We'll call you names, President Mills

We'll call you names
We'll call you 'the Prof'
Because you dedicated
Your life to training
Many young people
To become brilliant lawyers
And responsible citizens
Like you

No wonder
You were so passionate
About youth development
You encouraged young people
Whenever you met them
And you demonstrated
Your belief in them

We'll call you the 'Tax Guru'
Because you helped reform
Our tax system

We'll call you 'Asomdwehene'
It's a name you earned
For you were an epitome of peace and humility
Humility and decency bathed you
Peace was what you dreamt, spoke and lived

We'll call you a mentor, a role model
For you taught as virtues
Indispensable virtues of humility, peace, patience and hard work
You taught us to pray and be God fearing

We'll call you 'ecomini'
Not to make mockery of you
But to remind us
Of your great sense of humour
We'll remember the day
You told MPs
That even though
You anticipated to be heckled
You did not expect it
To be so gargantuan
You once asked a journalist
If you looked or sounded like a cat hunter

Today you're no more
But we know you're with God
He gave and he took
But Prof
Your departure was so sudden
You just returned for a medical check up
And told us
You were back and ready to continue your work
So why all of a sudden?

But we want you to know
That some people are very distraught
By your sudden demise
Others too claim they are
But it doesn't matter
The sincerity or otherwise of our feelings
You're gone forever
And you are with the Lord
So you'll know whose sorrow is genuine
Or otherwise

Your departure also reminds us
That the sad fate of death
Is inevitable
That one day
We shall take our turn
And our deeds will follow us
Hede nyuie, Dukplorla Mills
Mawu na no kpliwo

A tribute to the late president J.E.A. Mills
-Prosper Hoetu