The 7th December Palm wine

Natural valleys appear like mountains
for party men who reach to greet feet of busy hands
when thumps are the flags that move out, in, or onward

Our memories leap in the air as indelible liberty
wanes in the space from one to four
but the right to lie, to deny and to beg is again ingrained

We forget daughters and sons who balloted with a modest proposal to count
in matters of bills and policies and cake— from the national bakery

Our thumps may have fractured the future,
nudged aspirations into despair,
voted here instead of there
but we will not break our bones,
disregard the signs or forget to pray

We brew the December palm wine!
we’ll waits to savor the strength
what we taste, we shall spit or sip some more
and we will hear no songs louder than our heart beat

Charley! —A word with a thousand meanings

“Charley” commonly spelt as “Chale” is a complete statement, you don’t agree? Charley basically means buddy/friend, right, but it also means “I know what you mean”. Charley, means “stop it.” Charley could mean “let’s go.” Charley charley charley could be decoded as, “can you believe this?”, “I’m not feeling this” or “I’m feeling this”, “you know?” So Charley, like “I’m off this”. Charley!, “I am happy”. Charley, “shocked.” Charleeey can be “I know what you are up to” or “I’m in trouble!” oh Charley!, “I’m disappointed,” “I empathized.”

It all depends on when and how you say it. Most indigenous Ghanaian languages are tonal; like in twi “papa”- fun “papa” -father “papa” -good and there is my favorite Ga sentence, “l3 l3 l3l3 l333” which means, it’s true the ship is large. You need the perfect pitch and charley you are in!

So how the hell do we belittle such ingenuity and music in a language that we have made, inherited, will leave behind for future generations.
Charley, I shock sef! We for go more local, you no dey see? You d3r I go catch you laRRa kraa wai. ;)