Crying in Hiccoughs

Table of Content

iii Table of Content Preface..............................................................................v Introduction....................................................................... vii My little Song......................................................................... 1 My Song in Silver..................................................................... 1 The Past, The Present, The Future....................................... 3 No Past, No Present, No Future........................................... 5 The African Press.................................................................. 6 What Should I be Proud Of?...................................................7 Mere Nature’s Call?............................................................... 7 Election Day........................................................................ 8 The Monument..................................................................... 9 The Unknown Soldier............................................................ 10 To the Youth of Africa........................................................... 10 The Beaten Pen....................................................................... 12 The Weeping African Child.................................................... 12 The Cry of the Street Man..................................................... 13 These Tears............................................................................. 14 Ode to the Vegetable.............................................................. 14 The Collapsing Cliffs of Fako................................................ 16 What is my Fate?..................................................................... 17 By the Beach of Victoria...................................................... 17 The Ugly One......................................................................... 19 Adieu Lady Queen................................................................. 20 Depleted Harvest..................................................................... 21 The Lock................................................................................ 22 There is Peace........................................................................ 22 Where the Thieves Go........................................................... 23 Parcous Vita........................................................................... 23 The Way we Build................................................................ 24 The Chain.......................................................................... 25 Kick the Saint................................................................... 25 Know This............................................................................ 26 iv Can We Ever Know?............................................................... 27 The Eternal I......................................................................... 27 The Scaffolds of Our Being..................................................... 28 God’s Sons.......................................................................... 29 Hail the Rumour................................................................. 30 The Eden of Fallen Deacon.................................................. 31 Human Nature....................................................................... 31 Bamenda................................................................................ 32 Our Byzantium Day................................................................. 32 Bang Your Doors.................................................................... 34 Our Nation’s Day at Bongo Square...................................... 34 False Friends.......................................................................... 36 Brother?.................................................................................... 36 The Interred in Senegal.............................................................37 Eve.......................................................................................... 38 Ecstasy................................................................................... 39 The Woman............................................................................. 41 Love........................................................................................... 41 Parlour Walls........................................................................ 42 A Broken Vow........................................................................... 43 More Questions than Answers................................................ 44 I Still Bequeath to You............................................................. 45 I Work on Sundays................................................................. 46 World Book Day.................................................................... 47 Adieu Lambo John Akwe...................................................... 48 In Memory of Stephen Edie 1962......................................... 49 ...