Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-4hhp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-08T13:30:46.092Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

In the Streets of Accra

from THE TOWN

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 August 2019

Andrew Amankwa Opoku
Affiliation:
Presbyterian Minister
Get access

Summary

This is the road!

This is the main highway!

Shouters, we are in the street!

Shooters, restrain your guns!

This is Accra.

This is the road!

This is the main highway!

Shouters, we are in the street!

Shooters, restrain your guns!

This is Accra.

This is the town.

The street of the municipality.

Strangers, we are in the streets.

Townsmen, stretch out your sleeping mats

This is Accra.

This is the beach,

This is the pilgrim's haven—

A vast town, but where is the sleeping place?

A great crowd but where is an acquaintance?

This is Accra.

Why this tumult in the street?

Where are the pursuers

That harry every one so?

Let me join the throng.

This is Accra.

Why this head turning

Or is something approaching

That makes you turn jerkily

To look round about you?

This is Accra.

What is this buzzing noise?

What means this paa! paa!

Is this where you walk daily?

And you have lived so long!

This is Accra.

Stay let me have a look.

If such a collection of merchandise

Crowd even the streets so,

What of the market?

This is Accra.

What does this ringing of the bell signify?

This shouting and tinkling noise

This running in the blazing sun 165

This sweat that is skimmed off with the hands?

This is Accra.

Could women monopolise a street so?

In vain you try to elbow your way through

If you stop they will roll over you

If you turn away a vehicle is knocking you down.

This is Accra.

Step out, son of the valiant,

When you look about you too much

ͻkete's children will mark you for a rustic

No one shuns the simple fellow for a bargain.

This is Accra.

Bestir yourself always

When someone pushes, hit him back

When someone bullies, scare him in return

Stranger and citizen are both alike.

This is Accra.

Type
Chapter
Information
Voices of Ghana
Literary Contributions to the Ghana Broadcasting System 1955–57
, pp. 164 - 166
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
Print publication year: 2018

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×