Elegy to a Muse

The author

In a cool freezing frigid, silent night

When heels are out of the terrain tarmac      

Bei ni naji eje bↄ nↄ

I gushed out of bed and with captivating mind

Focused the horizons and azure sky above

And there behold             

There unfolds, the dancer of words

Atukwei Okai Atukwei Oshaimiaku

I hear in the silent night

The Traditional Talking Drums

The Acoustic sound of Obonu

Randomly rattling, and rhythmically raining

Like pebbles falling and throbbing down

Kpԑtԑ kpԑtԑ kpԑtԑ !

And in transient trance

Behold, the dancer of words in gorgeous, majestic movement and strides

And the utterance of audible words

Ravishing on the eardrums                                                                                    

Pouring of an Army or words

‘It is over for the labour’s beckoned to rest’

Misa su, misa mi naa

Aayalolo, mitsu migbε fan nↄ

Mi shi misεε – Nyεmↄamli koo…

Tswa nni Omanye Aba koo !

The talking drums and sounding cymbals Silence the night-day !

Oooh! Hush!

SILENCE THE MUSIC !

Let the traffic light show red

And let them show green

Let them amber the Long Bow

Atukwei is gone!

Atukwei has bowed

And our hearts ache

The dance of words are stilled

The rhythm is numbed

Let the gong gong beat lorgoligi logarithm

And search for the Professor, Atukwei Okai

The literary Giant of the Arts.

Whilst we gaze the west

Atukwei passed by the East

And while we looked up,

He slipped in silence

We did not see it coming

You feigned, you feigned, you feigned

While we gazed the East

Atukwei slipped through the West

We did not see it coming

Okεwↄ miifee kwaani-kwaani

Hide and Seek Game.

Oh, Atukwei is gone !

Doff the hats for the Professor, Atukwei Okai.

Who once paced this terrain,

A bosom brother and friend

To the Venerable Ayitey-Adjin Okai

Atukwei, who played his part well

On stage in the Arts – A Literary Giant

At the apex of African Writers Association

President of Ghana Writers Association

A great star has fallen !

A royal scepter is bro-ken !

A regal tower has fallen !

A great tree has been up-rooted

The dancer of words is gone !

Atukwei Okai, Oshaiamiaku

Ogbεi kε sabla ji enε

Son of the land of Gold

Ablade Shika Nshↄnaa fↄ mli bi

Colossus of the Art

At whose inked sticks

Laid an Army of words

Like swarm of bees – in flight

That titled the pendulum of men

Inflame, inspire, and impart to imbibe

My muse and mentor and my friend

Pour out dirges for the Professor, Atukwei Okai – The Literary Giant

Let a thousand words pour out

And a million rhyme a Rosimaya

But let infinite words hold you dear

And keep your undying words

That danced on the pages

And frolicked your grace like Shakespeare in inky pages

Chronicled for posterity

As memorial edifice to generations yet unborn

Requiescat in pace, professor

To the abyss-beyond where your shadow lingers

And your soul rest after the labour’s toils

In reminiscence we recall

Redementis de opportutatem

Ars longa, vita Brevis

Dominus Vobiscum Professor.

Wↄ ojobann Tsulↄ kpakpa

Ghana and the world at large

Has lost an icon – a legendary icon

Till we meet in the Heavenly mansion of Oboↄade again.

Kpo – Proff

Rest peace – fully

By: Ebenezer Nii-Bi Ayitey-Adjin Ayi-Bonte

Prince Poet, Son of the late

Nii Okai Pesemaku III, Gbese Mantse

And Adontenhene of the Ga State

(1959 – 1978)

Email: ebenbonte12@gmail.com