I dey Datus Co
Yellow shirt, embroidered crest on the left side of my top pocket
Knee long dark, blue shorts
Brown belt, matching synthe sandals
Short afro hair this time, lit. No more in my adulthood, its cool the hairs don’t like my shining scalp now
Lunch box in hand.
Meet friends and to primary school we go, in Bubuashie
Stairs to the 6th floor. Lift! What, no such privilege, please
Thy gym session before you knew about the gymnasium
7.30am
The call to Assembly by the rhythm of the Fontomfrom drums
Chale, dis, be deh highlight of the mornings
Post headmaster announcements and prayers
We match to our classes, singing:
We match to our classes
We match to our classes
Kai, asa boni en kum asase. (exclamation, the bad dance ruins not the earth)
Then now seated in class. Cue Mr. Koomson, our maths teacher. The dark, tall fanti speaking gent. Capture looks the lady teenagers, bit their lips to
Recital of the timetables, in rhythm too
Please don’t make the mistake of getting any wrong! U go see ur behind fo deh action spot
Action spot, is the chalked semi-circle drawn, at the front of the class. To stand in and take thy lashes for thy sins
To prevent this, make sure the homework given the day before, is sorted init
Padded shorts made no difference. Thy thighs were bare, for a beating
These days, this practice of discipline is forbidden
But maybe, prior to dismissal of anybody who utters fuckery
A racial slur, an insult to thy essence, degrading thy existence as a human living being
For only this, please bring back the action spot
Take the thinnest, unbreakable bamboo cane. Lay it to the buttocks
Only 10 solid lashes, Only 10 lashes, solid. If u naw, think am, hear am, u go feel am
Feelings and jokes aside
People to check themselves. This learning thing aint no joke, introspection
The apple no deh fall far from the dua (tree)
Changing is the business, cue and queue