GREETINGS FELLOW AFRIKANS

Today I want to share with you two of my poems. The first poem is dedicated
to the OSAGYEFO DR. KWAME NKRUMAH, who is 90 years old this year.

                        OSAGYEFO

A FOUNTAIN OF INSPIRATION
A BEACON OF TRUTH
A SOURCE OF STRENGTH
A MOUNTAIN OF WISDOM
                       A SONG OF REDEMPTION
                       A CALL OF UNITY
                       A CRY OF JUSTICE
                       A DEMAND OF EQUAL RIGHTS
A LOVE FOR HUMANITY
A LOVE FOR FREEDOM
A LOVE FOR PROGRESS
A LOVE FOR SELF AND KIND
                       A SOLUTION TO OPPRESSION
                       A SOLUTION TO BACKWARDNESS
                       A SOLUTION TO EXPLOITATION
                       A SOLUTION TO DISUNITY
A VOICE MISUNDERSTOOD
A VOICE VILLIFIED
A VOICE REJECTED
A VOICE BETRAYED
               OSAGYEFO
               THOU ART THE BLACK STAR
               THE EPITOME OF BLACK SPIRIT
               THE LIGHT OF DIGNITY
               AFRIKA AWAITS YOU
FOR LIBERATION, UNITY AND DEVELOPMENT


The second poem is a question to those of us who still believe our salvation
lies in the West. It is a question to our men of both secular and spiritual
knowledge which they use to confuse and disunite us. It is a challenge to
the naive and simple, and as well as to the fanatic of any position. It is
critic of ourselves and what we believe.It is a challenge to those
fundamental aspects of our society and culture, but which we are afraid to
question and ultimately abandon. It is a question which is asking you to
think and think and think.........

                     I AM JUST ASKING....

BECAUSE I DO NOT UNDERSTAND
THEY SAY I AM BAPTISED; MY NAME IS JOSEPH
I ASK: BUT JESUS DID NOT CHANGE HIS NAME AFTER BAPTISM
       SO WHY DO I HAVE TO CHANGE MINE?
THEY SAY OMAR IS A MUSLIM NAME, BUT NOT JONFOLO
I ASK: WAS NOT OMAR A PAGAN, LATER CONVERTED TO ISLAM
       BUT STILL CALLED OMAR
       SO WHY CAN'T JONFOLO BE A MUSLIM NAME?
THEY SAY BLACK IS CURSED AND DOOMED
I ASK: DIDN'T GOD SAY HE MADE US IN HIS OWN IMAGE
       OR SOME SAY FROM BLACK MUD
       IF SO THEN IS GOD ALSO CURSED AND DOOMED
       OR IS IT THE EARTH WHICH IS CURSED AND DOOMED?
THEY SAY BLACK IS BACKWARD AND INFERIOR
I ASK: IS THE HOLY KABBA ALSO BACKWARD AND INFERIOR
       SO WHY DO YOU KISS THE BLACK STONE
AGAIN I ASK: DOES NOT THE POPE BOW DOWN BEFORE THE BLACK MADONNA
       SO WHY PROSTRATE BEFORE INFERIORITY?
THEY SAY JESUS WAS WHITE AND BLUE-EYED
I ASK: JESUS' ANCESTOR SOLOMON SAID HE IS BLACK
       WAS KING HENRY VIII'S ANCESTORS INDIAN?
THEY SAY AFRIKA NEEDS FOREIGN INVESTMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT
I ASK: WERE SLAVERY AND COLONIALISM NOT FOREIGN INVESTMENT
       DID THEY BRING ANY DEVELOPMENT TO BLACK PEOPLE?
THEY SAY AFRIKANS ARE UNCIVILISED AND SAVAGE
I ASK: DIDN'T WE BUILD KEMET, NUBIA, GHANA, AND CIVILISATIONS
       OR WAS YOUR FATHER OF HISTORY, HERODOTUS A LIAR?
THEY SAY AFRIKANS ARE POOR AND HORRIBLE
I ASK: DON'T WE HAVE THE MOST AND RICHEST MINERALS IN THE WORLD
       BUT WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN ALWAYS DOING IN OUR LAND ANYWAY?
I ASK BECAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND
AND I WILL CONTINUE TO ASK UNTIL I UNDERSTAND...


Fellow AFRIKANS  these are poems I just thought of the other day, and I
think we should share them.
REMINDER: THE UNION OF AFRIKAN STATES IS COMING. THE TIME IS NOW. IT IS OUR
TIME. ARE WE GOING TO TAKE TI UP, OR RUN AWAY FROM IT.

MADI.






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