08/11/2023
Poetry: Mile 91
By Gibril Gbanabome Koroma, Vancouver, Canada.
Mile 91, north of Sierra Leone,
Do-Nanchiwan,
Ah Do-Nanchiwan.
Cake-dey, orinch-dey, banana-dey, akara-dey.
Mud-covered SUVS from Freetown,
with black, white, fat cats, male, female,
kissing, digitally exploring,
black, white, interstices in,
wheeled, air-conditioned paradises,
While...while,
hungry and innocent child-vendors watch,
with distended eyes. Mouths agape.
Bonga dey, kola dey, braid dey, bif dey
Do-Nanchiwan, ah Do-Nanchiwan.
Filthy and wretched trucks from Bo and Kenema
heading for Freetown with heavy loads
weary, exhausted and silent traders
sitting on bags of garrie, gallons of palm oil and
bags of dried monkeys,
for the Freetown palm wine drinkers and
their hellish peppeh soups.
Petehteh dey,casada dey, fis dey,
Do Nanchiwan, ah Do-Nanchiwan.
Part of Mile 91, northern Sierra Leone.
Glossary
1. Do-Nanchiwan- Themne name for Mile 91. Themne, one of the prominent languages of Sierra Leone, is the major language of Mile 91 and its environs in Yoni chiefdom, Tonkolili district.
2. Cake dey- I have cakes for sale.
3. Orinch dey-oranges for sale. Traders in this part of the country normally sell stuff to passing motorists using the Krio language, the countryโs lingua franca.
3. Akara- a type of cake.
4. Kola- a nut, a stimulant. Usually chewed to stave off hunger and sleep.
5. Peppeh soup- a type of soup with lots of pepper. Good for hangovers, according to the experts.
6. Casada-Cassava (tapioca).
7. Peteteh-Potato.
8. Fis-fish.
9. Garrie- A by-product of cassava, widely consumed in Sierra Leone.
10. Bonga- A type of fish, popular in Sierra Leone.
11.Braid-bread.
12. Bif- Beef. This word is usually used for any type of meat in this part of the country.
Credit: Gibrill Koroma