THINKING FROM THE PUBLIC TOILET

THINKING FROM THE PUBLIC TOILET

Accra is a big, buzzing city

With confusing and irritating sounds left, right & center.

From the left are needless & piercing sounds

From the sirens of police vehicles who are hastely going no where.

From the right are irritating sounds from flies by day,

And mosquitoes by night.

In the center, we have noise from children playing ‘chaskele’ & ‘pampanaa’

Coupled with that of trotro conductors shouting out to prospective passengers.

‘Kanesssh!, Kanesssh!!, Kanesssh…!!!’

Accra is totally drowned in needless noise

To the extent that mankind can barely think in comfort.

Electricity and water tariffs keep skyrocketing.

Parliamentarians keep passing bills for tax increments.

Fuel prices keep accelerating every fortnight

Like male kangaroos on heat in Australia.

Wages & salaries on the other hand remain plateaued.

Man needs to think through these cocktail of economic diarrheas

Yet, the noise pollution in the city says NO!

There is no peace of mind at home to think

Because strangulating bills and fees will just not permit you to.

There is no peace of mind in the office,

Neither is there any iota of it in the bedroom of the Pope,

Nor that of the Chief Imam.

Thinking inside the trotro is never an option.

The last time I tried,

The ‘enemy of progress’ odour from the armpit of the conductor

Caused me to forget my destination and change as well.

***

My tummy suddenly started thundering & rumbling one hot afternoon

While in the busy Central Business District of Accra.

It is arguably the noisiest part of the capital city by day.

I rushed to a nearby public toilet like a snake in labour.

Never had I visited such a facility

But circumstances reluctantly led to me to one.

I always asked myself,
'Why do users keep so long in such a smelly public place of convinience?'
I went in hoping to come out within micro seconds

But to my utmost dismay,

I found my puzzled self in there for over an hour

Despite all the stench and heat within.

The level of concentration & flow of ideas through my mind

 While in there was just awesome!

My mind was finally at rest for a long time.
It was really,really at rest.

At last, I found peace within a very noisy environment.

A rare oasis on the Sahara desert to engage my inner man in thought.

So,
Just bear in mind that,

Irrespective of how turbulent and boisterous your circumstance may be,

There is always a moment of peace within that stormy situation.

In the midst of the most noisiest of environments,

There is always a place of hush for every man

Just take pains to find it!

GOATS ALSO DO SWEAT

GOATS ALSO DO SWEAT

You’re who you are

Because no one else can be you more than you

We’re all striving towards perfection

But in the end

 No man born of a woman will ever be perfect

Why do we make needless sacrifices trying to be like someone else

When being ourselves cost us far, far less?

There are thousands of ways to bleach the black skin within a few days

Yet getting back a black skin takes a lifetime effort

The grass always appears greener at the other side

But have we ever bothered to take a look at ours?

Fried chicken and pizza are everyday treats for the well-to-do

Nonetheless, they are luxuries to the stomachs of the average person

Why then is the rich battling the average man

For his dried fish and kontomire

When the workers at KFC & Southern Fried Chicken are not yet on strike?

 From a distance

Every pastor has a perfect marriage and family

From afar

Every rich man is a happy man

From miles away

Every banker has a perfect job

Judging from outside

Every petty trader seem to be struggling & suffocating financially

Do not allow your eyes to betray you

For appearance and reality quarrel with each other on most occasions

The agama lizard is a very hairy reptile

Yet its hair is only visible to the eye that is closer enough to see

Never turn away a hungry man because of his potbelly

Because that belly may not contain accumulated food and drinks

It may contain a weeping stomach filled to the brim with water and gas

The goat seem comfortably clothed in its hair against the weather

But do not be carried away by the thick hair on its skin

Because when you draw closer enough

You will realize that

 Goats also do sweat