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Introduction to 'Many Wives' The Africans, who practiced polygyny, did that for numerous reasons. The way of making a living in the olden days was a dominant factor in many areas. Early Africans.......>>>more, MANY WIVES OF OUR FATHER When time came to till the turf, And fervently farm the rich farmlands, My father's house had many hands, To till the turf and farm the farmlands, And after earth like the motherland, Had grown the crops put in her womb, And harvest time came........>>>more One of the new poems only available in the 2nd Edition of POEMS OF LIFE Comes with African folklore introduction and story behind the poem |
NEW MOON I looked up the sky, and there she stood, A new phase of the ever smiling moon, With a gorgeous charm she gladly glowed Wearing her crescent in a concave curve, Reminding all again of her newness come, And that life has come to another curve. I reviewed my wishes and counted my blessings, And then I resolved as I prayed by wishes made, To be guided again like the curving moon, So when the convex meets the concave curve, To complete the cycle for another full moon, I would have yet on my hand to count again, A new list of blessings and wishes came, With the crescent of another smiling moon. -One of the new poems only available in the 2nd Edition of POEMS OF LIFE Comes with African folklore introduction and story behind the poem |
NEW MOON I looked up the sky, and there she stood, A new phase of the ever smiling moon, With a gorgeous charm she gladly glowed Wearing her crescent in a concave curve, Reminding all again of her newness come, And that life has come to another curve. I reviewed my wishes and counted my blessings, And then I resolved as I prayed by wishes made, To be guided again like the curving moon, So when the convex meets the concave curve, To complete the cycle for another full moon, I would have yet on my hand to count again, A new list of blessings and wishes came, With the crescent of another smiling moon. -One of the new poems only available in the 2nd Edition of POEMS OF LIFE Comes with African folklore introduction and story behind the poem |
AFRICAN POEMS WITH AFRICAN FOLKLORE INTRODUCTION Introduction to 'New Moon' Before western civilization and the Roman calendar, Africans relied on the moon and market days as their guide to calculate their days, ages, and duration of time. The moon usually started in a crescent and went to full moon in what was considered the traditional month. So it was that in addition to using the moon for calculation purposes, whenever an individual looked up at the sky and saw a fresh crescent for the first time, he... More>>> - Poems Of Life- 2nd Edition |
Introduction to 'Many Wives' The Africans, who practiced polygyny, did that for numerous reasons. The way of making a living in the olden days was a dominant factor in many areas. Early Africans.......>>>more, MANY WIVES OF OUR FATHER When time came to till the turf, And fervently farm the rich farmlands, My father's house had many hands, To till the turf and farm the farmlands, And after earth like the motherland, Had grown the crops put in her womb, And harvest time came........>>>more One of the new poems only available in the 2nd Edition of POEMS OF LIFE Comes with African folklore introduction and story behind the poem |
AFRICAN PROVERBS, QUOTES, AND EXPRESSIONS Good cooking is a woman's surest path to a man's heart A child who washes his hands clean enough gets to eat with the elders A blind man can be told that there is no oil in the soup, but he will have to use his tongue if he must find out the level of the salt. "What an old man can see while seated a young man can not see standing." "When a head is too big it cannot avoid punches." "Two trees planted together cannot avoid brushing against each other." - Submitted by Oscar Silembo "The man whose house is on fire does not go hunting for a rat.." "If a bachelor decides to cook and at the same time goes to climb the palm tree, if he does not fall from the palmtree, his food on the fire (stove) will get burnt." "The mind is like a bag, everyone carries his/her own." "Character is like smoke, it cannot be hidden." "The market is not attended from a single road. "When a road is good, it is used a second time." "The child that leaves the fate of his future in the hope of inheritance property, sets himself up for a life of poverty." "The frog never runs in daylight for nothing." |
AFRICAN POEMS, PROVERBS, AND QUOTES |
LINKS TO MORE AFRICAN POEMS |
BACK TO TOP Poems of Soul.com Copyright 2002 |
MIDNIGHT ENCOUNTER I watched you roll Roll from one side of the bed To the other, and still The clock chimes once. I watch you sit and hum Hum unintelligible tones As mountains of tobacco Disappear into your nostrils. I watch your eyes Fill with jerking tears And your ears positioned Intermittently to earth's pillars Trying to place distant voices. I try to cage my curiosity But your crawling hands tap my chest Papa, must I play this midnight encounter To see the god's piercing eyes And partake in this ancestral dialogue. |
Toris Okotie (The African Poet) NY My African Child So young in heart He cried for milk So poor and helpless Mama weeps in pain His eyes so red A week he cried A month ago, To the world he came Mama so young Papa has run Under the bridge They lay their heads In storm and rain They search for food Through man and sex Mama fed him well The days went by Mama health decreased Only five months old Mama said goodbye In rain and cold He cried so loud In sun and heat He wept and wept Three days gone by Since mama left And now he sleeps To meet with mama |
Toris Okotie (The African Poet) NY Africa my Africa Africa my Africa Africa my motherland Mother or Fatherland Childless you went almost But he that intervened The God of all nations Africa my Africa Mother of nations great Nigeria in the west Ethiopia in the east remains With labor pangs You brought them forth Africa my Africa Father of Egypt To the north, be so planted And Zimbabwe, the south remains And for Africa that mothered them all Africa my Africa Your discovery had brought you pains Children and grandchildren To the great sea you lost Continents with them were fed Africa my Africa In Vain labor no more Loose a child, but to no one Your great nations do protect For he shall intervene When you cry for help |
ACHOLI LAND! Okema Leonard, Uganda Acholiland oh acholiland, The once happy mother of proud warriors, To you we wail, For redemption from the fangs of terror, The terror that bleeds us white, The terror that siphons your blood that runs in our veins, Lambs without a shepherd we remain, Driven away from you into the darkness, Mama we yearn for an end to our misgivings, Oh! Acholiland, Do you hear us when we call out to you? When our cries run our voices frail, When wantons hunt us, your children down, The harmony you taught us is no more, Your children have learnt the little art of unleashing terror, Unfortunately on your very siblings, Pain is all we feel and grim is what we see, Blood is what we pay for being your children, Oh! Mother, spread your wings and redeem us, to rise and shine again. |
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