The Mouthpiece of truth

14/07/2023

In the midst of the rain and night,
A senior officer stands in sight,
Controlling traffic with steady hand,
Amidst chaos and a downpour so grand.

His uniform soaked through and through,
But his duty he'll never eschew,
For he knows that safety is at stake,
And his job is to keep it in check.

Cars rush by in a blur of light,
But he remains calm in his might,
Directing them with a wave of hand,
And a presence that they understand.

His face is etched with lines of age,
But his resolve never fades,
For he's seen it all in his long career,
And he knows that peace is what we hold dear.

So let the rain pour down like tears,
For the officer knows no fear,
He'll stand his ground and keep us safe,
Till the dawn breaks and the storm abates.
Author ✍️
Ebrima Keita

07/06/2023

Remix the walls

Once before I met you
I was alone in the ocean of emotion
But this new love I got from you rekindled my affection and made me a fearless pirate in the ocean of adoration

You came into my life
And give me some sense of purpose and meaningfulness of love
I might not be the man you want or the one you dream of
But these emotions in me shine like the rays of the sun
If the same affections were to be real, I won’t mine paying the most expensive trip to have fun
Nothing is going to change my emotions even if it’s taken by the gun.

I get all these affections for you but it’s confused me
I don’t know if it’s a mere fantasy but I’ll still try
If truly all I had is the former and behind that wall is nothing but an imaginary emotion I chaff in the thin air, then you’ll see a grown man cry

If those emotions are nothing but blackmails I feel every morning as I rise
Then behind those walls is nothing but a hope I gather from the fool’s paradise.

All my life I have been reading books, watching movies and fantasizing on what is love
But I keep asking myself am I prepared to love
What if I get a weak heart and my gamble didn’t go well as a throw my dice;
Then you’ll see a grown man crying as my heart’s been slice.

Am not sure if pen will paint my name behind those walls as I cry;
But I made a promise to myself not to be preyed on anymore as my tears dry.

Author ✍️
Keita
PC: Pen Dictator

12/12/2022

The Ugly Truth

Pen: Hello Keita; how are you doing today?

KEITA: Well, unlike you I am always fine. Unless you decide to change my mood, which I believe you will because you’re always consumed with the wrongs of our nation.

Pen: I don’t know if you’re keenly following our farming season. Well, I tell you, groundnut - our country's main cash crop- is in its final marketing stage.

Keita: Pen! I am a bit surprised you’re taking me to agriculture and trade. However, I think this is important since Agriculture is still the country’s economic backbone. And groundnut production is always at the forefront as far as cash crop production is concerned.

Pen: Don’t you think it’s a bit ironic to know that groundnut is the cash crop of a country whose economic background is agriculture, and yet farmers keep broadcasting that “Government is not supporting groundnut production”?

Keita: Well, that’s true. Groundnut production is facing hell lots of difficulties right from cultivation to marketing.

Pen: that is right! Farmers find it difficult to rake the necessary resources they need to cultivate a large hectare of land. Probably you know better bro. . .

Keita: Sincerely pen, cultivation has always been a problem for peasant farmers. The resources farmers need to cultivate groundnut are very much limited. From farm power ( mechanisation), fertilizers to support plant growth, and specialisation to help farmers farm in the best condition.

Pen: Do farmers need the technicalities to improve production?

Keita: of course! it’s the key part of every production. Groundnut production needs a specific soil structure, soil profile, topography, and above all the specific fertilizer to be best used

Pen: Keita I think we should now shift our focus to marketing. Why is marketing ever a problem?

Keita: when it comes to the Chanel of marketing. Many factors affect its effectiveness.

Pen: can you enumerate more on that?

Keita: Farmers need good storage facilities to keep their products of good quality, farmers need a good road network to ease marketing from the producers and the buyers, and most importantly, good and structured markets should be established to
motivate farmers in their production. If not, groundnut production will remain on its knees.

Pen: these factors are sounding to me more of a fantasy than reality. How are these going to be implemented in groundnut production?

Keita: well the Government needs to support and intervene in our dying groundnut production. And that will serve as the first step towards feeding ourselves.

Pen: Well Keita, that will slot the final nail in the casket. We have to say bye to our audience for now.

06/12/2022

The Ugly Truth

Keita: Good day pen, how are you doing?

Pen: Well I am not okay. I promised myself to be an agent in changing the current ills and appalling situations my country is facing, but it’s like nature isn’t supporting me at all, because the more I try the more I discovered many woes in our society.

Keita: Pen woo Pen, aren’t we never going to be laughing when discussing on The Ugly Truth session? At least for once, we’ve never been trolling on the positives while dining.

Pen: What is there in The Gambia that we can smile about? I wonder who deceived us that we are the ‘Smiling coast of West Africa’ when everything is actually frowning.

Keita: Okay pen, what is it this time around?

Pen: The lifestyle of our school going kids is crazy. . .

Keita: Well, it’s good to assess their lifestyle, as they’re the hopes of our future generation. But do you think it’s the fault of the kids, don’t you think the causes are dynamic?

Pen:Of course, the issue ranges from the kids, parents, society, schools and even the laws governing them.

Keita: Well, I’ll like you to take us through how some of these factors sums up to shaping our kids living the appalling manners they have.

Pen: To start with kids themselves,they now
feel so immune to any short of advice, particularly if it’s not coming from their parents. They now want to dictate their lifestyles and that’s not helping their journeys through their youth age

Keita: How do parents contribute to that ?

Pen: The main cause of this leniency and permissive parenting style. Permissive parents at the extreme may not set any limits or boundaries. If parents give a child too much power, the child will become spoiled. Parents nowadays are too child protective; gone are those days when a child could be caned by any elder for doing wrong with zero interference from the child’s parents. But nowadays, you’ll find yourself behind bars if you dare to correct a child without the parents’ notice.

Keita: Pen I think we need to wrap up, as the dining session is gradually turning into a marathon interview. But before drawing the curtains, can you give me a chunk of how school contributes to spoiling kids.

Pen: Keita woo Keita. I’ll give that to you as an assignment. It’s already late, and by now my neighbours will be wondering where I am.

Keita: I just hope, the next time you’ll tell me my wife will be waiting for me. “Suto ye diyah”

01/11/2022

The Ugly Truth

Keita: Good evening, Pen! Welcome to our usual dining table after missing you for a while. Please, make yourself comfortable.

Pen: Greetings, I must say your forks and knives are sharp and gorgeous but I am not sure that I will be effectively dining; I have something that has been preoccupying my mind.

Keita: I am not going to entertain your tone as I did during our last conversation. So, make sure you take a regular sip of the cold water as we peacefully discuss.

Pen: Haha. I will take a chill pill and try as much as not to cross paths with our thoughts.

Keita: Pen, are you aware of the rate at which road accidents have been, recently? The figures of reported death cases skyrocket every year. Globally, World Health Organization reports that an average of 1.3 million people lose their lives through road tragic accidents yearly.

Pen: Ooh Yes! I am aware. You will be surprised to know that more than 90% of road traffic-related deaths occur in both low- and middle-income countries. Road traffic injuries and death rates are high in Africa and low in Europe. Even within high-income countries, people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to be involved in road traffic crashes.

Keita: Does that includes The Gambia, Pen?

Pen: In The Gambia, an average citizen of about 60% more likely to die of road accidents than many notable diseases like COVID, TB, and others. The country is ranked 4th globally in road accidents and raked almost 700 of the deaths per year which are 6% of the total deaths. The fear of road accidents in this country is worrisome; thus, most of the reported deaths come from poor families. I have not, after a while, heard that a minister, a director, or even the president is involved in a crash.

Pen: The drivers and their proud apprentices mount the roads daily, with their carefree driving styles, just to meet the demands of their bosses.

The apprentices with their unfixed-fares Ebukalong..........

Keita: The stats you’re unfolding are appalling and terrifying. But I must confess, I like your tone. I hope that’s not because we’re discussing at a dining table. That notwithstanding Pen, what are some of the causes of road accidents across the nation?

Pen: Haha… the sound of your fork on the plate is entertaining. I hope the invitation is not a result of the chicken change you called salaries. Coming back to your question Keita, the causes of road accidents are numerous but to name a few; overspeeding, intoxication (drinking and driving), poor knowledge of conventional road signs, improper issuing of insurance, and driving licenses among others.

Keita: Pen, I am loving this dining moment!

Pen: Sure! anyways I am set to go home, my "Barada" misses me.

24/10/2022

The Ugly Truth

The Pen Dictator: Many Gambians ironically believed that we can easily feed on what we locally produce from the farms. Even after technological advancement and the introduction of agriculture in our education system, Agriculture cannot still be the backbone of our economy contrary to what many believe.

Ebrima Keita: Yes, it is quite right. Though it may sound a bit awkward, that’s the reality. Let us have a look at the arable lands we have especially in the rural areas. The Gambia can actually feed herself.

Pen Dictator: If you are a good observer of the issues surrounding agriculture, you will realize that Agriculture is drastically declining in our country, thanks to the government’s lack of support. You will be shocked if I tell you that the ”Faros” in Foni are now forlorn fields yet the Coffee drinkers are still winning projects.

Ebrima Keita: Pen, you have been so sarcastic and not direct. Those in government should be told the truth.

Pen Dictator: Since the expansion of cash crop production like groundnut, the cultivation of rice has drastically reduced. Increasing costs for land, resources, and labor have gone into the production of cash crops and away from staple crops like rice. Imported rice is now preferred over locally produced rice in most communities. If the trend continues, do you ever dream of The Gambia feeding herself?

Ebrima Keita: Pen, your questions today have been too critical, you’re pushing me to say Agriculture is making no headways? But I can tell you that the government is ready to react to this rice production discrepancy by opening up new lands in the river swamps for rice expansion and by developing trade channels for home-grown rice. The introduction of the (NARIKA) is a great example. The program was effective in increasing rice production. Although not to the level we want.

Pen Dictator: Dear, I believe that the ‘hoe’ can truly feed the nation but does it have to be bagging of degrees to be a self-sufficient country? Those papers of few lines with healthy and impressive diction are like soup without salt, if the bushes are left uncleared.

Ebrima Keita: Answering this question isn’t quite as straightforward as it might appear. Ultimately, it depends on what kind of career you want in agriculture. For most entry-level jobs, you don’t need a specific qualification. All the skills and knowledge that you need to excel in the field are taught with hands-on experience.

The Pen Dictator: Dear, please tell the coffee drinkers that there are no fertilizers for farmers. until then, my regards to your pen!

22/10/2022

Let’s rack our brains.

You sit on me,
You eat me,
I cure you,
When am there, you forget that am there,
When am not there you see miserable people and dying lives,
You sleep on me,
In the day I give you what you need and take what you don’t need,
I send you up to the sky,
I’ll even accompany you to your grave.
I am all these and many more.
Who am I —————————————————?

04/07/2022

The world needs you!
If you’re the kind who gives more than they take;
The world needs someone like you.
If you’re the kind who teach the ignorant to know;
The world needs someone like you.
If you’re the kind who provide feet for those who can’t stand for themselves,
The world needs someone like you.
If you’re the kind who cares about people’s problem than yours,
The world needs someone like you.
If you’re the kind who shine the light for the blind to see,
The world needs someone like you.
If you’re the kind who hates the infants cry,
If you’re the tree that provides home for the crippling birds at night,
The world needs someone like you.
If you’re the bridge that connects the bank of sorrows to happiness,
The world needs someone like you.
If you’re the mouthpiece for the people who can’t speak,
The world needs someone like you.

10/04/2022

UNKNOWN HEROS

We all want to be hero’s, we all want to taste victory and we all want people to know that. But there are those among us who don’t want the limeline, they’re the few that have to win from the shadows. They’re the unsound heroes, the lions who never roars and the legend who will never be celebrated. Some work there whole life making unknown impact on the life of people, from the moment they wake to the moment they’ll sleep, all they practiced is positivity. It’s really not fear that those of us who always wants the immaculate recognition works little for people to make big out of.
In the midst of all the desperations, confusions and illusions, these hero’s will stand out to help the people in need without any attached form of rewards or getting fame.
Nurses and all the health workers are worth every dalasis they’re paid, besides one can call this compensation not payment, considering the service they render in our societies. We’re ever grateful of all the sacrifices and hope God will continue blessing them abundantly.

27/02/2022

“kutu kata kese menbo jaba to”.
If you’re born in Africa, survival automatically becomes your objective in life; but fighting for survive has different degrees depending on your family status in the country’s political affairs. Youths in my society are never celebrated strugglers, even though none make silly plans. In trying to sail the ocean of survival, they always end up becoming an unknown heroes. In Mandinka Language it’s a clause used by strugglers
“Kutu kata kese menbo jabato” which interprets trying all possible means, yet can’t actualise dreams.
Youths from the Ghetto are considered relatively useless and cause to societies, but there’s none that have bad intentions. It’s because the nations cake is not evenly distributed; so with that, they need their own strategy to survive from bad labelings and social traumatisation.
No one wants to make money in the hard way, you will never see the sons and daughters of the top government officials in the mining centres sieving sands or breaking rocks for survival, nor will they be under the boiling sun arranging bricks for construction. Yet the top government officials keep saying in their speeches “ The Gambian youths are lazy”. Who’s fooling who here? That’s why some youths involve in petty scamming in the internet, some sell illegal herbs and others pick from different pockets to live the easy way of survival; now tell me is that different from looting the countries wealth and still get protected? But it’s the youths that always get prosecuted for their illegal acts.
In the never ending journey of struggles to live a better and celebrate life, some end up been jailed other’s loose their life in crimes, whiles some got mad along the way. All the ghetto youths wants is to rise, but the system always brings them down.
It’s really painful if you see a youth with the aim only for motivation to prevent them from actualising their fantasies. When will our youths be encouraged and celebrated for their struggles?

25/02/2022

Like, comment, share and take heed...

This is not what we fought for;
After a marathon of endless so-called, 22 years of terror and dictatorship, The Gambia borrows the lion heart in effecting a change to her government. The bravely was one of a kind, that the story could be told to generations with outmost pride and gratification that; the country effect political changes without the barrel of the gun been used for the first time in it’s history.
It’s true that “change begins at the end of our comfort zone” but change can be of both good and bad. The Gambia was so desperate to effect change, that we failed to sieve the candidates and blow the chaft from the credible ones.
The worst part of every sorrowful regret is that, we forget to make it right at the beginning.
Citizens are now drowning in their own grief, meanwhile the nation has lost it’s sanity, we don’t even know if we are liberating her or destroying her. Some wished the change never occurs before. But as the saying goes, “there’s no need to cry over a spilled milk”. The wise men asked us to change the sittings when we had the chance but money is more powerful than thoughts. The endless struggles in our nation is marked by; bribery, corruption, price inflation, and bad governance; fuel with ignorance and misjudgments.
The politicians, cross carpet from party to parties and partying with private jets even if their mission is to just sign a paper abroad. I guess the name of the Country should be change to a ‘Party State’.
Prices in the Market inflates to an extend that every commodity have interest added onto it, with no consequences. The minister of trade cares only the breakfast the president gives him daily but commoners can’t even accumulate a hundred dollar per month.
Unknown heroes in our country are never celebrated, instead tolerated. Teachers, Nurses, Soldiers and even farmers are undermined in all standards. The formers are the remaining tread from the loose ones, the country is hooked on. They provide the basic necessities that propels the country to the minimum standards of a blessed nation.
We lived with the Top Government officials, yet so far away from them, just live a sailer complaining of thirst in the middle of the sea. The Country is rich but the bounties are not for us.
Was this the battle we fought for?

25/02/2022

This is not what we fought for;
After a marathon of endless so-called, 22 years of terror and dictatorship, The Gambia borrows the lion heart in effecting a change to her government. The bravely was one of a kind, that the story could be told to generations with outmost pride and gratification that; the country effect political changes without the barrel of the gun been used for the first time in it’s history.
It’s true that “change begins at the end of our comfort zone” but change can be of both good and bad. The Gambia was so desperate to effect change, that we failed to sieve the candidates and blow the chaft from the credible ones.
The worst part of every sorrowful regret is that, we forget to make it right at the beginning.
Citizens are now drowning in their own grief, meanwhile the nation has lost it’s sanity, we don’t even know if we are liberating her or destroying her. Some wished the change never occurs before. But as the saying goes, “there’s no need to cry over a spilled milk”. The wise men asked us to change the sittings when we had the chance but money is more powerful than thoughts. The endless struggles in our nation is marked by; bribery, corruption, price inflation, and bad governance; fuel with ignorance and misjudgments.
The politicians, cross carpet from party to parties and partying with private jets even if their mission is to just sign a paper abroad. I guess the name of the Country should be change to a ‘Party State’.
Prices in the Market inflates to an extend that every commodity have interest added onto it, with no consequences. The minister of trade cares only the breakfast the president gives him daily but commoners can’t even accumulate a hundred dollar per month.
Unknown heroes in our country are never celebrated, instead tolerated. Teachers, Nurses, Soldiers and even farmers are undermined in all standards. The formers are the remaining tread from the loose ones, the country is hooked on. They provide the basic necessities that propels the country to the minimum standards of a blessed nation.
We lived with the Top Government officials, yet so far away from them, just live a sailer complaining of thirst in the middle of the sea. The Country is rich but the bounties are not for us.
Was this the battle we fought for?