Konya Shamsrumi: What is the process of writing a poem like for you? Is it a lot of hard work or easy?
Kwaku ‘Rhymes’ Sonny: There are different poems as there are terms and conditions attached to each of them, for example, writing for myself, writing for a performance or commissioned writing. If I’m writing for myself or a performance, it may come hard or easy depending on the concept and also the timelines to finish. So, I could invest much time in reading around the topic and going back to the draft over and over again to edit. Depending on the inspiration, it could take as much as a year or as little as a day or two. . .
Commissioned writing comes with timelines and motivation, so you got to sit down and write. But the flow of these writings will depend on the much stuff you’ve read, observed and experienced in your journey. So, each and everyday activity presents us the tools, ideas and content that we need anytime we
Konya Shamsrumi: Please describe your sense of identity in this or any possible world in imagery or metaphor?
Kwaku ‘Rhymes’ Sonny: Poetry dresses me up in an evocative frock as I walk through the village square, sharing tracts of poems that contains wisdom nuggets.
Konya Shamsrumi: If any of your poems could literarily save a person’s life, which poem would it be and can you describe the person whose life you think it would have saved?
Kwaku ‘Rhymes’ Sonny: Nothing feels good than giving people the best part of you, your he(art), and people grabbing it with two hands. It also puts a great burden on you to stay great and continue to live up to expectations. The fact that when I put into words the things I observe, read about and experience could also inspire, teach, warn, educate, edify, impact lives and making a meaningful living out of it. . . it’s simply fulfilling.
A poem of mine for which I have received many testaments from listeners and readers is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Times).
Konya Shamsrumi: What does Africa mean to you, as potential or reality?
Kwaku ‘Rhymes’ Sonny: Whilst narratives over the past few decades painted Africa in gloomy colours and stencil the continent with poverty, diseases, starvation, conflicts and wars, Africa still remains a huge opportunity for the world today. It is the reality that many still ignore our progress till date. But acknowledging our progress does not absolve the responsibility to continue to work harder, faster and greater towards the realization of positive outcomes.
Africa means home to me, with her diverse and great culture, language, people and natural resources. As a writer, these are the tools of inspiration that one needs to share with the world.
Konya Shamsrumi: Could you share with us one poem you’ve been most impressed or fascinated by? Tell us why and share favorite lines from it.
Kwaku ‘Rhymes’ Sonny: Black Love is a poem I wrote to encourage Africans to express love to all Africans as we position ourselves to receive millions of our brothers and sisters from the diaspora as a result of the ‘Year of Return’ agenda and it did justice to the subject. So far, the response has been great and heartwarming.
Black Love by Rhymesonny
Black is the darkest color the result of the absence of visible light. It is an achromatic color, a color without hue, like gray or white decreases brightness in the principle of chromaticity It’s the color of fertility And the color of royalty Worn by judges, clergy as far back as the 14th century high fashion color, check your history Associated with death and mourning but at same time, elegance and power comes with black in the morning So stop blackening black cos you cannot bleach melanin back Now Let me tell you some black truth Living under this black roof with my umbilical cord stuck on this black root How can you uproot So be mute Black leg, we work whilst others are on strike Black or white, our veins still carry red blood alike not black blood So why this bad blood Is it because our presence scares you like the Black Plague That’s why you continue to blackmail us with your black propaganda ? You can label us the black sheep in this black market See, this is our season and we will continue to remain on your screens like the blacklist. And if you don’t stop your blaxploitation We will continue to resist you like a black spine in the Black Forest Look, Black don’t rest We know about the black chamber, the black project, Black ops and the black budget So don’t try to blackwash the Blackman by throwing fire at him Remember he’s a blacksmith that works with fire so your fire will certainly backfire He shines , he’s a black star Full of love, call it black love Black lives matter Black love is the matter Black love is egg-shaped Delicate and oval Black love is friendship Stays true forever and never over Black love is differently doing different things for the different people of color at different times This life is a black tie event and we are all black panthers fighting for the black belt but after the crush, every information will be left in the black box So tell the black man with black Mind That’s It’s time to show the black man how kind the black man can be Tell the Black girl dripping with black beauty that It’s time to show the world some black loveThis is the kind of love Black Eyed Peas asked about
Kwaku ‘Rhymes’ Sonny is a poet/spoken word artiste, creative entrepreneur, and Lead Servant at Rhyme Consult. He has been an indefatigable champion of the cause of contemporary poetry in Ghana. He is the founder and president of People Of Equal Thoughts and Spirit, organizers of ALEWA: the rebirth of spoken and poetry in Ghana.
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