Nyimpa: A collection of poems
by Kwame Stephens
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"Nyimpa" which means "human" in Kwame's mother tongue of Fanti as spoken in Ghana - is a collection of over forty poems. These poems present a holistic view of life and the complexity of perspective as modern African/North American man. The poems span over twenty years of his work, some written as recently as this year (2015).
The are five chapters in Nyimpad:
• Nyame - The Fanti people of Ghana say you don't teach a child about Nyame (God).
• Abofra - The birth of a child (abofra) is a time of joy.
• Nyonko - A true friend (nyonko) - is always a blessing in our lives.
• Mbesiafo (women) - mothers, sisters, friends and more are the salt of the earth.
• Mbanyinfo (men) - brother, friends and lovers - teachers us lessons of the soul.
Much of Kwame's work has a musical quality about it, as if the poems should be sung. They examine and celebrate the five themes he outlines - a couple of excerpts:
from Angels All Around
...
I see angels all around you
and they are happy people
joyful people, loving people
God has opened my eyes
and I see angels all around you
from Still Waters (2003)
He leads me beside still waters
where the river slows and the water calms
He leads me to places
where there are no other voices
but mine and his own so I can hear
listen and feed my soul
He leads me to quiet places
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