It Is About Forty Days now when:

The wind ceased,
The clouds stood still,
The sun retired behind the clouds,
The mountains began to groan,
The streams in their flow carried the message,
The veil has been drawn over a soul!

Yea, it began as an ordinary day
Yes, a Tuesday!
A Tuesday with an unprecedented news,
A news to shake the our Mother Land,
Breaking news to shock the world.

Though a calm day, 24th July had the sad News.
A beautiful calm day we thought.
The News!
The News!
The News caused running about.
Reality of the News emerged as the tip of an iceberg from a distance,
As a mirage from afar on a shinning street at noon.
Doubts, fears, questions!
Yes, it was true.
It is a reality.

The wailing,
The crying,
The crisscrossing of cars on our streets,
The blaring of horns,
The busy and noisy atmosphere over Accra,
They all carried the message.

A strange sound walked through our walls and hearts.
What is it?
What is it?
Atta-Mills o o o o o o o o o o o o o!
Atta-Mills!
Not in a campaign, but in death.
Death has stolen him away.
He is gone!
"Atta-Mills" is dead!

A hole has been dug in the castle
A tree has been uprooted.
Ghana weeps!
I hear Ghana weeping uncomfortably
Ghana weeps for her son.
Ghana holds her breasts as an African woman to weep
Yes, to weep and mourn President J. E. Atta-Mills.
What a loss!
Yes indeed, he is gone to the Great Beyond.

Hearts are melted together.
Where is Mr. Politics?
What oneness!
What singleness!
Tributes!
Tributes are pouring out!

Are the confessions true?
Oh, ooooo Mr. Politics,
We want to mourn our President.
Leave us alone, Mr. Politics!
We want to preserve our brotherliness,
Our sense of community life.

Agya Atta-Mills was indeed true!
He was indeed sincere.
He preached and lived for peace.
Damirifa, Due ooo!

Voices shouted, “A son is born”
Voices spoke as families and friends.
Voices judged, voices condemned,
Not as Ghanaians:

They judged, they discredited and condemned as politicians.
Nevertheless, when the silver cord broke
And the soul began the journey to the Creator,
And the body became lifeless,
They cried!

Indeed, they cried as Ghanaians.
Everyone with a heavy heart,
Hearts of sorrow and grief.
Yes, we all wept, and are weeping today as “Brothers and Sisters”.
We all cry and sympathize as Ghanaians.

“Father for All”,
You sowed a seed in life,
Your demise has watered it.
Peace!
Peace!
Peace!
Yea, Peace in all the walls of Ghana!
Unity!
Unity!
Unity!
It is seen exhibiting itself at your demise.

How I long to see Peace and Unity in Ghana!
Even the kind we see and experience now!
Peace demonstrated in sobriety and humility!
The kind the whole world is witnessing today in our homeland Ghana,
Peace that remains as Memorial and a Testament,
Born at the demise of a Peacemaker,

His Excellency, there is hope for the righteous in death.
Therefore, farewell!
May your soul rest in peace!

Philip K. N. GAFA,
Accra- Newtown,
024-3241523

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