If We Don't Go Back; You Should Understant Poem by DOMINIC PREMPEH

Conflicts in my mind and heart
Thinking of whether to go back; or not, to my former school

The head; with plentiful bogus certificates
A task master that mismanaged the system
Moving boisterously around with no vision
But trying to suppress and intimidate all
Using the old-fashioned ‘divide and rule' political system
Things were messy; despite his daily long talks
The school cars were off road;
But his rickety box on four-tyres moved; on fuel for our cars
He cut trees haphazardly; changed school uniform and crest
Stating witchcraft and superstition
The dining hall accommodated the school canteen
Taps could stop flowing for days
And the school plant never worked when lights went off
He couldn't even organize re-opening of term staff meeting
He was a failure
Yes; an apology of leadership

Our Assistant headmaster and the senior housemaster
Two stooges who never dared to ask the rogue head anything
Their fears reached mountings
And behaved like tamed dogs following the hunter's dictates

And that guidance and counseling teacher
The victimizing and man hunting teacher
She insulted us instead of advising us
Helping the house masters and mistresses to intimidate us
Abusing her office thinking she is the all

Our senior housemistress;
Miss Awuraba; always talking discretely on phone
A confused unmarried and supposed unattached brag
With rumours of a verandah baby now my size
She was full of herself with a complex
Seeing everyone as a ‘manimal'
Insults, demeaning comments, and unnecessary punishment
Enveloped her lifestyle

Our colleagues
Rumour-mongers of the highest order
Backbiting each other and selling ourselves to the staff

Our school was a ‘boarday'
Transforming from day/hostel to boarding
And when the administration failed to force us to stay
They punished us for leaving the hostel
And the fire we set for trash
Nearly burnt the whole school

Our presence was not important when we were there
The harsh treatment and pull-him-down syndrome
And the lazy and wicked teachers taught nothing,

How can we go back to that "dɔtɔso" as old students?
When everything we reminisce on about our school is hostile
The pain, stress, anxiety, man-hunting and victimization
(Jan.,2016; Ofoase)