Days Of Our Lives Poem by Aziz Baako

Dear Aziz
After many years of walking the streets, viewing
And reviewing the everyday happenings
Of people like Freedom world wide, I am done
With the writing Tears of The Dead and
Dying Species. It hasn’t been an Easy task
Aziz. I have been to hell and back.

Let me tell you some thing that happen within
The process of writing “ABOUT AFRICA”

I was dressed up that day to attend an African Union
Summit after a long night of drafting
And redrafting the Piece.
It was a summit that is intended to unite Africa.
Then Clara came to me crying. She said
It was so hard for her to sustain her eleven
Year old son. Freedom’s son.
She now understands
Freedoms anger. She admires him more now
Than ever for going to jail for what he believes
In. She hates the way the system is run so much that
She sees Tupac as an Icon of freedom.

Clara is yearning for a descent
Family life now Aziz. But life has become
So difficult to live in Ghana.
The Street has become so violent that
The blood thirsty Police have been
Given the license to kill.

I sorted Clara out with some few
Cedis I made at a reading at the British
Council. I am still relying on the legacy
Of colonialism. No option Brethren.

We went to the summit any way.
At the summit names were mentioned
Every hero was mentioned.
The notion was to draw some attention
To the struggles of our Ancestors.



Names like Emperor Haile Salassie,
Mandela, Nkrumah,
Lumumber, Shirin Ebadi,

Hossu Bowelle, Jomo Keyantta,
Albertina Sisulu,
Bob Marley, Bambaata,
Talib Kweli, Martin Luther,
Malcom X, Ebb Cobb,
Rosa Parks, Maya Angelo and
Gwen Brooks were mention.

The Agenda of the meeting was almost
Theme of my book. Some of the topics
Were even pieces in the book.
Do you remember
“WILL FREEDOM BE FREE? ”
It was mentioned by Mohammed
Quadafi. Not in exact words but he spoke
About a lot of things that will make
Some one like you realize
He is talking about Freedom.

You know that man
Is bent on seeing Africa unite.
It is interesting how the streets
Write the stories and the homes
Narrate them. Anyway, it has
Always been like that.

Something close
To WESTERN AID was recited
By one Nigerian Poet. I wonder
If someday they will give me
The platform to read some
Pieces from my book
At a summit like this,
A day when I will
Read Tears of the Dead and Dying Species
To give the world a gist of what Freedom
Stands for, his dreams about how humanity,
And his view about sharing the benefit
Of our resources equally by our Leaders.

The summit ended with a little
Progress. Africa is going to have
A common negotiation for the worth of
Our resources with the outside
Market. At least that is how the
News read the night of the Summit.

Bro I am still meditating on when
I will be able to lunch the book.
It is so stressing especially when
There is no motivation,
No role model out there
To make us feel we are on the right track.
.
Do you think the people
Would look at the world
With our spectacle for a minute
One day?
I hope so.

Even if they do
They might not like
Freedom, But I bet if they
Meet him in person they will
Understand the situation.

Do you know how much
Colonialism is affecting
The older generation?
They abide by the difference
The Colonial masters
Put amongst us. The barriers
That made some Ghanaians
And others Nigerians.
Those forced barriers.

I think those forced barriers
Created around
The time is heavily
Affecting Africa.
That is what I think is generating
The petty conflicts
On the Continent.
I think the divide and rule policy
Have worked well for Europe
And America. The strategy is now
Called the enemy within.

I heard our people are tricked
Into buying arms from China
To kill ourselves.

I initially thought the Chinese
Were going to be angels,
But I am certain now that it is the battle
Of wits and logics.
The battle between the gods of the earth
The war between the East and the West
About who controls the South

We have to be smart now
They need us as much
As we need them. We have
To strike a fare deal for our
Resources; mineral, human etc
I hope our leaders are able to
Take the right decision
Or even catch the tale of the light.

Africa has become so difficult
To live in or leave out,
Well the whole World’s
Economy is giving up now, but in
Africa it is worse. It is a big prison

The women can’t keep a single
Boyfriend because it has become
Very difficult for the men
To meet their needs.
The bleaching creams are expensive,
The wigs are in different
Brand names. The university girls
Are playing advanced games with
The men in Power.

The youth are now glued to
Voodoo. They call it sakawa.
Papers reported some news
About a guy who turned into
A dog, a girl who turned into a hog
Some others turned into snakes
And even snails.
Just like
The Ancient Babylon king
Turned into a Pig.

Forget to say I got jailed
I fell into a setup and got
Imprisoned. I should have
Upset the set up.
.
I was in the big house.
I uncovered something
Interesting.

You remember
That movie on slavery?
That scenery that had people
Lying leg first head next?
That is precisely how the
Prisoners are arranged in
Our prisons. James fort prison
To be precise. Thank God
It has just been closed down
And Prisoners transferred.

What about your Prison?
The Dansoman Police killed
Malam Musah after my rap show
“IN A PUB IN DC”.

A lot of our friends are still in jail,
They have nobody
To plea bargain on their behalf.

Aziz these days I don’t know who to trust I am
Living in a lone world but with the extreme
Protection of the Most High.

You Know we are not ordinary mortals,
May be some day these People
Will understand who we truly are.
But I know it will be too late for them
To reconcile with us.

The BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Might create some controversy
I still have my hideout ready.

I am now looking out to publish my book.
I am facing some serious obstacles.
But soon I will be out there reading
My works to the whole world.

Aziz, I just had a girl friend called Kessy,
Some time I see her for a blessing
And other times for some sort of curses.
She is a wonderful girl, she gives me
Insight into the world of the present
Generation. The present generation
Are messed, they are missing out
On the true meaning of life.
Families are breaking up,
Morals don’t simply exist.
It is Sodom and Gomorra
Down here. But you know one cant still
Judge. We leave that to the Creator.
.
Clara says hi, she wants to have your pictures.
She is still a Waitress “IN A PUB IN DC”.

HIV is still reaping the world open,
Its worse in Africa.
These days I turn to think
It is a biological
Weapon against the poor.
The South African President
Said a similar thing.
I could be wrong.
Do you think these chaps
Would be able to clear our Race?

I don’t think so. Many genocides
Have surfaced our part of the world
But I don’t think they will be able to
Clear us. Wipe us from the surface
Of this Planet.

The last time, I was explaining
To that Old Lady in our hood
About Laboratory Babies.
But you know THE GRACE
OF MY RACE is laced in the
Grace of God the creator.

I am not scared,
We are a strong race.
We are even about to rule the world.
Ghana has oil now.

The irony is the mother harlot
Still has her children breeding.
I guess you know what I am talking
About.

Churches have taken over now.
They are the biggest business
In town. Most of the elderly people
Are giving their lives to Pastors.
How strange? I think it is the sign
Of the end time.

Have you seen what I told you before
You moved? Way before you got jailed
About the slave masters god?
It is still worshiped
In Africa.
The renaissance artiste have given
The World their representation
of the Creator. The Michealangelo painting
Of Christ is in every home now.

Well, maybe some day they will realize
These Religious tricks.
Have you read
Tears of the Dying Species’?
That piece is so real bro.? I hate
That news these days. A Reporter
Got fired for talking About
“OUR SONS IN THE DESERT SANDS”

Aljazeera is in Ghana now.
Freedom has not replied my letter in
Eight months. I don’t know if he
Has been sent to one of those secret
Detention camps they are talking about
On radio these days.
I hear they are scattered
Around the world. It could even be
Next to your window.
What a strange universe?

Do you know our conversations are tapped
These days? The world is not a safe place
Anymore, I wonder if it will ever be again.

I think is high time we are taught our history
In schools, not the one that says Columbus
Discovered Us. I want us to be thought
The history that will make us the civilized
People that we were, not molded fools we are
Forced to believe we are.

I mean the history that would tell our children
That we had people trooping to Africa to learn
For many centuries;
From 2000 BC to the Socrates.

I have to go now. I am going to begin
My movie project soon. I hope it comes
Out successful. My new title is Engata.

Say a prayer every day before you sleep

Safe Aziz. I hope we meet someday.

Your Partner in crime,

Ancestor.