Fool - Andy Aryeetey

Sitting on his dear sofa
With a glass of the finest vodka in hand,
Contemplating on the rudiments of the day
Playing back the words of un-cool Herty…
             Fool, you are an arrogant and self-absorbed bastard
             You should have died in your mum’s womb
             You do not know the meaning of the word love
             You have no regard for the human being
             You treat everybody like shit, fool
             I hope your money burns the sea…
Then he began…
He began to indulge
Indulge in this new discovery
Not drinking, of course not!
But thinking…

He was thinking…
             For the first time in my life I am thinking
             For the first time in my life I think I understand wisdom
             Yeeeeeeees; this must be wisdom, I am now a thinker.
But why did it take so long for him to develop?
God bless Herty, but how to be re-born?
How to avoid the scorn, and looks of disdain?
How to gain respect without a flaunt of wealth…?
             Knowing that this is how my life would turn up
             I wish I were born in abject poverty
             Shit! Damn the silver and gold spoons
             Shit! Not shit spoons, but fingers and hands…
             I wish I were born an orphan or the like
             Miserable, poor, homeless and hungry…

So that’s why they ask…
Would you be a well-fed slave or a hungry free man?
             Shit! I wish I had an unhappy childhood
             At least my adulthood would be happy
             I wish I were ridiculed and laughed at as a child
             I wish I had no money for school and walked
             Long miles daily,
So that’s why they say
A journey of a thousand miles to adulthood begins with a step
(He chuckles)
(He chuckles to himself, of course, to who else?)
             Shit! Knowing the future would be brighter
             I wish I were the kid who studied with candles
             Because he had no electricity
             Studying till the candle died out each night
             Knowing the future is brighter than candlelight.

Yes, he must, before it's too late
Why did it take this long for him to come home?
             I must share this wisdom with the world
             Yes, I must be unselfish for once
             I’m afraid it may already be too late for me…
His fifth concubine was due for delivery in a month
With a grin as wide as Lake Bosumtwi-
             I promise that child won’t be so unfortunate
             Herty I am not a fool,
             I’m a thinking fool…

Author Profile - Andy Aryeetey

Biography:

Andy Aryeetey was born on February 23rd, 1989 and is an old boy of PRESEC, Legon where he occasionally performed in dramas, plays and the like. He was a member of their editorial board and was judged the best poet for his batch. He is currently a combined major student - political science and sociology - at the University of Ghana with two more years to go. Apart from writing and performing, he likes playing football and watching movies.

Five Questions with Andy:

1. How long have you been writing poetry?

I have been writing poetry for as long as I remember, since primary two. I used to be picked to recite in school plays and functions. I think this triggered my love for the art.


2. Who are your favourite poets? Which poets have most inspired and informed your poetry?

My favourite poets are Mutabaruka, Maya Angelou and D.H. Lawrence. However, I must say that I have been most inspired and influenced in my poetry (mostly the performance aspect) by my primary two French tutor Monsieur Kousalima. Though not on the international scene, that teacher was a great poet and performer to me by all standards (wherever you are Monsieur, merci beaucoup). I am also fond of the writings of Martin Egblewogbe and Kojo Laing.


3. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?

I hope my poetry first of all inspires interest in the art by "non-believers". If not for anything at all, I like a well appreciated piece of art. Creativity should not be a rolling stone, we can rest it on the minds of all who hitherto wouldn't have any interest in poetry or art. I hope that people will learn to appreciate art when reading my pieces, because there are so many ways to tell a story and stand for a message through poetry. With different views and takes on your piece, in the end, you say more than you intended to.


4. Tell us a bit more about the editorial board at PRESEC. What activities did this group get up to?

In PRESEC, the editorial board was the main literary stronghold of the school. Apart from seeing to the publishing of a school magazine, we were like the school's own whistle blower. With carefully chosen pseudonyms, we posted weekly articles exposing clandestine activities, unfair policies, and gross student misbehaviour. There were many times that the editorial board would get into trouble for telling on a master, but it did not deter our course. Sadly, I have currently gotten wind that its efficacy is waining.


5. How do you find the poetry scene at Legon? Is there much activity these days?

I have met so many talented writers and poets in Legon. I think the platforms for performance are gradually on the rise. You can hardly say it's an area of great interest at Legon, so I believe to gain recognition and exposure it is up to us the writers to be sturdy on our course. We have a few shows periodically and I can say that things are starting to look up.

Fortnightly, there are shows at Nubuke foundation (the talkparties), and weekly poetry shows on Radio Universe. Also, the Academy of Young Writers-Ghana (AYW-G), a 360 degree Creative Arts network for young people in Ghana, organizes shows periodically on campus. I'm a member of the academy and our goal is to tap into the creative abilities of young people. There is more work to be done and I believe we are taking a step in the right direction. I believe that one day, poetry and the arts will be taken to the next level in Ghana. It begins with us.

Contact Andy:

andy_aryeetey(at)yahoo.com