Once upon time there’s a boozer who answered to the name Maya Angelou. She just passed on recently after hitting the ripe age of 86. I remember Maya not just for her love of kanywaji known as human dignity; we rubbed shoulders in many occasions as we fought for the rights of boozers the world over.
Angelou became famous thanks to her noble works such as I Know Why Caged Birds Sing, Amazing Peace (A Christmas Poem), On the Pulse of Morning, Gather Together in my Name, Singin’ and Swingin’ and Getin’ Merry like Christmas, The Heart of a Woman, All God’s Children Need Travelling Shoes, A Song Flung up to Heaven and Mom& Me& Mom among many books of poetry.
She and boozers were caged birds who’d tell (sing) the truth as it is, no matter what. She loathed lies, duplicity, dishonesty, fear, hopelessness, venality and whatnot. All those facing injustices are but caged birds that can sing if they decide to.
Born and raised in the hunk of Obama, Angelou lived to face racism, exploitation and anguish among others. She didn't cower before those evils. Born Marguerite Annie Johnson on 4th April 1928, Angelou’s believed to be a descendant of Mende people from West Africa. As a black person in apartheid-like hunk, she faced many injustices which refashioned her so as to become a boozer like me. She took her gun known as pen and said things other people were afraid of saying. She made sure that her message’s for ever. As Latin put it verba volant, scripata manenta namely spoken words fly away while what’s written is for ever. She, indeed, made a niche that became an indelible mark on human civilization.
Her unapologetic words and the sharp language speak volume. For instance, she wrote in Amazing Peace, “We interrogate and worry God. Are you there? Are you there really?” She says that when the going gets tough, we start a hunt for a witch. Call it a witch-hunt just like what I see in our hunk. Instead of blaming ourselves, we blame everything on God as if God lives our miserable life. Stop this, guys. We’re the ones to blame for our miseries and predicaments. Why’d we blame God who gave us the gift of intelligence? Why’d we worry God who gave us brain and the way of using it wisely for our benefit? If anything, this is the question Angelou asked in the quest of making our life worthwhile.
Angelou’s now gone forever. Hers is still with us, kanywaji of wisdom. I verily know. Our hunk, especially, her people hate books. They love useless things such as merry making even when they’re in Egypt waiting for the messiah to come and deliver them. How’ll he deliver you while you’re not ready to be delivered? How dare you pipe dream that your troubles will just get away without your efforts? How dare you ignore your plight for the sake of ignorance, fear and myopia? Wake up guys.
Angelou saw a bright future in the children. For children love light as they hate darkness of whatever sort. She writes, “Hope is born again in the faces of children. It rides in shoulders of our aged as they walk in their sunsets.” This is very true. Old people who do childish things should know. Life’s but a temporal gift that’d be cherished by doing good things to others. Angelou saw it all. She said it all. She knew. The eggs you demean today are the cockerels of tomorrow. You too were eggs.
Angelou spoke of the very same children whose education we’re corrupting and felling to date. My hunk knows this too well. She spoke of the future, the bright future for thinkers and those who heed the call. She spoke for those whose future and hearts were trodden by those who betrayed them. Don’t we know them? Don’t we live with them? Don’t we know what they do to us? They, as well, know too well save that they pretend not to know and see.
Angelou wrote about many things. Of all, she settled on justice and peace, true justice and peace as she opposed all sorts of injustices and violence. To her, peace didn't mean the absence of war sick and bankrupt politicians like to call peace while it actually isn't. She preached peace and justice. Is there anybody on earth who doesn't need these two ingredients of life?
I know too well. My dirge for Angelou might be seen as empty noises aimed at provoking some quarters. Nay, I don’t mean that. I meant to emphasize what this lady said for your good and my good. All in all, there is a lesson. We’ll all die one day though we don’t know when. All in all, it is obvious and empirical that what we think we own we don’t own. Some of us rob others. They rob the poorest of paupers on earth. Aren't they blind just like darkness? Had they known, all evils and loots they hold dear are but illusion.
A folk, my heart’s heavy and broken. I've lost a friend and a sage. Go rest in peace Maya. You’re an exception boozers who told it all fearless and skillfully.
In your name and honour, I’m going to have my kanywaji, the one that Nyerere loved. The one you loved truly and dearly, knowledge, justice, peace, struggles and whatnot.
Rest In Peace Maya Angelou.
Source: ThisDay June 16, 2014.
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