An Ode To The Benin Chiefs

An Ode To The Benin Chiefs (of old)
 
You provide an insight into the running of,
One of the most efficient administrative systems in the world;
King and Chiefs working hand in hand with the people,
To leave a legacy for all ages.
 
You flaunt not your riches,
They lie buried in the dust of age in store rooms,
In compound wells and on ancestral alters;
Diamond, gold or silver, appeal not to you.
 
You worship your head,
Which controls all your bodily functions,
Your intelligence is held in your head; therefore, 
You celebrate this annually in the Ague festival.
 
Your lesson to the world is,
Brains and intelligence,
Are what matter most in this life;
All earthly riches not.
 
You are an inspiration for,
All peoples,
All cultures,
Through all times.

​All hail the Benin chiefs (of old).

Black History Month poems

Black History acrostic

Brave men and women doing extra ordinary things

Lots of love to share with one and all, is their song

Always putting others’ needs before theirs is their feat

Checking that ethics is the order of the day

Knowing that time will be the judge of all

History celebrating efforts and achievement of the great

Inspiring tales which guide others to keep on the straight and narrow

Sometimes easier said than done

Tomorrow comes with its own challenges

Other people’s interests weigh heavily on the mind

Rallying around good causes is no bother to care about

Yielding to inner pressures in choosing between right and wrong and getting it right; doing the right thing even when others cannot see.

 

What black champions do with their gifts

Muhammed Ali, he had a gold medal.

He threw it in the river to make a point.

Nelson Mandela, he had strong anti apartheid speeches
He was forced to take these behind bars for 29 years, becoming president after that.

Martin Lurther King, he had a dream of all little children playing happily together

He gave us utopia to aspire to.

Mary Seacole, she had bottles of herbs
She took them to the Crimean War to make injured soldiers better.

Olaudah Equiano, he had a chiefly tale to tell in the slave quarters
He put these down on paper for generations coming by.

My teacher, she has the gift of the jab

She takes it to telling black history from the beginning.

Me, I have a colourful imagination

I don’t know just what I’ll do with it yet.

Proverb

Do not let others dress you in princely robes that aren’t yours. They will surely be taken away from you in time and the brethrens you betrayed along the way will be watching.

More Black History Month poems

When They Call

When they call to make notes on amazing black world
I’ll be there helping.

When they call to know who is who in the black history hall of fame

I’ll be there helping.

When they call to know which names merit praise singing
I’ll be there helping.

When they call for list of activities to do with the kids at school
I’ll be there helping.

When they call to collect certificates of achievements for star pupils on black history.

I’ll be there helping.

...and when they call for names to put on the certificates
I’ll definitely be there!

 

Proverb

Don’t ask who should be included in the black history most famous list; ask who did the most for black cause.

Harvest

Harvest

Harvest is a time to remember our brothers, one and all
Harvest is a time to seek out anyone without
Harvest is a time to remember others in the community
Harvest is a time to share our little or much
Harvest is a time to be happy as one brotherhood in the community.

 People give thanks to God for their food

People give thanks to God for an abundant harvest
People give thanks to God for the fertile soil
People give thanks to God for the sun, the rain and the moon
People give thanks to God all that they have

We celebrate our joy

We celebrate God’s kindness
We celebrate each other
We celebrate rewards of our efforts
We celebrate a prosperous new year.

Some slaughter a cow, cook and share with others

Some cook cauldrons of food to share with one and all
Some party all day even for five days
Some sing pray and decorate their prayer houses
Some nominate a harvest master.

Harvest time is remembering others and sharing with them
Harvest time is about others’ happiness and well being
Harvest time is making sure others have enough to live on
Harvest time is remembering that we are all helpless without the grace of God.
Harvest time is this message:

‘I am because you are!’ an African adage.

FN

More Harvest poems

When the Harvest Fails

When the Harvest Fails:

Misery, hunger, thirst
Anger, distress, cries
Weakness, illness, pity
Kwashiorkor, death
Live aid, charity

When the Harvest Fails, agony!

A Good Harvest

Abundant food in:
Sacks, bags, shops
Baskets, kitchen, pots
Plates, bowls, stomach
Abundant food for you and me!

Market Chant
Come and buy my:
Bananas, kiwi, melon, oranges, strawberries
Cassava, garri, potatoes, rice, yam
Okra, peppers, peas, spinach, sweet corn
Beef, chicken, , mutton, pork, sausages.

One pound a bag!

A Harvest Poem

I spied a seed drop onto the soil

I spied a drop of rain fall on the soil

I spied a shoot come up from the ground

I spied a leaf open up on the shoot

I spied a ray of sunlight fall on the leaf

I spied a flower grow on the stem

I spied a seed form as the flower withered

I spied a farmer reap the seed

I spied a farm hand sheaf many seeds

I spied a mill grind the seeds

I spied a baker bake a loaf of bread

I spied a woman take the bread to the harvest celebration

I spied everyone eat the bread, giving praise

I spied the girl who beheld this awesome sight.

FN