So the Gaunt May Wither No More

by Oumar Farouk Sesay

We have done all things to build this nation.  

Toiled till our hands grew calloused,  

walked till blisters marred our soles.  

We have prayed till our knees turned to stone,  

fasted till our ribs played melodies of hunger,  

bathed in salt water, as if the ocean could cleanse our fate.  

We have voted—wutehteh for Tejan Kabbah,  

sung wata wae na for you for Momoh,  

chanted world best for Ernest Koroma,  

incanted Maaadaa Biooo for Maada.  

Before that, we screamed, "Jesus Christ!" for Johnny Paul Koroma,  

even before that, we sang of four pounds, four shillings Margai ate,  

then swallowed our echoes into the void.  

We have starved, thirsted,  

slept beneath trees that whispered no comfort,  

died in gutters that remembered no names.  

Lost life and limb to the Ruffians,  

witnessed wombs entombed, cradles turned to graves,  

fled—our footprints fading like ghosts on foreign soil.  

We have blogged, blocked highways with our rage,  

sung till our voices cracked,  

danced on streets slick with sorrow,  

cheered, cried, laughed

as if laughter could stitch what was torn.  

We have written—and been written upon,  

stomped—and been trampled,  

swum toward hope only to drown in despair.  

We have been jailed,  

hanged in her name,  

suspended between love and betrayal.  

We have been adjectivized—  

resilient, apathetic, stoic to prolong our suffering.  

We have been labelled, tagged, and morgued.  

We have robbed and been robbed,  

starved and stabbed,  

our bodies maps of wounds unhealed.  

We have been violated,  

standing, waiting, bracing for the next blow.  

And still, the seven fat cows devour the seven thin,  

again and again, their hunger never sated.  

The feast never ends,  

yet our famine lingers,  

until the fattened are retired 

so the gaunt may wither no more.

Oumar Farouk Sesay is a published poet, novelist, and playwright. He has been published in many anthologies of Sierra Leonean poets, including Lice in the Lion's Mane, Songs That Pour the Heart and Kalashnikov In The Sun.

What I Feel

What if I lived by what I feel?

Would I kill everything that makes me ill?

Would I be capable of loving everything that gave me the chills? 

There was a girl named feels

It has been years since I have healed

And I have been in the field

Seen it all, done it all

Now I wait on that ring, like it’s God’s calling 

So miss feels, why are we stalling?

I know you can’t help that I have fallen

I wake up every morning, tossing and turning 

Pillows bashing, like I’m smashing

Oh Lord, what is wrong with me?

See I know what I want, and I know miss right is out there

I won’t have to worry about her acting funny, like some of these bad bunnies

Some say they want me

Some say they hate me

I lied, they all love me

But I just want someone ready

I promise, I’m not a player

To them, I might be a pawn

Your value is where you shop

I can’t stop how some treat me 

So I’m vibing, setting boundaries, thrashing waps, getting my gwap. 

I guess I’m doing what I feel, until I meet miss feels

You know, the one that gives me the chills. 

Lansana Sesay was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He holds a BS in Communication from Bowie State University and is currently pursuing his Masters in Strategic Communications at the University of Maryland Global Campus. Sesay is passionate about expression through poetry and enjoys art, cooking, adventure, and exploring new places.

Krawo

As an Eastend pikin,

the only breakfast I knew 

was a hot pot 

of grandma’s kol rɛs

Spoons will break 

before krawo goes to waste

On the other side of a six-hour flight; 

My first breakfast in this foreign land,

Grandma’s pot is replaced 

by a microwave

wetin dis? 

Porridge!

Rɛs nɔ de? 

if na rɛs yu want, a go mek am fɔ yu!

No firewood, no smoke,

no matches, no struggle

My kol rɛs is piping hot 

in under five minutes

Love is starting your day 

with a taste of home

but this plate  

lacks grandma’s touch 

because as kwik as i de wam kol rɛs, 

microwave nɔ de mek krawo.

Abu B. Yillah is a London-based British-Sierra Leonean interdisciplinary artist with a primary interest in poetry and filmmaking.  Alongside his creative work, Abu co-curates the Sierra Leone Arts & Culture festival (#SLACfest), a celebration of work from Sierra Leoneans across the world.

Voices of Our Ancestors

by Fidel Alexander Massaquoi

we asked where it went wrong

why when we tried to move, they don't tag along

but with every corrupt act they were there

warning of the ill fate we will have to bear

the sounds of bullets flying

and of bombs exploding

those were the cries of our ancestors

we swore we repented; we swore we forgave

we, a happy family, and in our hearts have love engraved

but deep down we despised

making them bleed in our demise

the sirens wailing

the mass undertaking

those were the screams of our ancestors

we are growing we say

we have been purged clean, no chance we will go astray

but the vice of denial, not accepting who is not of our race

scaled our hearts, made our heroes shudder in disgrace

the steep slopes rolling

the dark clouds descending

those were the tears of our ancestors

"They can still make it right," they hope

we can still make it right, we know

with love as the sail, and our kids the vessel

the glorious days would inevitably be factual

‘cause their singing and dancing

the nation rejoicing

these would be the smiles of our ancestors.

Fidel Alexander Massaquoi is a civil engineer living in Sierra Leone. He enjoys reading fantasy novels and listening to rap music. He spends his free time (whenever he sees little of it) writing poems and one-liners. Follow his work on Twitter at @elfidof7.

Black Woman

By Rosaline Virginia Bundeh

A black woman is told:

your smile is dazzling and elegant but it’s too much

your laughter is stunning, but it draws attention and it’s too much

you are hard-working, you bleed your palms and bruise your knees, but it’s not enough

I notice you have two hands that bind softly but you act like they are on cuffs

you are beautiful, your skin glitters but it’s still rough

you are black, you are cultured but you are not black enough

being a black woman is tough

To a black woman, they say:

you talk boldly, you’re defensive but it’s too loud

you work tirelessly but you always frown

Some say: don’t look up, look down

others say: don’t look down, look up, don’t act like a clown

don’t stare, it’s rude, don’t look down it's dumb

you are too ambitious; you’re always chasing something like a crazy cat

you’re this! You’re that!

To a black woman, some say:

your stretch marks resemble the back of a tree and it’s not pretty

your curves are unique but your thighs are too thick

your thighs draw attention. They are too flabby

they define saggy breast as being slutty

they will say; you’re too humble, you’re too rude, you’re too fast, you’re too slow

society will always complain and want black women to act like a supernatural being

when they are treating her like a worthless thing

As a black woman

my elders will hurt me, but I dare not speak

men will touch my hips, and squeeze my thighs, force themselves on me and smile 

It’s our culture to be respectful even when they are breaking our bones 

or bruising our thighs or painting our faces black and red with a slap

men will rape you, but it’s not new, its most of my sister’s stories, 

they say: I am not that beautiful but I am always complaining 

I am an attention seeker, so I should stop whining.

Being a black woman is like being against the world

It’s like you carrying mother earth and fighting with the sun and moon

they will expect us to speak after cutting our tongue

society will say ooh no! It’s a girl

and they will shake their heads in disappointment 

even if we mop the ocean, they will still point out the tiny drops and say we are lazy or call us an embarrassment

they will send us in the dark, pluck out our eyes and say stop acting blind

We are Champions

Our skin is rich, fresh, dark, and soft, it glitters

Our greatness is about embracing our true selves regardless of the pains or heartaches

I’m a black woman with flaws but I’m me and I’m unique

 I’m a pearl

You are a black woman, you are tough, you are priceless, you are rare, you are worth a king’s ransom, you are valuable 

Being black is POWERFUL.

Rosaline Virginia Bundeh is a writer and public health practitioner currently residing in Freetown. She finds beauty in words and enjoys the trials of life. You can follow her on twitter at @RBundeh.