Dzogbese Akpe Poem by Padmore Enyonam Agbemabiese

Dzogbese Lisa,
give me the strength of the hills
never washed away by summer rain
give me the vigor of the cactus
always at peace with the desert storm
when weakness fills my bones
and wariness tires my soul
give me the might to walk through the blitz
and when at last my weary days sink quietly to rest
in night's cool arms I will count with ease
the rugged steep roads I did climb
and the many storms I weathered on the road of life
let me sing it in the lowland, hilltops and the valleys
that folks may shake their shoulders
free of bonds that hold them close to earth
let me tell all they have the stars as companions
even if the night is like grim volcanoes
pregnant with the fires of molten fury
for you Dzogbese Lisa alone
gave me the strength to threadbare this pathway with smiles

(Dzogbese Lisa means God or Fate among the Ewes of Ghana)