Hero and Thief by Kofi Anyidoho

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was counting time in the heartbeat of the storm

when Fui and Enyo came riding through whirlwinds

she with the dream beauty of new rainbows

and he in his quiet way spoke of how

a nervous govt sits on a bankrupt stool

wearing a gown of fantasy and hope

telling tales of foreign aid and godmothers at Christmas time

Is it enough we search the private dreams of poets

when our land’s nightmares give birth to strange desires

and our children draw their wishes in the quicksands of this earth?

Is it enough is it enough we probe the pampered dreams of poets

while our people scratch the dunghills of this earth

where once the flowers bloomed and poured perfume

upon the pestilence of rotten memories?

Is it enough is it enough we dream in foreign languages

and drink champagne in banquet halls of a proud people

while our people crack palm kernels with their teeth?

It is not enough it isn’t enough

to go in search of the lone hero

while the common thief inherits our ancient stools

There have been thieves before on our land

when the harvest left enough surplus for the thieving hand

and we said the thief never reaps much more than farm owner

But the harvest dance is gone

Our harvest gatherers crawl on empty granary floors

keeping tears away with ancient festive hopes:

my people, how soon again in our hive shall we swarm around

our

honey-comb?

So the thieving hand has reaped much more than farm owner

and the harvest dream transforms into slow funereal hopes

the rice harvest has gone to weaverbird

the corn-on-the-cob has gone to grasscutter

the yam-in-the-mound was carried off by rat

and now we sit and watch the flowering bean and

the ripened fruit of palm being plucked at dawn

slippery hands of night workers

Tomorrow at noon we’ll flock the conference hall

of the academy of sciences and hear the learned talk

on post-harvest perspiration of yam tubers

Is it enough is it enough to dream the moon and stars

When this earth we own we can’t possess?