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Sunday 22 September 2013

Kenya's silent birds


The earth, is silent today 
The winds will not blow protesting 
The birds will not sing, tightening their beaks 
The trees refuse company, welcoming no friends

The trees would not allow the birds
To sit on their branches not without songs 
The birds would not recite in songs 
The morning poem to wake man 

All flags to half mast, except for red  
All the rainbow colors to be put away 
It is the season for black and red 
To be worn, it is the season for tears 

It is the season for men and women 
To sing sorrowful songs of poetry 
The birds the birds would not recite 
The morning poem to wake man 

He stayed up all night mourning 
And the women wallowing in pain  
For the loss of the inscriber who writes 
The songs of poetry the birds sing in the morning  

The darkness of man, the darkness of religion 
Has taken the voices of the birds to the grave 
So silent the birds have become, not reciting in songs 
The morning poem to wake man 

And the trees would not give a branch 
To be sat on, without the promise of the bird's song 
The inscriber of the bird's song is no more 
Religion has taken him away from us 

A moth without the lamp of light, the earth is silent today 
The winds will not blow protesting their sorrow 
The tree branch would not dance with the winds 
For the birds have lost their voice in Kofi Awoonor 

Rest In Peace....The inscriber of the bird's morning songs 
Killed by Al-Shabab in Kenya, all for nothing, nothing to stand for, nothing at all
and all the other victims in the shootings, like the birds have lost their voice

In Memory of 
Professor George Kofi Awoonor-Williams (A Poet)
( 13 /03/1935 - 21/09/2013)

22 comments:

  1. What a moving poem this is, Kodjo, on a sad current situation.

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  2. Very heartfelt, as is all of your poems. Beautifully told tragedy.

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  3. sad at what is taken from us in a blink of an eye, the buck of a gun---what was never considered in the pull of the trigger...

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  4. deeply sorrowful. "And the trees would not give a branch
    To be sat on without the promise of the birds song " - my fav lines.

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  5. A very strong memorial to a poet. Thanks for sharing it.

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  6. A moth without the lamp of light,... a telling image....

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  7. "The birds would not recite in songs
    The morning poem to wake man "

    my favourite line, though profoundly frightening to me; have a nice Sunday

    much love...

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  8. Such a tragic event, and a wonderful memorial to a great poet and man. Nice job. May his soul rest in peace and may justice be served and the violence end.

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  9. strong and lovely tribute to a good man

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  10. This is one of your most beautiful poems, Kodjo. How very sad that this great man has been lost. I love that the trees and birds join in sorrow and refuse their songs on this sad day. This is such a beautiful tribute.

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  11. Wow, this is filled with grief..sad when a bird loses his voice..a powerful write..

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  12. What a wonderful tribute to that poet... a deep and moving poem

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  13. I was so upset to read of the passing of a poet in such a violent way. As an African myself, my heart cries for the spirit of Ubuntu which is lacking on our continent. I am very gratified to read this tribute in memoriam for Professor Awoonor.

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  14. So tragic...my heart is so heavy for all who suffered. Thanks for your beautiful tribute.

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  15. Your sorrowful words are beautiful, Kodjo. Thank you for sharing them and the tribute you have given.

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  16. Oh my this would be a very dark day indeed.

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  17. May he be welcomed home by our Heavenly Father.

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  18. A beautiful tribute to a wonderful man ... beautifully written

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  19. well written tribute to a Great Sun of the Soil. I had the opportunity to attend a creative writing workshop that Prof. Awonoor conducted here in Nairobi the day before religion took him away from us. He read his poems and you could hear birds singin along to tha great poet's voice. Wi will miss him so.

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  20. well written tribute to a Great Sun of the Soil. I had the opportunity to attend a creative writing workshop that Prof. Awonoor conducted here in Nairobi the day before religion took him away from us. He read his poems and you could hear birds singin along to tha great poet's voice. Wi will miss him so.

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