CLASS 3 PRINTING FEE

He stood in a tired uniform
Well ironed and tucked
And his shorts fusiform
Today was exams day
and he couldn't wait to write

He walked to Mum in her room
for the usual morning blessings
But His Mum tried to tell him
that he probably should stay home
He bowed his head and she threw her eyes away
They both knew why, and why it was best to stay

But He knew what to say
To tell his teacher's cane
and his mates who might laugh again
Of why he will write but can't pay

His Mother knew this would be another day
when her second child will end education
And chase after life around the traffic light
She sensed the aroma of history
Repeating itself today and tried harder to keep him at home
But the little boy went to school
ready to tell all about why he will write but can't pay

They were many kids
All seated in arranged lines
and he saw the blank desk.
It was Obvious Kweku wouldn't come

One by one, the teacher
inspected their printing fee receipts
Some showed a full year, others for the term
And he sat there hoping to do magic

At last the teacher got to his desk
And every child was searching
With their faces covered with laughs
An old story, he will be thrown out again
And certain he knew today was a landmark

Show me your receipt, the T requested
If you don't have go home, a boy retorted
No printing fee, no paper, another dared to shout
And now, they all teased

"am sorry you will have to go home"
He stood up and looked backed
Opened his mouth as if to cry and again he shut
"Go on, do you have anything to say?", the T asked

In tears, he closed his eyes
Clapped both palms together
And like a humble prayer,he said

"I don't want to be like Kwabena, my elder brother
who lost his education on this same day
and whose daily bread is  now oven
by the red light on the street.

I don't want my mother to keep wishing for graduates
Yet cries to the truth that she couldn't afford one
I don't want any of my mates here
think am dumb without a chance to prove myself

Don't talk of my father, he is long resting
And heaven is far away from earth
He too had a task for me, become an engineer
Please Sir, Allow me education
One day we both won't regret.

This minute, you are deleting a future
This minute, you can create a destiny
This minute break the rules
To make an engineer, and Heaven will smile.
This is my humble plea"

He opened his eyes to his ultimate dismay
Every eye was already flooding
and the teacher apologized and promised him his help henceforth.

Her Mum, took the exams question
and asked; how did you do it?

Now he is a civil engineering student
An Award winning Poet.
and the author of this particular piece.

Written By: Oppong Clifford Benjamin. ( From "My Family and Money")

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FACTS OF LIFE ( A talk With Integrity Youth Club, Tamso,Tarkwa)

Friday Morning or true to say Friday dawn, the waking call came from UN Wygon Blazez (Our Chairman). And he wanted me to give a talk on our regular meeting which came off the following Saturday.

The proposed topic was 'FACTS OF LIFE'. I guess we know Life itself is a fact, come to think of the Facts of Fact. Well who was I to deny a duty, I did my best to gather ten facts which correlated with our deeds as a society of young men.
After a rather successful meeting,the chance was given for questions and our dear Chaplain John Ampah suggested that I post the whole talk here on our facebook page for the benefits of the absentees. So if you are reading this here, it is courtesy John.

1.It hurts to love someone and not be loved back, but it is most painful to love someone and never find the courage to let the person know your feelings.
You are not wrong to be thinking about the love that exists between a man and a woman, however it is the contrary here. Am talking about the love for our fellow brothers. It is a pity that society has taught us to only love the opposite sex but I tell you that, I have since 2006 enjoyed true love not from my lady friends but a male one. And It is an undeniable fact of Life that Love shown a brother births better rewards.

2. The Best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with, never say a word and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.
In our noble fraternity, everyone is a friend but I live to confess that there is a friend indeed and a friend in need. A friend in need is a friend indeed. (NB: 'indeed' is ambiguous, and has been used interchangeably) That is the friend who will visit you in times of sorrowful challenges and will sit by you without verbalizing a word, yet you feel the love his presence brings.

3. The people that need you need in Life are the ones that need you in theirs.
Must you keep moving to a house you are not welcome just because you feel good in there, do you want to know what they say no sooner than you had left? "Doesn't he has a house,nkwasiasem". Yes they call you Kwasia because they need you not in their lives, take time, get to know the people that care and like you as you are, get closer to them regardless of their status and with them you will find the secrets of happiness.

4. When Life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show Life that you have a hundred reasons to smile.
In Integrity, most members are high school / technical school leavers and some are still home for whatever reason I deem worth the stay. It is a very challenging period to see some of your mates climbing the educational ladder whiles you sit at the same level. Well, let me in my own experience tell you that, it is far good or better you are there. Life is giving you a tear to cry but give life a smile to laugh because he who climbs late falls not like early, you will learn from the mistakes of hasty climbers. Mind you hasty climbers make a sudden fall. Never a teardrop, never a worried face and never your jaw in your palm, keep your head straight and up, smile and live whiles you beat Life at the game.

5. Always put yourself in the other's shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts them too.
Teasing has come to be a part of guys and so it is an attachable part of our association. However teasing can be very expensive and can break the unity and brotherly love that bonds us together. Therefore let us be advised that, before we pass what is suppose to be a comic comment, let us first put ourselves in the shoes of the person the comment goes to, if it hurts us then it hurts the person too, hence silence should be the remedy.

The remaining five will come later, am running out of online time

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YOU COULD PREVENT AN ALTERCATION

YOU COULD PREVENT AN ALTERCATION
(Cliff Human Relations Lesson 23)

The list is countless in truth, I have quarreled my roommate on innumerable cases. It ranged from his forgetfulness to leave the keys at the porters lodge to littering the room. Sometimes our quarrels result in two weeks or worse variances, we would not talk with each other and the room would turn into a cemetery or best to say we turn to temporal dumb and deaf.

Until one day I grew up and accepted the blames. I said Cliff you should know how to point out someone's mistakes.

During one of our silent days, I entered into our dirty and offensively malodorous room. My heart started swelling out of anger, I threw myself into my bed and warned my lips to stay zipped lest I cut my tongue off, and I calmed down till I could find wisdom drizzling on my tongue.

I could hear the door opened so I lifted my head to see who was entering, lo and behold it was him (my roomy). I could read from his eyes that he was ashamed to have again committed the same mistake I had spoken against several times.

Ben, I called out his name and he failed to respond, he knew what was next ( another hot quarrel, which we both never enjoyed). He answered upon a third call and I said, I am sorry I kept a stinking pair of shoes beneath my bed, I guess that has caused this ill-scent in the room. I was tired last night after school. " Oh Cliff, you think is the shoe, well I guess its the dirty bowls I have not washed since last week, I will do so right away". This time I was surprised to realize we both could be humans enough.

Ben washed the bowls and swept the room, I mopped up and we both worked happily and has since remained very cooperative roommates ever.
Never go hitting someone's mistake hard on his face, hoping to make a change. I tell you he will fight back.

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A LETTER OF DIRECTION

Do the spirits of our ancestors still hear our cries? Do they understand English? Do they have Facebook accounts or blogger? Have we lost the connection with the very people whose blood flow through us? Do they know that we walk on bituminous asphaltic roads and fly in the air like witches did in their time?
Sometimes I get a sentiment that our ancestors visit the land and they don’t seem to discover their root and their own blood children. They get lost in the walls, supermarkets and the busy streets. They go back to the grave and sleep again in total astonishment. Me,I want to see my grand mum again so I have written her a letter of direction.

A Direction to Nana

We are still here
Your voice we hankering to hear
Mum said we no more pray you
Must you keep drinking schnapps to rue?
Nana, things have changed ooo
The huts have lost their security
we not even safe in these heavy stones (blocks)
Where you left us, is now called the village
and nothing good gets down there
We too wanted to eat electricity,pipeborne water and good healthcare
Nana,next time when visiting,
Go to Asomdwe park, see ghost Atta Mills
He recently left, he must show you Accra

Nana, you will see this white house
When you hear a quarrel, good then you home
When you hear big English, it is that of the mayor
You will see a woman with a wrinkled face
Clearly defining poverty and hardship
You will see food served on the floor to be picked
Nana, then be sure you are home.
When you see a long convoy
dancing in wailing sirens
And lights all over
Nana wave too, is the president passing
Nana,look left, right and left again
To check that you safe
Before you enter, today we are followed.
Boys now kidnap everybody including ghosts too.
WELCOME HOME NANA.

Written By: Oppong Clifford Benjamin to his great grand mother Nana Nyamenakye)

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