Today is one of the days when I remember that Africa is where I have my roots. What is it like to be African? One thing I’m sure about is that this is one place where we learn to smile despite. …
Here, we learn to tell our own stories. One of the stories that is dear to the heart of our guest poet today is on the theme of farming.
Dr. Tope Ogundare is a psychiatrist and farms the rich soil of human mind. However, in the beautiful piece below, he vividly captures the real goings-on behind farming in Africa. Here, too, the earth smiles despite. Enjoy.🌱
Cornucopia
The cloud is covered in darkness,
Streaks of light approach from the east
Where the sun has begun to peel the blanket
Of night from the gray sky;
Men steal away from the comforts of their
Wives’ bosoms,
They journey away from home to find solace
In the arms of another –
Brown skin, with hues of clay and loam;
They go to plough her mounds,
To deposit seeds within her womb;
They wear the Dawn as they go
And return with Dusk, weary and tired;
Day by Day, they sow to Mother Earth
And their dreams are filled with images of abundance;
They give of their strength and the harvest is
A proof of their virility –
Tubers of yam, and corn and maize and cocoyam are
The trophies for their toils.
It is the harvest,
The Earth has borne her young,
The men’s chests swell with pride,
The sun warms the festive air
The wind sings softly
The trees sway in tandem
Mother Earth looks on lovingly,
Her heart overflows with maternal affection;
The men court her for her fecundity,
And worship her for her prowess;
She smiles weakly and rues her old age;
Years of child-bearing have sapped her vitality,
And she can feel the tiredness deep within;
How long till the fires deprive her of her fertility?
And the rains expose her shame?
The moment lasts as long as the blink of an eye
And her thoughts move on to the festivities above
Today is not one for sorrow
There is always tomorrow.
Image courtesy – http://www.deviantart.net
Zika's Musings 