THE WORLD'S PEACEMAKER FROM AFRICA (Title copied from Dr. Strive Masiyiwa)

The death is bloodcurdling:
It is such a great loss!
Mother Africa's heart is grieved
With a grief, so gross!

Death wants to paralyse some of us
And, keep our mouths gagged.
But poets will pour out their words:
Words with true peace packed.

We think of him: we think of a great man
A great man, with a great heart.
We think of some lovely peaceful Figure,
Who would not with peace part.

Aw, we think of his very beginnings
And his manner of life
As those of some humble Quiet Spirit,
Who gainstayed strife.

We wished he would forever live:
At least for Peace's sake.
We didn't know, that that which we love
Death would away, take.

He is gone. The UN's pride is gone!
Uncle Kofi, sleep well.
He is gone, Strive Masiyiwa's confidant...
Uncle Kofi, sleep well.

Now, please listen to me, World:
Uncle Kofi Annan was Peace!
Therefore let his painful departure
Cause all fatal wars to cease!

Rest In Peace, Uncle Kofi Annan...

ISAAC ESSOUN

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WHAT IT MEANS TO LOVE

Some people call it “a passion.”
Others, “a burning desire” name it.
Some say it means to make love;
Others say it means to score.
If it really means to make love
Or only to score,
Then why does it away fly
Just after lovemaking, or scoring?

“You’re the apple of my eye.”
“You are my soothing balm, and morning dew.”
“Without you, cannot cope I.”
“I have with all my heart fallen in love with you.”
“I love your style; dance for me, my Queen.”
“Hold my hand tightly, my precious King.”
“Do not ever leave me: it is on you, I lean.”
“Babe I can hardly wait, to hear you sing.”

All these sayings they say
And suppose they sincerely love.
Yet their supposed love
Is one camouflaged, fatal lust!
They know not that ’tis rather lust
That to utter these, compels them.
They know not,
What it means to love.

To love is to care, and understand.
To love is not to hurt.
It is to help one’s partner to stand.
It is not only, to flirt.
This then means that if one sincerely loves,
He will bear with the helpless partner.
He will cry and laugh with him if he laughs,
And will nurture him, like a gardener.

To love is to be sincere and faithful:
It is not on one’s partner, to cheat.
Some cheat twice and thrice;
Others, four, five, or countless times!
All such lovers are not true:
They all are loveless lovers!
All such lovers are not true:
They know not what it means to love.

To love is to have holistic trust!
’Tis not of one’s own partner to be jealous.
Trust is the relationship’s crux:
It is what makes the relationship glorious.
Baseless jealousy the relationship kills;
And does not make lovers secure.
It only, lovers’ hearts, with hostility fills,
And makes it difficult, to endure.

To love is to protect!
It is not to passive be
To the other’s plights.
It is to concern and affection show
In one’s lover’s times of need.
How can one claim he one thing dearly cherishes
And refuse to preserve
Or protect it with passion?

To love, is to wholeheartedly give;
And after giving, a lover must about it forget.
If he gives and expects to receive,
Then what good out of his service will he get?
If one gives today and tells another morrow,
Then did he give out of real love?
Will he not his lover’s heart fill with sorrow,
And not at all help him to laugh?

To love is to serve!
It is to voluntarily
Put first, the other.
If any lover expects to be served
And he himself serves not,
Then he is not true.
Hear this and understand:
If there is no service, there’s no love!

Now, to love is to be holy:
It is not to one’s lustful pleasures sate!
This means, to be wholly
Patient, and for one’s truest lover, wait.

To love is to put on true godliness:
For love is the whole nature of God;
And since He is a lover of holiness,
Let us accept this in perfect accord.

ISAAC ESSOUN

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WORLD NEWS (Reporter: Holy Spirit)

Listen to me, listen to me, World:
I have a news for you.
News more precious than wealth.
Listen for time is due!

Aw, time is due for your salvation:
The end is really near!
Observe the Antichrist's invasion
Which is already here.

Observe well, her use of pressure
And her use of money
Which make youths love pleasure
Like sweetened honey.

Observe well, the sudden decline
In your steadfastness.
Observe the way, you now incline
Your all to foolishness.

Very soon, God's grace will expire.
Yes, that's the reality!
Then He'll melt all things with fire:
Beginning of eternity!

So, how prepared are you, World?
Please, I'm asking you.
Why do you keep on loving wealth
While end time is due?

I invite you, World, come to Jesus.
Come for His embrace.
Atsake pleasure. Sin not to excess.
Please, come for grace.

ISAAC ESSOUN

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THE ANNOYING COCKS (Man Versus Nature)

This morning I had a problem.
I had a problem beyond my power.
Some cocks noisily broke
My heart, around the first hour.

They all had encompassed me:
Their number was twice two or so.
They actually did conspire
To do something I didn't know.

Over to my right side two flew
And crowed badly into my one ear!
Oh why, cocks? Why this?
But none cared about my fear.

I tried to grab one but feathers.
They did their crowings carefreely:
Cocroocoo! Cocroocoo...
Without any pause: aw, really?

Later on I gave up the struggle:
For it seemed I was rather the odd.
They could just be playing
Or, giving their praises to God!

ISAAC ESSOUN

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WORLD NEWS (Reporter: Holy Spirit)

Listen to me, listen to me, World:
I have a news for you.
News more precious than wealth.
Listen for time is due!

Aw, time is due for your salvation:
The end is really near!
Observe the Antichrist's invasion
Which is already here.

Observe well, her use of pressure
And her use of money
Which make youths love pleasure
Like sweetened honey.

Observe well, the sudden decline
In your steadfastness.
Observe the way, you now incline
Your all to foolishness.

Very soon, God's grace will expire.
Yes, that's the reality!
Then He'll melt all things with fire:
Beginning of eternity!

So, how prepared are you, World?
Please, I'm asking you.
Why do you keep on loving wealth
While end time is due?

I invite you, World, come to Jesus.
Come for His embrace.
Atsake pleasure. Sin not to excess.
Please, come for grace.

ISAAC ESSOUN

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FREEDOM IS NEAR; EVEN HERE

For some countless decades now,
The eyeballs of my own people
And my wet eyeballs have seldom met.
If I have enjoyed their painful absence
Up till now,
Then I won't give up while rescue is near.

In some freezing sea I have swum hitherto.
Here I found no coral reefs,
Save some scaly poisonous fishes.
They've injected me with venom for too long;
Therefore I'll persist even in it,
For, soon, I will sneak out.

I am a slave here;
But a son somewhere.
Come and see these marks
Painfully inscribed on my flesh!
I heard that soon I shall go home:
So I'll hold my peace, and suffer some more...

Soon nostalgic eyeballs shall meet!
Soon my habitat shall change.
These fetters shall fall off my feet:
Freedom from these chains!
Soon, I also shall be shown the rescue door:
So I'll hold my peace, and suffer some more...

ISAAC ESSOUN
Image credit: Pinterest

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TRIBUTE UPENDED

Look at me.
Observe me well.
Pay close attention
To my words, and my deeds.
When I die, in my tribute,
Write these things truthfully.

Do not let my dirty life
Make you a hypocrite, a liar.
My life is dirty, and I know it.
So when I die, in my tribute,
Write my dirty life truthfully.

If you want to praise me,
Praise me today, now.
Tell it to the whole world.
Do not wait and lie
When I die, in my tribute.
I wouldn't need it.

When I die, I'll be senseless.
Whatever you say in my tribute,
I shall never hear, and you know it.
So when you tell the people lies,
How will my clay benefit?

If you want to praise me,
Praise me today, now.
Tell it to the whole world.
Do not wait and lie
When I die, in my tribute.
That would be useless,
You hypocrites!

ISAAC ESSOUN

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WE LOST

We tried to bury death
And upend the ancient coffin
And push it deep into the trench:
The six feet stinking trench.

We tried to bury death
And tear down the tears
She smears on our hopeful faces
And end mourning, mornings.

We tried to bury death
And send her off with her myriad messengers:
Her myriad diseases and accidents
To die with death as she dies.

We tried to bury her
And unmake the orphancy
She has made the Orphans;
And the widowhood, the Widows.

But death, as death as she is,
Held so tightly with a tight fist
And made us try what we tried in vain
And added more deaths, and more pain.

So we lost painfully...

But our rescue is near:
It will come with  peace and hope.
We shall part with fear
And even in death's deaths, cope!

ISAAC ESSOUN

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TAINTED BROTHERHOOD (Tribalism Must Die)

Why do you call me a fool?
I don't understand.
Ignorance and stupidity are not the same;
And stupidity and foolishness
Are not brothers.
You only see me with your blind eyes:
So spare my conscience your judgments;
And untag me with your dirty tags.

In my hometown, I'm from the royal race.
But these harsh hardships I need to face:
For, here in your hometown I work like a slave
So that some pennies for my family, I may save.

So how can I be wise and be foolish
At the same time?
The choice rests in my own volition
And not yours to make for me.
So mistreat and insult and opress me;
I'll take them all.
Deceive and cheat and suppress me;
I'll take them all.

As for me I shall leave for my cozy royal home
When my time is up.
I shall leave here and go and be
With my waiting family.
But who said the sun shines at one place only?
Who said the rain falls in the South,
And not also in the North?
Time will tell...

ISAAC ESSOUN
Image credit: Pinterest

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DESTRUCTION IS KNOCKING

Hey, hold on, green lustful gentleman:
What are you doing?
Hold on, spend some minutes to think:
Where are you going to?
Sweetness is flowing within you:
What are you touching?
Things are falling apart in your head:
What is touching you?
You look with your myopic eyes:
What do you see?
Now you want to grab it very fast:
But how will it taste?

Ho! Lust, why do you restrict them from thinking?
Look at me now and answer me, why?
Why do you press them down to keep on sinking?
Why do you press them there to die?

Green lustful gentleman, listen to me:
Free yourself from the hands of Lust.
I asked her some questions; she didn't answer.
She is pushing you down there into destruction:
Where you'll go, and never come back...

ISAAC ESSOUN

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BEAUTIFUL UGLY ROSE (For the Heartbroken)

I have seen countless sensitising flowers
Sprout in my garden and wrinkle.
I have seen fine petals thrive in showers,
And yet, wither, even in sprinkle.

I selflessly nurture them like a caring gardener;
And for their sakes, run hither and thither.
But the more I love them like a faithful partner,
The more each one threatens me to wither.

Therefore, if you also threaten to die,
Oh beautiful ugly rose, I never ever mind!
If today you lifeless on the ground lie,
Hurray! Other charming roses, I shall find...

ISAAC ESSOUN

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BEHIND THE BLACK SCENE

Do not scourge me.
Do not tear my young conscience apart.
Do not drop a drop
Of inferiority complex into it.
I will tell you why.

Do not tell me I am an orphan:
That word pricks my heart till it bleeds.
Do not tell me this in my fellows' presence:
My fellows who are luckier than I am.
I will tell you why.

If I say "See, two boys is fighting",
Do not tell me I am stupid.
Who has created a brain before?
No one! so do not say I am stupid.
I will explain something to you...

Look at me. Look at me very well.
You see a neat black skin, right?
Is the skin what makes you to tell
Me that my future is not bright?
That is a fallacy!

As you see me, I seem hapless;
I seem to know nothing.
But truth is, I am not hopeless:
I really know something.
That is a reality!

ISAAC ESSOUN

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THE SEPARATION TOOL

My life has been entangled
In the four impenetrable walls of religion:
There are no doors or windows for oxygen.
I have no freedom again to see for a choice;
Not even in my wedlock.

I slipped on some wet floor
And fell helplessly in love!
Right beside me where I fell,
Lay the love of my life.
But a huge gulf severed us:
The chasm of religion.

So has this religion disfavoured me,
And made me numb,
And made me loveless?
Has this religion disfavoured me,
And made me a spinster,
And made me childless?
I thought it would bring unity to mankind,
Aw, religion...

ISAAC ESSOUN

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BLACKNESS IN MY BLOOD

The blackness in my blood
Is a natural pigment
Like the chlorophyll
In my fellow green creatures' chloroplasts.
A drop of blackness was dropped
By the maker thereof into my blood
For my makeup; for my good.

The blackness makes me a Black
But does it make my heart black?
The blackness makes me a Black
But does it make my blood black?
Not necessarily so!
The blackness affected only my melanin
And never my heart or blood or mind.

There is light in my mind;
It is very bright and white.
It shines hard and illuminates
Everything around me.
As for my corneum, it looks black:
But my hands can achieve anything.
I am a proud African!

ISAAC ESSOUN

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INNOCENCE OF CHILDREN

I wholeheartedly love children very much!

When I see them happily playing, I do wonder

If anything could be as beautiful as such.

I love them and on their innocence do ponder.

Whenever I ponder on their innocence,

I think of the fact that they aren’t reticent.

When I compare this with my reticence,

I can’t deny the fact that, they’re innocent.

They without doubt, anything easily believe;

And never are incredulous.

Both truth and untruth they eagerly receive,

Be it harmless, or perilous.

How children trust is beyond my imagination!

They do this with no reservedness.

They see not their betrayal as an abomination;

O, how I adore their preparedness!

All children have a forgiving heart:

They later calm down, however angry they get.

Resentment can’t pull them apart.

Step on his toe today; tomorrow, he will forget.

Apart from God, children are the best lovers!

You show them bitter hatred; they show you love.

Very passionate is their love: like a mother’s!

You frown at them; they rather smile, and laugh.

If you instruct me I mayn’t obey.

But give to a child, a selfsame instruction.

He will finish fast, with no delay;

He’ll endure even if there’s an obstruction.

I wholeheartedly love children very much!

When I see them happily playing, I do wonder

If anything could be as beautiful as such.

I love them and on their innocence do ponder.

ISAAC ESSOUN

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ADOLESCENCE

Its naturalness and reality are sure;

The joys in it and the burdens,

And all the uncertainties we endure,

When every member broadens.

It’s the most subtle of all stages.

With it troubles everywhere abound;

Are full of temptations its pages.

Yes, it tosses our innocence around.

Here is where pleasure is too intense:

Where uncontrolled lust all over engulfs us.

Here is where we lack moral defense;

Where we ride chaotically, worldliness’ bus.

Rebellion, boldness, carelessness!
Impatience, obstinacy, conceit.

Naivety, avidness, shamelessness!

Impetuosity, slackness, deceit.

In this stage, we get filled with all these!

We’re prone to both good and bad.

We take rebuke and tweak with no ease.

We think, the strict parent is mad.

Even so, let us understand, fellow Youths,

The pure imminence of this phase;

Accept, and yield ourselves to saintly use,

And go really slow on the evil pace.

It is high time we stopped wasting time on things

That do not profit us anything better.

Let’s give our lives to Christ and serve Him, since

Without Him our future will be bitter.

ISAAC ESSOUN

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LAZY SLEEPER

Look, see the fading moon
And see the myriad dull dying stars.
See the night passing soon
As the sun her own business starts.

See the day happily approaching
Like a green, tasseling corn.
See the rays quickly encroaching
This beauteous lovely morn.

Can't you hear your clock's steady ticks
Entering the cochlea of your ear?
Can't you hear cocks and the tiny chicks
Joyfully crowing? Can't you hear?

Aw, until when will you sleep, lazy sleeper?
When will you part ways with your blanket?
Won't you your numb, lazy hands flipper?
Don't you care as time approaches sunset?

Keep on sleeping: time will indeed wait.
Relax, inhale and exhale breath.
Keep on sleeping: you will never be late.
Death is coming, painful death!

ISAAC ESSOUN

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MY TALENT

When at one

Thing I good

At am and

Can with great

Skill do and

Do and redo

Then as my

Talent I deem

This great skill.

If by this

Are legion souls

Blessed and fortified

And then edified

And my Nation

Forward moved and

The World transformed,

Then think I

Fulfilling I am

The cause for

Which was born.

What if slay

Many lives I

And wars cause

And myriad ruins

By this skill?

Then with good

Has the worse

Been simply achieved.

Now, was born

A poet I.

Should I kill

And mar with

This noble skill?

Nay, I think!

I’ll build and

The World bless

And hope give

And knowledge impart

And peace pour

On wounded hearts.

I will betray

And then disclose

And let consciously

Dangerous cats out

Of the bag!

With my talent

I’ll touch lives.

I’ll save souls.

I’ll uplift, so

Help me God!

ISAAC ESSOUN

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DRAW CLOSER TO ME

In dark darkness do dwell I day by day daily

Love, I did what I did against you out of folly

I think wasn’t aright thinking when told I thee

That can live I separately, without you
I have regretted: forgive and draw closer to me.

Have never been able to sleep I since you went;

Have not received a reply to the message I sent

My vision is blurred: nothing I can see

You were my light and my morning dew

So Dearest come up; draw closer to me.

I have now seen how important you were, Love

Sadness has been my partner: can’t still laugh

Deep was your love: deeper than the sea

Crushed today; morrow, it shall be new

Come back Pearl, and draw closer to me.

If you come back I will treat you like a queen, and

Make each one of your wishes, my only command

Trust me, never the same shall our love be

If I hurt you, I will just lose you, I knew

But forgive me and then, draw closer to me.

ISAAC ESSOUN

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LIVING GHOSTS

There lies lifelessness in their living framework

In the Smokers’ bones lies mortal mortality

Their darkened hearts rest on time bombs

Their food cigarette is; smoke, their nutrients

But how nutritious is their food?

Which strength to their cells can the cigar give?

Are Smokers visually sick?

Who should advise them that are poison

Those sticks which in their mouths, smoulder?

The inscription on their food even warns them!

Their dead living framework has thus inured become

To the deliberate consumption of their useless food

So as they arduously fill their decayed lungs

With the darkest smoke,

The decadence of their teeth even worsens

From head to toe, each member of their cells is sick

They are living ghosts!

Even more sick than they are,

Are the innocent souls that inhale

Their deadly, exhaled smoke

When the Living Ghosts smoke,

They themselves kill and their passive smokers

Smoking is environmentally harmful

Socially obnoxious

Religiously sinful!

All Smokers, both old and young

Are living ghosts!

Unwise Smokers hold on, and listen:

Look at your mouths, lips, larynges

Throats, oesophagi, bladders

Look at your kidneys, livers, your stomachs

And your pancreases

In all these parts of your dead bodies

Sleeps one wicked, deadly cancer!

Already damaged are your hearts!

Your red blood is turning into coal!

Heart attack, stroke, asthma, impotence,

All yours!

Unwise Smokers hold on and listen:

Do not just enjoy the lapidary style

Of the literature you read now

Accept, and live by the saving message thereof

For, your lifespans are than short shorter!

Worthy Brethren, stop smoking today

You are living ghosts, already...

ISAAC ESSOUN

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