Oppong Clifford Benjamin Comes Fourth in BPPC July 2017

Oppong Clifford Benjamin's poem 'Erosion' won the fourth place in the Brigitte Poirson Poetry Contest 2017. You win some, you lose some. Congratulations Aire Joshua Omotayo for winning the first prize.

EROSION by Oppong Clifford Benjamin

A mother once said to her daughters:

fill a man’s heart with rich loamy soil

and plant in it a sprig of acacia

that it may blossom

but most importantly note that

the storm will pass by your farm

and manure will join the rest of earth

to be washed away.

Away everything may fly

your acacia may go too

your sweet acacia may go to another woman

and strangely your acacia may be doing well

in its new earth.

Dear daughters, verily! Verily!! I say

acacias are not to be eaten

loamy soils are found in every pair of trousers

cry a short while for your lost acacia

refill, re-plant and expect the storm again

that’s how to live loving.

http://wrr.ng/news/brigitte-poirson-poetry-contest-2017-uis-aire-omotayo-wins-june-bppc-trophy/

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The Virgin Mother and Other Short Stories

“You have today joined the many women who die every month and resurrect a week after. You have learned the intricate windings of the waist of a mortar. You can now eat a banana and bring forth a cluster of plantain, and from today, a man is but only a baby to you. Men must pay you the whole universe to see your nakedness and finally, my granddaughter, be strong for the world cometh with its cruel fist to knock you out from this phase of your life. Please, I dare you to not give up. Be strong Aku! Be strong my granddaughter! Be strong descendant of a limping lion”

Portions of the short story 'Red Means Go' in the the collection of short stories titled 'The Virgin Mother and Other Short Stories by Oppong Clifford Benjamin'

To place your order for print copies, contact +233243129401, clifford.oppong@hotmail.com.

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