Vintage Nights

We would gather in a tiny room at sunset – our kitchen
Throats thirsty in anticipation of dinnertime
We sat in an unstructured group of five
Mama and Papa dined on the single table available
My sisters aided in dishing out the rice meal - jollof
Big brother sat all alone – feeling a false sense of seniority
My twin and I solely concentrated on the meal being served
Hardly ever paying attention to anything else
Then sat Grandma and her diverse camp of pets
Papa teased and mocked every one of us
Mama contemplated about who warranted the loftier chunk of meat
Her hardworking husband or last-born twins
The latter always won
Big sister bragged about college life
Late-night parties and no lecture days
Second sister ensured we all ate to our fill
My twin and I knew no satisfaction
We unceasingly asked for more
Big brother overwhelmed us with the names of underground rappers
Majority of whom he claimed were his mates from school
My twin and I merely argued about who ate the most food
Grandma shared her meal and conversations with the pets
We drank cheap juice afterwards
Listened to African folklore
Rehearsed songs composed by Papa
Laughed about fights we had witnessed
Applauded those who came out top in class assessments – I never merited one
We shared in titles of books
Mama constantly quoted a scripture or two
We chatted endlessly
With satisfied bellies and smiles
Mama notices our sleepy eyes
We say grace with one another
To one another, we say goodnight
Tuck ourselves into our antique beds
Allowing the vintage night to fade away
Today;
Mama eats all by herself - without Papa
Who, I’m told has embarked on an eternal journey
Desiring no meal on his return - if ever
Big Sister shares her meal with her newborn – my adorable niece
Second sister declines to eat after 6
Big brother feasts on food prepared by his lover
His love for music compels him to leave town – my twin
All but two of our pets are deceased
Leaving Grandma with only two mouths to feed
An indifferent cat and my favorite dog
That delights in troubling the cautious cat
My favorite meal is served but I’m surfeited
Tastes better yet swallowed sour
My portion of meat is larger yet unsatisfactory
For I crave the good old nights
Of many mouths yet fuller bellies
Cheap juice yet contented smiles
Ideal chatter and intermittent teases
Contagious laughter
The songs we sang together
In unison and love for our beautiful family
O’ how I long for those vintage nights

Written by;
Kenneth Atsu Dogbey
[Member of TDL]
Email comments and/or suggestions to dogbey19@gmail.com
Visit: www.thedogbeyleague.blogspot.com for more exciting reads!

5th September Anniversaries

Today I bury two souls,
One lost and the other not
In immense pain do I lay to rest;
A great man and an unsure lover
I resign,

I resign myself to losses that be
In future, of the past and present still
For life heeds no mercy plea
Regardless of what the predicament may be
I refrain,

I refrain from the options of hope,
That rides on wings of uncertainty
I’d rather prepare to cope,
And grind painfully through the mills of certainty
I remain,

I remain, to one soul an unending source of misery,
The other was to me a mystery - an untold story.
A man whose invitation to my future is a persona non grata
A woman whose presence was to me - magic like no other
I regret,

I regret, as I say goodbye to my first Hero
A man who will forever reside in me
I recount, that goodbye was my lover’s last hello
A closure that will forever daunt me.
I resolve,

I resolved to desperate measures,
Late night longings and perpetual fear
My tears - our tears
The priceless moments we both shared,
Will, as long as I remain,
Be buried in tranquility,
In the depths of my arching heart.

Till I meet you both someday;
Fare thee well, Father.
I wish you well, Babe.

Kenneth Atsu Dogbey

TDL.

Whisky! Waiter, Water Wouldn’t Win!

Guts! Gosh, Gluttons Got Guts!
A politician bellowed out of frustration
Less heed is paid to our calls in opposition
Our ideas were sound and ideals right!
Their talk is loud and embezzlement of heaven’s height!
He went on and on… and on he went
I wondered why wisdom isn’t rare once power is spent
He ironically referred to the incumbent as greedy
As each passing glass marked his thinning face mercilessly
I hesitated; tonight’s beer cost will not be borne by me
Coins he counted and placed reluctantly on the table
Outside in the cold he turned to look at me - and assured;
I will honor you when I return to that power stable! - For that, I'm sure!
I slammed the door repeatedly in his face
Guts! Gosh, Gluttons Got Guts!
He said, and sustained a fatal fall on his face

Hush! Homies, Heaven’s Here!
Don’t bother looking up expecting manna
I have been voted for! Right here,
To serve and bring back our due, in honor
Your thumb chose me; not all fingers but one
You’d be damned to want more figures than one!
I will, I promise to cater for your needs
Do your will; share T-shirts and what you’d eat
Look at that glutton who had fallen on his face
He who condemns me will suffer a similar fate
He threw at them, fresh notes of cash
But retained a thousand more in his stash
All but the Waiter, stood up to cheer
All he did was to look on and jeer
Hush! Homies, Heaven’s Here!
Hush! Citizens, Christmas' near!

Waiter! Whisky, Water Wouldn’t Win!
For I cannot comprehend a lost war sober
Now is the time to say, I quit!
As folly embraces ignorance like a brother
Give me two shots, dry and burning hot
In the absence of that, I’d prefer a scotch
I’m undone! For I have witnessed my last
I’d drink to reminisce about times past
Of great leaders and relentless sacrifice
Not coldblooded men of gluttonous edifice
Whisky! Waiter, Water Wouldn’t Win!
I’d rather drink till my head spins!

Atsu Dogbey

TDL.

Dreams & Confessions

In my sleep,
Familiar scenes playback in a rush
Interwoven with feelings of fear
I perceive myself in the most fragile of states
A broken tear and I could lose it all
I yell for help – that comes out real
I am pursued by the darkest of my pleasures
So serpentine is my fate that I avoid dilemmas
But…

I spoke the truth; I someday cheated
I held on still; I never showed you the exit
I endured the kill; although it was multi-faceted
I bet my lips were easily tempted
As I spoke words that could have waited
But…

So serpentine is my fate that I avoid dilemmas
Like; Who and why?
When and how?
Who was I?
I asked then and now,
With an eventual sigh
But…

As I spoke words that could have waited,
My options of exit grew limitless
I look back at love that tasted sour
And find myself wanting more
In dreamland, it is a love-not-to-loose
Realistically, this love-did-me-no-good
But…

I must go,
For I have confessions to make in my sleep
Truths I’d rather not keep
As darkness steals through light unnoticed,
So was my love pained but left unnoticed.

Atsu Dogbey
TDL.

Late Letters

It is nighttime in my affairs
Darker dawns, late afternoons
Old pictures of memories I hate to keep
Torments I find myself in - still
The very urge to fight, I’ve lost
Like a tossed coin with both sides loss
My soul is but wandering several miles away
Mind drifting in similar shades unknown
I’m beat. Damn! I’m alone and troubled
Who can read between these lines to save me?
Who understands enough to tend for me?
I am losing my sanity practicing ‘sanity’
A war of parallel odds do I contest,
with all uncertainty - an unpleasant quest!
I am unsure as I carve this note,
that I may find resolve,
in what life paints next on its canvas;

A darker image - spells doom
A lost cause - frustrates life
Tarnished integrity - threatens self
An embittered soul – heightens reality
I write these words to communicate a message
As an empty canvas tells no future,
So will it be vague to whom it’s not intended
For even the bearer comprehends it not
Merely to carry out the will of the communicator
I hope it doesn’t take too long to decipher
As pleasant words mean zilch to a soul - gone.

Atsu Dogbey
TDL.

A Debtors’ Prison

I am not in love!
Can’t even call this sensation, lust.
I feel nothing at all,
only the reek of blood and dust.
I recall begrudging my emotions
but nursed the one I lent from another.
I have lost my worth
and sustained the hurt.
Now, I have found myself in a debtors’ prison.

I have both knees on the ground,
hands beseeching mercy all the time
Feeding off residual love like a pet,
whose owner returns from a blissful quest.
I am distraught! Goodness, I am wrecked!
I brought this ill upon myself.
Jumped in one-eyed
consequently, turned blind.
I fed on rented love,
and its fee wound me up in a debtors’ prison.

Like a ship, I am berthed in a habour of uncertainties;
feeling fear,
shedding tears,
craving saneness,
surviving nothingness.
Hoping that things will change
but all I have are chains around my sanity,
an unshaven face,
a flogged back,
stained conscience
and a broken soul.
To appease the will of my master in this debtors’ prison.

How did I accrue this much debt?
How many years am I destined to toil?
How long were you instructed to keep me as your prisoner, Jailor?
How much did my master say I owe?

For I do not intend to pacify this debt with my life
nor forgo my dignity for what it’s worth.
I shall rise on my feet and fight with my teeth.
Sourcing strength from the debris of our timeworn photos,
The ones you left out here in this pit!
But I will survive,
I will earn freedom.
It shan’t be long,
before I find dough,
to repay my master’s due.

Inside the traumatic walls of this prison,
Seated next to persons who owed eternal bills with justifiable reasons,
I wondered why the only thing I ever owed anyone was - LOVE


Atsu Dogbey
TDL.

Reason

Two things thrill a man,
Second is love, first is reason
Let him believe he can,
Don’t deny him love! It amounts to treason!

Two things make a woman,
Fall in love and feel no burden
Listen to her and adore her skin - tan.
Respect her wit! For she does reason!

Two things bond a family,
Love and hatred, reasonably cantankerous
Even so, when they are in lack, be generous
Don’t give yourself reason to be greedy!

Two things define healthier friendship,
Betrayal and a plea to earn lost trust
Inquire from them a reason! Don’t feign companionship!
Perhaps, they be better confrères now - forgo the past.

One thing gives love reason;
Reason NOT in love! It is forbidden!
Love defies reason! Attempt to reason,
And you may give up love for logical reasons.

Atsu Dogbey
(The Dogbey League)

Love Metamorphoses

My love life is a shapeshifter

Sometimes humane other times hoarse

Tied body with soul to my partner

A love for which I find no worthier cause

For the loyalty of a pet I exude

Sacrifice and respect! A mantra I choose

My love life is a shapeshifter

Today it sucks my blood warm

Like a cock, heralding the arrival of a Christmas dawn

Only to be found at twilight in cold blood, warding off its pride 

Among the birds, its song sounded better - blues

But timing pronounced a fate that ended bitter - soon

My love life is a shapeshifter

Some nights I'm an unforgiving beast

Striking fast, with no room for repentance 

A schemer, head buried in comeuppance 

Awaiting prey, with venom of hate to bestow

At whoever attempts a peak at my lovers’ left-toe

My love life is a shapeshifter

Yesterday I mounted a skin-walker in his lovers' presence

Warned him that he might not survive a broken-heart once

For in our world, death is awarded twofold;  

First, a broken-heart and when one grows old

With a drink to my soul I concede;

My love life, metamorphosed many times but never turned human.