Mvodo, Dr E.M.L. Endeley, Dr John Ngu Foncha and Solomon Tandeng Muna. Of course, the list is not exhaustive. It is interesting to note that some, like Mbile, wrote their memoirs before departing. Nonetheless, the majority took off without leaving behind any such legacy. Among existing top Cameroonians of today, many have still not committed their life’s experiences to writing. Yet, time waits for no one and death can strike at any time, without any prior notice. So the importance of memoirs can not be overemphasized. And for the record, a memoir should not be the daunting task it appears to be, considering that the Oxford Advanced Learner taking up writing's Dictionary describes it as “an account written usually by somebody in public life of their life and experiences.” Many people believe that they must be fully prepared before writing their memoirs. But they could in fact start by just making random jottings and keeping photographs.
Whatever is the case it must be remembered that the longest journey begins with the first step. Over and above everything else, our leaders should realize that they owe it to posterity to leave behind something document by which they can be remembered.
Copyright 2011
This paper is an adaptation of an earlier one I delivered on the Cameroon National Radio Station on the 29th of June 2005 with a view to raising general awareness on the need for statesmen to write their memoirs. It was occasioned by the passing away in 2005 of Nzo Ekanghaki, former cabinet minister of Cameroon and perhaps above all, former Secretary General of the OAU. The paper was one of the daily political commentaries I delivered on the 6.30 a.m. prime time national and world news on Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaoundé, between 2002 and 2005.
When the recent death of Now Ekanghaki was made known recently, it touched the hearts of many people not only in Cameroon or Africa, but even around the world. President Paul Biya sent condolence messages to his widow and dispatched a special representative to the funeral. Outside of Cameroon Nzo was mourned in a number of countries among which were Ethiopia, Sudan and Nigeria.
Such a reaction is hardly surprising for Nzo made his mark in his life time in many ways. At a young age he quickly became a minister and soon acceded to the coveted post of Secretary General of the Organization of African Unity, thus succeeding the Guinean Diallo Telli. One factor that contributed to Nzo´s acceptance in the post was obviously that as a Cameroonian he spoke both French and English well. Another factor was what Nzo was the right man at the right place and at the right time for, he came up at a time when Heads of States within the OAU were fed up with his predecessor, Diallo Telli, and were determined to get rid of him. No wonder, Ivory Coast President Houphouet Boigny is quoted as having once shouted at Diallo and saying : “Lorsque nous avons demandé un Secrétaire Général, nous ne voulions pas un Général, mais un Secrétaire”, which means, "When we asked for a Secretary General, we didn’t mean a General but a Secretary".
Nzo´s tenure at the OAU will obviously be remembered for a long time to come because unlike many African leaders he took observers by surprise when he resigned from his post of Secretary General as a result of the corruption charges that arose from his relationship with Tiny Rowlands, boss of Lonrho, an international firm based in the then hated apartheid Republic of South Africa, and the fact that he as Secretary General had gone as far as committing the OAU through a consultancy contract with Lonrho. Eyewitnesses who were at the OAU headquarters in Addis Ababa at the time Nzo threw the bomb shell remember that his own president, Ahmadou Ahidjo, walked out of the conference hall as a sign of disappointment with Nzo. Perhaps as a providential measure of comfort to Ahidjo or perhaps thanks to the latter's lobbying skills, Nzo was succeeded as Secretary General of the OAU by another Cameroonian, William Aurélien Eteki Mboumoua. However that is another story.
Nzo Ekanghaki is by no means the only top Cameroonian to have died in recent years. His predecessors in the matter include Ahmadou Ahidjo himself, N.N. Mbile, Mgr Andre Wouking, Mgr Jean Zoa, Christian Tobie Kuo, Samuel Eboua, François Sengat Kuo, Victor Ayissi Mvodo, Dr E.M.L. Endeley, Dr John Ngu Foncha and Solomon Tandeng Muna. Of course, the list is not exhaustive. It is interesting to note that some, like Mbile, wrote their memoirs before departing. Nonetheless, the majority took off without leaving behind any such legacy. Among existing top Cameroonians of today, many have still not committed their life’s experiences to writing. Yet, time waits for no one and death can strike at any time, without any prior notice. So the importance of memoirs can not be overemphasized. And for the record, a memoir should not be the daunting task it appears to be, considering that the Oxford Advanced Learner taking up writing's Dictionary describes it as “an account written usually by somebody in public life of their life and experiences.” Many people believe that they must be fully prepared before writing their memoirs. But they could in fact start by just making random jottings and keeping photographs.
Whatever is the case it must be remembered that the longest journey begins with the first step. Over and above everything else, our leaders should realize that they owe it to posterity to leave behind something document by which they can be remembered.
Copyright 2011
lundi 10 janvier 2011
THE GAME OF PRINCES
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Princes
All of them
Are nothing but needleword
What they need most is the needle
For fear of playing second fiddle
Always they want to push off the bulwark.
Copyright 2011
Princes
All of them
Are nothing but needleword
What they need most is the needle
For fear of playing second fiddle
Always they want to push off the bulwark.
Copyright 2011
jeudi 6 janvier 2011
MEASUREMENTS FOR TWO
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
It wasn`t the henchman
No, it was the footman
His measurements are taken in centimeters
Not millimeters.
Copyright 2011
It wasn`t the henchman
No, it was the footman
His measurements are taken in centimeters
Not millimeters.
Copyright 2011
mercredi 5 janvier 2011
MY LOCATION
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
I`m in the middle room
Not the prime minister`s lodge
In my right hand I carry a broom
But I bear no grudge.
Copyright 2011
I`m in the middle room
Not the prime minister`s lodge
In my right hand I carry a broom
But I bear no grudge.
Copyright 2011
LETTER FOR A FOOL
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
This is my open letter
Dug up from the corner pool
If I weren`t a fool
I would have acted better.
Copyright 2011
This is my open letter
Dug up from the corner pool
If I weren`t a fool
I would have acted better.
Copyright 2011
DOGS OF CHANGE
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
We dread martyrdom
But we want change
If only we were dogs of war
We would have moved mountains.
Copyright 2011
We dread martyrdom
But we want change
If only we were dogs of war
We would have moved mountains.
Copyright 2011
PRAYER BEADS WITHOUT A ROUND
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
It`s a good idea
One that will weigh more than a pound
But if they challenge us to a round
We won`t rise without asking for a beer.
Copyright 2011
It`s a good idea
One that will weigh more than a pound
But if they challenge us to a round
We won`t rise without asking for a beer.
Copyright 2011
NAKED TRUTH
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
Could you say that to her face
Or would you only whisper it under your breath
Claiming that all jumpers of lace
Are both deep in starch and width?
Copyright 2011
Could you say that to her face
Or would you only whisper it under your breath
Claiming that all jumpers of lace
Are both deep in starch and width?
Copyright 2011
dimanche 2 janvier 2011
HIGH SOCIETY PARTY
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
When it comes
We shall be there
Even without our apples
We shall be given access.
Copyright 2010
When it comes
We shall be there
Even without our apples
We shall be given access.
Copyright 2010
samedi 1 janvier 2011
THE END LOSER
By Tikum Mbah Azonga
In the end
I who stood still
Have become the loser
Yet, I`m neither the revenge seeker
Nor the muscle developer
Nor the railway signal man
Nor the court registrar
Nor the Council ombudsman.
Copyright 2011
In the end
I who stood still
Have become the loser
Yet, I`m neither the revenge seeker
Nor the muscle developer
Nor the railway signal man
Nor the court registrar
Nor the Council ombudsman.
Copyright 2011
vendredi 31 décembre 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
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