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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
 Posted - 14 Mar 2008 : 17:30:47
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Why is it always about You?
By Suntou Touray
From when we can remember
Through the days of our ancestors
Relationship between races
Never a handful of roses
A relationship
Never about us
Noting to share
Not a thing to care.
Born into a world of un-equals
Things never going our way
From rulers to the rank and files
Never working for us
Why is it always about You?
International agreements pass on
Never in favour of us as one
We deserve Respect, don’t we?
Our talents and capabilities no one sees
Not even our inalienable competence
The slogans, the charities, the grants, the aids
Frequent conflicts, poverty and disease
Corruption, short-life span and self-hate
Isn't that enough suffering?
Why is it always about You?
Turn to laws in the west
Perception, the image of Black African
More than negative
Life of a race with so bad an image
Life of a man with so little honour
Men and women who deserve much respect
Gains of big hands lesser in value
Turned into subject of critical focus
Right and left wing politicians alike
Immigration laws, integration
Whole people demonised
An under-employed workforce
On jobs just to make ends meet
Never acknowledged
Time enough to keep life
Our affairs, our destiny
Why is it about You?
O the union of mankind
What a matter of race, race and creed.
Jobs for blacks jobs for Asians
East and West Union Jack
Not a word of colour but language
Black, Asian, Other yet one language
Eastern Western united by colour divided by language
Here to stay there to leave
A way of seeing
We and Them
Integration, alienation, segregation, racial discrimination
The truth be it told
Same human, different people
Some are Africans, some are Asians
They are Western others Eastern
We are people of a universe for you and for me
From the beginning we have been
Ever we shall be.
Yours and mine no matter |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 17 Mar 2008 : 07:04:27
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This is a great poem, Santafara. Actually a big stride from your earlier poem (about polygamy in the Gambia). Stylistically, this poem is a big improvement over your earlier poem; the arrangement of the stanzas as well the literary devices such as the aliterations and refrains you have deployed makes this poem more sophisticated than your previous poem. The subject of this poem also is of a broader and more sophisticated goal (of a global nature) compared to the local, mundane issue of Gambian polygamy.
Yet this poem is typical of Santafara's raging objection to the global status quo and the Western political, economic, and cultural power that controls it. Sometimes, it appears that the author is striking a conciliatory note about the unity and one-ness of mankind, yet other times he invokes the racial, economic and cultural disparities between the Western world and the Africans and Asians. Obviously, the author himself appears to be a by-product of African and Asian cultural confluence. Great poem, keep it up... |
Edited by - kayjatta on 17 Mar 2008 07:06:12 |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 17 Mar 2008 : 10:21:31
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| kayatta, i have to thank you for the brilliant review. when the master speaks, the student have to listen. you are right, i am looking from the angle of an african,but also sympatetic to the asian. the poem is much broader. the current political debates in the west is saying a lot about the unity of humanity. thanks any way. |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 17 Mar 2008 : 11:03:12
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Okay, now you are flattering me. I decline the 'master' title, it doesn't fit me. Nonetheless, you have written a great poem and thanks for sharing it with us...
I thought you were trying to hide it from me by slotting (posting) it when you know I had gone on weekend, is that right :) ? |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 18 Mar 2008 : 14:37:51
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oh no kay. you are a critical reader. it shows how sophisticated you are . we need more brohers like you. we may have some idealogical differeces but on many issues we have similar thinking. |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 19 Mar 2008 : 05:38:15
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| Okay, I will stop there thanks :). Just keep on writing, Dalton and I will watch out for you... |
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mbay
Germany
1007 Posts |
Posted - 19 Mar 2008 : 12:13:23
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Oh, what a gouge in hart!!!
why is it always about me?
because i lost the true color of me, i dont know what pity is, i don't know anymore what is being for one another. i don't care who is in fire, all i know is selfishness love. only me the rest are nothing but dump. i let the lie took its root so deep inside me so that the true has no more a chance.
i don't want to know who is on my left side, all i want is who/what is on my right side.
your color your culture your religion are not worthy but my.
Yes lies has buried the true so long, thats why there are no more chance for clemency, What a bummer!
Brother Santa i love this your chasing poems!.
keep on, though even some take it as dread! |
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Dalton1
3485 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2008 : 02:09:53
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i see you guys keeping it humble & simple.
bro Kay,
i remain a student to you , mbay, uncle suntu & many of you in poetic bashing, just like from day one.
Kind regards,
Dalton. |
"There is no god but Allah (SWT); and Muhammad (SAW)is His last messenger." shahadah. Fear & Worship Allah (SWT) Alone! (:
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 24 Mar 2008 : 20:35:22
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African Elites, Gambian Elites
BY Suntou Touray
You are the most skilled, the most privilege, should I say
In the social group that you belong
What more than a narrow and powerful clique
It is you I’m calling
Do you see yourself when you look at us?
Do you not see us as part of your big self?
In the world over, elitism comes with privileges
A society in which most members are least privileged
And the least members are most privileged
A matter of opportunity and status not evenly shared
Elites of Europe, America, Australia, Japan
Elites of Africa and Asia, what a difference
Life worthwhile for all fellow citizens
Will you make yours any different?
African Elites, Gambian Elites
A choice for you
To stand up for your people
For survival of a people worth living
The comfort, the luxury
A life we all so deserve
Time to grow up now, and forever more
What do you do for Africa?
Children of the native land in far away destination
Expensive lifestyle good for all yet reserved
Open the iron gates guarded by angry dogs and hungry watchers
Approach and let be approachable
Keep the human connection
With the people that you belong
Never needing to live above them
Get to know and be known
You are still part of a body
Gambian Elites African Elites
What do you see when you look at us?
In our big picture you are the other link
Can’t you see us as yours and you as ours?
Our wealth of our continent is not less yours
Our gold dust, the diamond moulds, and coco flakes
Stacks of dollars in Western banks,
The rest die of hunger and thirst
Laughing stock, aid seekers
From live aid to sport relief
What a disgrace to see
Dying malnourished children
Sunken eyes and dried lips
Yearning mouths, no food no hope
What a sadness to see on screen and on aid leaflets
People drinking dirty water
What a humiliation to see
Living in the name of living!
Tell us good elites, tell us
Tell us African Elites
When others laugh at us, they laugh at you too
No matter your special skills and luxury possession
When they say we are sick and hungry people
They mean all of us, you and me.
Stand up, grow up
Never baby men and baby women
Stand up Mr President and Mr Minister
Write up Mr Editor
Sit up Mr Banker
Wake up Mr Businessman and woman
With your special status comes special demand
The finger pointing is on us and with you
Fat or thin as you are, so too your shadow
The longer a day, the longer your trace
You are seen and heard more than you know
Be the one you are
The golden eagle of flying people
This is yours, good elites of all times
www.allgambian.net
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Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
Edited by - Santanfara on 24 Mar 2008 20:37:16 |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 25 Mar 2008 : 09:14:47
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This poem perhaps can benefit with fewer words, less verbiage.
Nonetheless, Santafara has taken upon himself to confront the African/Gambian elite, a small but powerful group that, to give an analogy to Wole Soyinka's "strong men of Africa", are also arguably "the bane of Africa".
Santafara is slowly defining himself as an activist, and this poem is an activist's poem, may be in small ways like South Africa's Dennis Brutus.
The poem seems to point a finger at the African/Gambian elite for failing the continent or atleast turning a cold shoulder to it, yet at the same time looking up to the same elite as perhaps holding the key to the solutions of the continent's problems. This seems to be the theme of the first and second stanzas.
As we moved into the third and fourth stanzas, Santafara seems now to be talking to and about what Frantz Fannon referred to as the "wretched of the earth", that is the Africa's poorest of the poor. There appears to be no doubt that the author has a strong identification with the "down-trodden", and the marginalized of this capitalist world as epitomized by the elites of "Europe, America, Australia, Japan".
But the solutions to Africa's socio-economic predicaments may not readily come from the elites that are being taken to task here. Africa's true development may actually come from the poorest of its own poor. To paraphrase Barack Obama, any genuine change in Africa has to start from the bottom and move up.
Thanks Santafara. |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 25 Mar 2008 : 13:25:35
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kay,thanks again. i aggree with you on the theme that african solution may lie with the peasants. but remember that the peasants don't have valuable skills that is needed to market the raw commodities they produce. the ruling elites hold the key. when we look at the european trade and farming subsidise ,we see that the governement and other agancies help the farmers gain an advantage over the third world populace. here ,i mean let the elites provide the atmosphire where ordinary folks can prosper. let the elites provide water facilities,roads,and a market,the rest will be taken care of.
our goods cannot be trade in international markets without western business men riping us of. the WTO don't protect us, so our biding must be done by our representatives. here, i mean the elites who don't in most cases care about the poor. i truely associate with poor, i have seen many in very dificult situations. but alas, some of our elites don't even understand the simple question of going without a balance diet. thanks kay,keep up the scholarly endevour. |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 26 Mar 2008 : 08:07:41
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| Thanks Santafara, it is just my small way of analysing and interpreting others. I am an amateur poet myself aspiring to improve on it... |
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MADIBA
United Kingdom
1275 Posts |
Posted - 26 Mar 2008 : 15:02:27
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quote:
Originally posted by kayjatta
Thanks Santafara, it is just my small way of analysing and interpreting others. I am an amateur poet myself aspiring to improve on it...
Kay idnt think you are an amateur poet. I smell that you have past thru the hands of either Gabriel Roberts(Pa Roberts) or Mr.Bindi or Mrs Johnson(Bishop's wife) or Badara Joof former PS at SAHS. |
madiss |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 27 Mar 2008 : 05:58:17
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Precilla Johnson and G.J. Roberts were both my teachers and colleagues at some time. Very remarkable people; its really been a previlege...
Madiba, you must have not been far away I suspect... |
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