Sun, 12 Jul 2009 Feature Article

The Obama Serenades VIII

“Obama is Coming so What?”

Even
in the best
of times,
not every kinsman
or woman
may be convinced
to join in
celebration
of that which
brings glory
to all members
of the clan,
even as
shared blood
is not the same
as shared
souls;
for kinship
is a choice
of chance,
even as
friendship
is one of
spirit and
soul…

envy is a
raw human
trait that never
really
left the land;
and so even
on this landmark
day,
a self-indulgent
scribe stood
stark naked,
goat-fashion,
and proceeded
to drop muck
in the market
square,
with pee
on top
for good
measure –

“Obama
is coming
and so
what?”
screaming
and peeing
to anyone
within earshot
who cared
to heed;
screaming
and peeing
and then
dropping muck
and peeing
and feeling
like a genius
for screaming
and dropping muck
and peeing
on top
of the same…

perhaps
it was a
guilty
conscience
tormenting
this son of
a crab;
perhaps
even
the long-lost
spirit
of a
traitorous kin;
or maybe
his own
demonic soul
on a crazy-horse
mount,
and for what purpose
none about
could readily
explain…

“Obama
is coming
and so what?”

well,
so get off
your mean streak
and let those of us
with eagle-eyes
and brains
of a scythe
relish that which
is minted
of our own
native
brew…

7/11/09

By Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr.

Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., PhD, taught Print Journalism at Nassau Community College of the State University of New York, Garden City, for more than 20 years. He is also a former Book Review Editor of The New York Amsterdam News.. More He holds Bachelor of Arts (Summa Cum Laude) in English, Communications and Africana Studies from The City College of New York of The City University of New York, where he was named a Ford Foundation Undergraduate Fellow and the first recipient of the John J. Reyne Artistic Achievement Award in English Poetry (Creative Writing) in 1988.

The author was part of the "socially revolutionary" team of undergraduate journalists at City College of New York (CCNY) of the City University of New York (CUNY), who won First-Prize certificates for Best Community Reporting from the Columbia University School of Journalism, for three consecutive years, from 1988 to 1990.

Born April 8, 1963, in Ghana; naturalized U.S. citizen; son of Kwame (an educator) and Dorothy (maiden name, Sintim) Okoampa-Ahoofe; children: Abena Aninwaa, Kwame III. Ethnicity: "African." Education: City College of the City University of New York, B.A. (summa cum laude), 1990; Temple University, M.A., 1993, Ph.D., 1998. Politics: Independent. Religion: "Christian—Ecumenist." Hobbies and other interests: Political philosophy.

CAREER: Ghana National Cultural Center, Kumasi, poet, 1979–84; Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, worked as instructor in English; Technical Career Institutes, New York, NY, instructor in English, 1991–94; Indiana State University, Terre Haute, instructor in history, 1994–95; Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY, member of English faculty. Participant in World Bank African "Brain-Gain" pilot project.

MEMBER: Modern Language Association of America, National Council of Teachers of English, African Studies Association, Community College Humanities Association.

AWARDS, HONORS: Essay award, Nassau Review, 1999.Column: Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., PhD

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The Obama Serenades VIII

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