Try Kissing God

included in New-Generation African Poets: A Chapbook Box Set (Saba)

Akashic Books

Afua Ansong’s poetry is a walk through history, and in these poems she is a griot, singing to us of things we’ve lost. We are, she sings, lucky to be alive at a time like this, and we are blessed and lifted into her poems as she leads us. We are privileged to be on this journey with her. We are walking home.

Romeo Oriogun, from the preface

GYE NYAME: receive god/if not for god

Gye in Akan

suggests an offering;
to have someone

at the receiving end,
to desire to let go,

completely,
often assuming

trust exists
which is Gyi

die, which sounds
often like Gye de—

take and eat—
someone cooks

a meal, palatable or not,
boiled yams

with okro stew,
male crabs, cow hide,

perhaps, gives
it to you in a clean bowl,

food that may turn
your intestines outside in

or clean your red
throat. You lick your lips

and thank your tongue.
But how do you take

God—Gye Nyame

—unless they mean to say

except for God.


For Nyame cannot be chewed

on like the bones of a quail
or kept in the palm

like sweat.

Afua Ansong